No Such Thing as a Gift-Less Christmas

I love Christmas Time! I love putting up the tree right after Thanksgiving. I love turning on the lights after dark and turning out all the other lights in the house. I love singing the Christmas hymns and songs with gusto. I love the stories of the Christ Child. I love getting out the Nativity set and playing with it with the kids. I love putting the ornaments on the tree (although this year, my daughter was too fast for me and I mostly just put hooks on them for her – it was still fun). I love baking sugar cookies and putting on the icing and sprinkles. I love driving around to look at the lights.

I love gift-giving. Every September, I begin thinking about and usually doing some of my Christmas shopping. Sometimes, I'm even thinking about next year's gifts before this year's Christmas is over. Something useful, I think. Something practical. Something that will have meaning to the receiver. I take note of things that my nieces and nephews particularly enjoy playing with when they are at my house...sometimes months in advance. I really enjoy giving everyone their gifts and seeing them smile. Those years when I get started on time and finish well in advance of the actual holiday season, I happily find that I have enough time to focus on teaching my child about the Savior during Christmas time. On helping her to give to others. I have time to read the scriptural accounts of the Savior's birth and reflect on them.

Then there are those other years... those years when I wait too late to start my shopping. When the ever-approaching date is getting closer and closer and I am getting more and more stressed out about how in the world I am going to manage a decent gift for everyone in time! Those years, I have not found much time for my Savior, or myself, or my family. I rush around frantically trying to plan, find, assemble, and wrap something that will likely have little value to the receiver. It is not very fulfilling. I usually end up sick and grouchy under the happy-face surface on Christmas Day.

Thankfully, this is one of the good years.

But I hear from others that it is not quite so great for them this year. So many are bustling around, frantically trying to adhere to the cultural pressures that so-and-so must have this type of gift, that cost this much money, that is wrapped this certain way, and given on this certain day, in such a way that does not offend anyone else receiving a gift on the same day, or make them feel left out or judged in any way, but only loved and special. Some aren't bustling around because they don't have the money to. Instead, they stress and feel guilty over how much they can't afford to buy. They worry that their family might suffer from a gift-less Christmas and feel ever so unloved.

I wonder how different our cultural celebration of Christmas would look if we took out the tradition of gift-giving, period? Just erased it.

Would we remember that the reason we started putting up trees and decorating them was in honor of Jesus Christ and the eternal life we can have if we believe in Him? Not to have something to put the presents under. Would we remember that the reason for all the lights was to remind us of the Light of the World, the Light of Life who shines through all the darkness? Not to make our yard look brighter than the neighbor's. Would we remember that St. Nicholas became a legend because of his Christ-like character? Would we get together with our families to simply enjoy a meal and one another's company? To fellowship one another, show our love and concern to one another? To play games and have fun together?

Whether we stopped our own gift-giving or not, there could never be such a thing as a gift-less Christmas. The very reason we have it is because Heavenly Father gave us the greatest gift of all: His only Begotten Son. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, suffered so that we might be washed clean of our sins. A newborn king that was laid in a manger will always be Heavenly Father's offering to us. His gift will always be there. We need only open our hearts to receive it. My prayer for all is that we can focus on the Best Gift of Christmas without worrying too much about all the rest. Merry Christmas.