Christmas is an interesting experience for Christians. It's a combination that has become very bizarre. We have celebrated the birth of one of the greatest philosophers of antiquity, if you are an atheist, and if you are a Christian, the Creator himself, Lord Jesus Christ - we have celebrated in such a petty and subsidiary way that Christmas has lost its essence of celebration for Christians, and gained more the purely commercial guise.
Today in this video, I invite you to reflect on what big brand advertising uses to push you a bunch of shit that you haven't missed at all all year, but that you feel obligated to buy because a group of experts in marketing sold you this idea. All this in contrast to what is really good for you on this important date for healthy coexistence in society.
Here today, we are going to construct a reasoning that in a certain way, so I ask you to be patient, as it will make sense both for people who consider themselves Christians, and for you who may profess another faith or none at all. I understand the complexity of speaking to these three audiences, which is why I ask for understanding, as you will need to overlook some nuances to understand the idea as a whole.
The term "Christmas" derives from the Latin expression "Nativitas", which means "birth", referring to the birth of Jesus Christ in the Christian religion.
The celebration of Christmas as the commemoration of the birth of Jesus began in early Christianity, and the specific date of December 25th was established to coincide or overlap with the pagan festivities that existed when the teachings of Christianity gained strength and began to spread. Festivals such as the Winter Solstice spread throughout the current territories of Europe.
The choice of this date symbolizes the "Light of the World", when in some countries like Norway, for example, where before Christmas, the days are shorter and the night is longer, and in Decemberthe days begin to grow again, a symbolic victory of the Sun against the darkness, which starts between December 21st and 22nd. A date that within the context of Christianity makes perfect sense, asJesus is the bearer of light.
During the Middle Ages, pagan traditions of celebrating the winter solstice were incorporated into Christian Christmas celebrations. Many of the practices, such as decorating trees and exchanging gifts, were reinterpreted with Christian meanings, the tradition of celebrating the coming of Christ the Savior to the world, married perfectly with the celebrations around the winter solstice, and the closeness that this caused in the family. and community traditions.
The interesting thing is that in addition to this cultural fusion, the Catholic Church had an act of charity and compassion that became a legend throughout Europe and spread throughout the world, overshadowing the celebration of the birth of Christ or all the symbolism that the victory of the Sun about the darkness it may have brought.
In the 4th century after Christ, a Christian Turkish bishop named Saint Nicholas was known for his generosity and for giving gifts to those in need in the month of December. An interesting fact is that Turkey was Roman territory at the time, and before Christianity and Islam with the Ottoman Empire, each region celebrated its own rituals and beliefs to different deities. With Christianity as the official religion of Constantine's Roman Empire, many celebrations were given a new meaning with the influence of Christian missionaries and came together.
The tradition of giving gifts in his honor inspired several practices associated with Christmas. Over time, stories and legends about Saint Nicholas spread across Europe. Different regions have developed varying interpretations of the figure of Saint Nicholas. In the 18th century, Dutch immigrants brought the tradition of Saint Nicholas with them to the United States. Pronunciation and linguistic evolution transformed the name into "Santa Claus".
Saint Nicholas became disassociated from his own act over time, and in his place the legend of Santa Claus was born over the centuries. Therefore, Santa Claus was represented in various colors, varying from region to region. Even red was one of its representations. Nonetheless,in 1931, Coca-Cola, through the work by North American cartoonist Thomas Nast launched a series of print advertisements in which Santa Claus was represented wearing a red and white costume, colors that coincided with the soft drink brand's color palette, bringing massa unified visual representation of the character.
And so, the good old man was elevated as the favorite of traders and advertisers over the years. And the advertising campaigns filtered and began to direct the entire festivities towards commercial appeal.
It is worth mentioning that over the centuries, different cultures have contributed to Christmas traditions. Carols, decorations, special dishes and festive activities have become an integral part of Christmas celebrations around the world. Literature, music and the arts played a significant role in consolidating Christmas traditions. Works like Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and songs like "Silent Night" helped solidify the romantic and festive image of Christmas.
The question remains when people leave rituals aside, the spirit and values behind the celebration of Christmas, to redirect it to a simple banality or social status, when Christmas starts to mean just an obsessed man, with hair and beard white, in red suits and obsessed with winning expensive things, reinforcing a fantasy in people's imagination.
I'm not trying to be depressing here; I understand that Santa Claus is a kind of harmless myth, a delightful fantasy. There is some value in the traditions that have arisen around the figure of Santa Claus. But basically it's a fantasy, it's not true, it's a lie. There are no flying reindeer; there is no sledding. It doesn't go down your chimney; he leaves you nothing. This bizarre fantasy has somehow placed itself at the top of the Christmas celebration, it overshadows the spirit of community and the appreciation of family relationships, neighbors and friends, it overshadows the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ for Christians – which would be the most profound event in history of humanity when God came in person to earth to advise his children, according to Christian belief.
You might be thinking, but that's not important, it's just a date. Confucius would disagree with you. Rituals are important. According to Confucius, the “The man who understands the ritual is the man who can rule the empire. Anyone who does not understand the ritual cannot govern, even if they are the lord of a nation. Ritual is what distinguishes the savages from the civilized; it is the principle that separates barbarism from culture.'"In other words, it highlights the importance of rituals and understanding traditions in the effective governance of a society. He suggests that knowledge and proper practice of rituals are indicators of civilization and culture, and that this understanding is crucial to leading and governing wisely. For him, morality, ethics and appropriate behavior in a society are the basis of its harmonious
Children like costumes, and you can take advantage of this by trying to make them good. But that's simply not true. The message you send to your child is that their behavior requires an exchange, a reward, you are teaching your children that if there is no reward, they do not need to be moral, ethical, empathetic, honest and polite. And even worse, your son will have the benefit of misbehaving all year long, and perhaps seeing you misbehaving, but he will be amnestied on December 24th for the 25th. Because I ask you, would you be able to keep your word and Don't buy gifts for the family? Do you feel worthy of receiving gifts, have you behaved all year?
Our society is involved in a group of lies that cause enormous damage. We are literally involved in terms of how we think in a series of lies that have eternal consequences. That's why you must keep a certain amount of attention, think about what's behind what you take as value.
I'm not saying that you should abandon Christmas celebrations and decorations and disappoint your family about these festivities. I'm saying that you need to give new meaning to things for your children, teach them traditions that bring more solid values. For example, instead of threatening your child that a man in a costume will not give him gifts if he doesn't behave, prefer to talk to your child, show him his mistake and how he can redeem himself, warn them and inspire him to be a better human being. Treat the act of giving as an act of empathy, compassion and family appreciation, an act of being in harmony to the point of sharing something with someone.
Christmas is not an excuse for drinking and drinking with the family, it is a celebration of rebirth, it is a moment of forgiveness, of leaving behind all the darkness that accompanied your year, and opening your heart to what the next year can bring. You are celebrating the birth, the approach of God, who came down from heaven as a son, to teach his own creation about love, forgiveness, compassion, faith and hope.
Take advantage of Christmas to reflect on how you are behaving? How have you evolved as a person over the year? What can improve for next year? What forgiveness should you make to ease the weight of your heart?
Use Christmas to connect with your family, it's not just about going out on the streets buying a bunch of trinkets and putting them under a plastic tree, stuffing your face with alcohol and eating until you feel sick. That's what they're selling you. Christmas is about creating memories, creating our own family rites and traditions, learning to respect each other, sharing responsibilities, affection, patience. It's a time to be together with those you love.
The most important thing in life is not what you have. The most important thing in life is what you believe. What you own won't bring you to God and will not bring you wisdom. What you have will not take you to heaven or the coffin. What you possess will not bring you forgiveness of sins, salvation, or serenity. Only what you believe will do.
The objective of life is not personal satisfaction, the objective of life is to have enough serenity and wisdom to understand your moments of sadness and joy, and to feel worthy of being and belonging to a social context. And this is also the main blessing of life. When you live honorably, you enjoy life to the fullest.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world.” For us, it can be understood that we must also seek to love life and the beautiful things that we have the opportunity to come into contact with.
Open your heart to embrace Jesus if you are a Christian. Otherwise, if you are an atheist, take a few minutes to study the essence of Christian philosophy, the teachings about compassion, love, dignity, and hope. Say a silent, reflective prayer: Father, we thank you for the legacy of music we have in this season that looks forward to the glory of your Son's arrival. We thank You that we can celebrate Your coming as our Savior, the hope, the Redeemer, the sacrifice for sin, the one who can give us life, salvation and the hope of Heaven or serenity. It will be a joy to be able to share this moment of peace, tranquility and love with my neighbor. May I forgive and free myself from all resentment. May you act better than you have been acting, be better for me and my family. Whathave serenity and wisdom to achieve a life full of love and happiness. Amen.
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