What is "Christmas"?

I asked my 8-year-old, "What is Christmas?" her answer was profound, yet predictable. She's been enrolled in Catholic school since kindergarten... "Christmas is Jesus' birthday. " She replied. "God sent his only son, the infant Jesus, to save the world on December 25th. We remember and we celebrate! We give gifts to remember that Jesus was our gift from God!" The answer almost sounds canned, but my little girl believes, body and soul, and so do we.

I grew up much differnet. I grew up in the land of "secular Christmas". It was a holiday, when "Santa Claus" brought gifts to children who were good all year. When I was 8 years old, it didn't involve going to Church. We tried to sleep until the wee hours of the morning. We woke too early. Our parents allowed us to rifle though gifts that the elusive fat man brought us in the middle of the night. We ate a big breakfast. We spent the day playing, napping, eating... There was really no mention of Jesus, God, the real meaning behind the day.

I love the story of St. Nicholas. I think it ties nicely into Christmas traditions. I also think it's very sad that many children in the US grow up not knowing, or not really understanding, that Christmas, at it's roots, is a birthday party... it marks the birth of Jesus. As cleche as the bumper sticker "Keep Christ in Chistmas" is, I think it's a true reminder to all of us. Before we get cosumed by trees, lights, gifts and Santa, let's take a moment to remember what this season is really all about.