How to Bring Back a Christian Christmas

If you’ve entered almost any retailer or big-box store in the last few days, you’ve undoubtedly found that Christmas has arrived. I was immediately bombarded with the Christmas season on a recent trip to a popular crafts store. Shelves were lined with decorative pillows telling me to “Be Merry!”, snowmen and Santa figurines, artificial trees of every size, and gingerbread-scented candles. It’s not news that Christmas in the United States has become increasingly secularized, with much of the celebration centered on gift-giving and the arrival of Santa Claus. Corporations have pushed the start of the shopping season earlier and earlier over the years, giving consumers more time to spend, and retailers more time to profit. As consumerism around the holiday rose, so did its secularism. Americans were projected to spend more than one trillion dollars during the 2025 holiday season. This year, Americans plan to spend an average of $1,011 on gifts, according to a Gallup survey . For many, the season can bring stress as the pressure mounts to buy gifts for everyone on their list. With the rising cost of living and social media shaping our shopping habits, the spending culture surrounding Christmas can feel out of control. With consumerism dominating the season, Christians and non-Christians alike can lose sight of what Christmas celebrates , where it came from, and why it’s one of the most important holidays of the year. What Christmas Celebrates Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, a tradition rooted in the earliest centuries of Christianity. The earliest recorded celebration of Christ’s birth on December 25 dates to fourth-century Rome . Some early American settlers were celebrating Christmas with religious services, but the arrival of Dutch and German immigrants helped popularize many of the Christmas traditions familiar to us today. By the nineteenth century, particularly in the Northeast, Christmas was increasingly celebrated as a family holiday centered on children. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, literature, popular illustrations, and commercial advertising helped shape popular Christmas imagery and the modern version of Santa Claus. As consumerism around the holiday rose, so did its secularism. The Christmas season soon became less associated with celebrating the birth of Christ and more with gifts. Christmas Customs with Roots in Christianity While many Americans go through the motions of Christmas traditions, they may not realize how many of these customs have roots in Christianity. Santa Claus is largely based on St. Nicholas , a fourth-century bishop of Myra who became known for his generosity to the poor. According to a well-known account of his life , St. Nicholas secretly gave money to an impoverished man who couldn’t afford dowries for his three daughters. St. Nicholas threw bags of gold through the man’s open window over several nights, providing the dowries that would allow the daughters to be married. The name “Santa Claus” evolved from the Dutch “Sinterklaas,” a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas, or Saint Nicholas. Dutch settlers brought the tradition to New Amsterdam, where it gradually became part of American Christmas culture. The modern American image of Santa Claus was further shaped by literature, particularly the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas , and nineteenth-century cartoons by Thomas Nast. Santa’s image was further established through department-store displays, advertising, and appearances at events such as Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which began in 1924 . The Christmas tree is another essential sign of the season with a rich history of Christian symbolism. One popular Christian legend connects the use of the evergreen tree to the eighth-century missionary St. Boniface, an Englishman who traveled to Germany to evangelize pagan communities. According to legend, St. Boniface found the pagans worshipping a large oak tree which they had dedicated to the Norse god of thunder, Thor. To demonstrate the powerlessness of their god, St. Boniface struck the tree down with an ax. When no divine retaliation followed the tree’s destruction, the people were reportedly moved by Boniface’s message. He supposedly then pointed to a small evergreen tree that had stood unharmed, using its ability to remain green throughout the winter as a symbol of eternal life and its triangular shape as an illustration of the Holy Trinity. The very word “Christmas” comes from “Christ’s Mass,” the celebration of Christ’s birth. A later retelling of the legend attributes this quote to St. Boniface: “This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree tonight. It is the wood of peace…It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are ever green. See how it points upward to heaven. Let this be called the tree of the Christ-child; gather about it, not in the wild wood, but in your own homes; there it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and rites of kindness.” The story of St. Boniface offers Christians an opportunity to use the Christmas tree as a Christian symbol, calling to mind eternal life, the Holy Trinity, and the light of Jesus Christ. How to Restore the Spiritual Traditions of Christmas It’s impossible to separate Christmas from Christ. The very word “Christmas” comes from “Christ’s Mass,” the celebration of Christ’s birth. Christmas is a time to reflect on the miracle of the Incarnation and rejoice in the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amid marketing madness this season, there are many ways to restore the spiritual traditions of Christmas in your own home: Replace some of your shopping with acts of service, such as volunteering at your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. Donate gently used clothes or toys to families in need. Feature a nativity scene among your Christmas decor. Set up an Advent wreath and light a candle each week in preparation for Christ’s coming . Attend Mass as a family. Set aside a portion of your gift budget to donate to your favorite charity. Choose gifts that remind you and your loved ones of the true meaning of Christmas, such as a rosary , a Bible , or a book about the lives of the saints . Teach your children about the Christian history and symbolism of the Christmas tree and Santa Claus. Don’t be afraid to say “Merry Christmas” or to teach others about the Christian roots of the traditions we often take for granted. Read the Nativity story with your children. Take some time to embrace the peace that Christ promises us, and thank Him for the blessings you’ve already received before asking for more.