Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, the Saviour. Born in a little stable in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ gave his life to redeem the sins of others. The celebration of his birth reminds us to give a little more than we get. To forgive as He forgave. To spread His message of brotherly love, goodwill and peace on earth.
The essence of Christmas often gets overtaken by its own special charisma - as marketing blitzes and advertising gimmicks milk the festival for all its worth completely losing its true spirit under reams of wrapping paper, consumer oriented razzmatazz, commercial glitter, credit cards and quick bucks.
Christmas is about more than plum cake and mulled wine, prettily packed presents stacked under perfect trees, an angelic Christmas fairy or a gift bearing Santa Claus. Christmas is certainly about more than tinsel and twinkling lights - it is about goodwill and peace, compassion and harmony as it is about loving and giving.
Therein lies the true meaning: the essence of Christmas is what you can give to others because it celebrates the day God gave His Son to the world.
