Christmas holiday
Francesca BillingtonStaff WriterAfter the Thanksgiving rush, scents have drifted from pumpkin to peppermint, and plastic skeletons have been replaced with Christmas lights. The decorations adorning boutique windows and the comforting scent of hot chocolate marks the beginning of fall. Yes, it’s once again that time of year. The holiday season has begun.With “holiday spirit” in the air, we somewhat wonder what it is we are truly celebrating. Is it the birth of Jesus or just celebrating for the sake of it? Though some aspects of Christmas will never change, Christmas has evolved into a holiday less focused on the religious aspects and more towards simply spreading Christmas spirit.Translated from Old English and meaning, “Christ’s Mass,” Christmas is a commemoration of Jesus’ birth to the Virgin Mary. Dec. 25 is a day when Christians and non-Christians alike celebrate. It also marks the end of the Advent season, a period of preparation for Jesus’ birth. Based on the study of researchers, Jesus’ birth is approximated to be between 7 and 2 B.C.It was very common for celebrators to attend church and pray. However, society has somewhat shifted from celebrating for religion to celebrating for the fun of it. The idea of Santa Clausbecame popular in American and Canadian culture in the 19th century, due to the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Thomas Nast. From there, the idea of Santa was spread through books, TV shows, the radio and other means of mass communication.Santa Claus is not only celebrated by Americans, but by many countries worldwide. Countries have also given their own name to whom we consider “Santa.” For example, he is known as “Pere Noel” in France and as “Papa Noel” in Costa Rica, Colombia and parts of Mexico.There is no doubt that Christmas holds very popular traditions. For the sole purpose of religion however, Christmas has somewhat steered more towards the aspect of simply celebrating with holiday spirit.According to George Poon (’15), the symbols of the Christmas celebration are evident today. St. Nicholas, for example, was a Christian priest, who later became a bishop. As the bishop of Myra, St. Nicholas became the gift giver of Myra. He gave presents very slyly — late at night, so no one would recognize him.“I don’t think Christmas is pulling away from religious points of view. Santa Claus is basically St. Nicholas, who dedicated his life to helping the poor,” Poon said.Although Christmas does in fact commemorate a significant event, according to Heidi Choi (’15), most Christians do not always commemorate Christmas for its original purpose.“I am Christian so I have been taught about the real meaning [of] Christmas and I know what it’s supposed to be. [Despite that], I don’t really care much for the original meaning and go towards having Christmas spirit and celebrating instead,” Choi said.Although Christmas has shifted from a religious holiday to one simply about holiday cheer, Christmas is different for everyone, and people usually celebrate whichever way fits them best.fbillington@thesamohi.com