My Favorite Christmas Songs

I have said that I love the holidays and I especially love music. The combination of Christmas and song is a fertile area with lots of variety. I have made a list of my favorite Christmas songs, but there are too many. Therefore, I have divided the list into sacred carols and secular songs of the season. The songs appear in no particular order.

My Favorite Sacred Carols-

• Joy to the World
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
• Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella
• Il est ne
• Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
• Once in Royal David's City
• O Come, All Ye Faithful
• Labor of Love
• Messiah (all, or any part)

My Favorite Secular Christmas Songs-

• Christmastime is Here
• I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
• Run, Run Rudolph
• Blue Christmas
• Feliz Navidad
• You're a Mean One, Mr Grinch
• Happy Christmas (War is Over)
• Same Old Lang Syne
• White Christmas
• Please Come Home for Christmas

Some Problems I Have with Christmas

For the most part I join in with everyone else and enjoy Christmas completely. I like the lights, the music, the cheer, the warm feelings, time with family. I like all of that. I am not one of those Christian bah-humbuggers who gets upset and uptight about every little secular detail. In fact, I love the secular details. I think that it is a good sign when the world is looking to Christmas a time time of hope and peace.

But, I do have some pretty serious problems with the current celebration of Christmas.

• Commercialization. From the evening news to our family celebrations, we are encouraged to spend too much money and to commercialize Christmas. If we do not spend enough money on gifts, we will certainly end up in economic recession. Not only stores and malls, but also restaurants, hotels, movies and more have become dependent on holiday spending. Heaven forbid.
• Gift giving. We are told over and over again that giving is the purpose for Christmas. I give gifts. I love giving gifts to the people that I love, but I never want gifting to be the reason behind my celebration, or anyone else's for that matter.
• Secularization. Too many people around us have no idea why we take the day off work on December 25. From our greetings of 'Happy Holidays' to Winter programs at our public schools, we are thoroughly secularizing one of the most holy of holidays. The nativity story and the redemption that followed must never be forgotten.
• Selfishness and Insensitivity. I do not think that I even need to expound on this one. Avarice and greed are the top two guests at many Christmas parties. What did I get? Why didn't I get more? They could afford more than that. And more thoughts and comments just like these characterize the attitudes of a whole lot of people.

Winning the Merry Christmas War

It was one year ago that all the USA was in an uproar over the so-called war on Christmas. Some department stores and media outlets were instructed to wish patrons "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas" so as to not offend those who are not Christian. Retailers were sure that this was the sure way to increase sales. By being more politically correct, they would do better business and not offend anyone.

But the plan seemed to backfire in a big way. Word got out that Christmas was out and Holidays were in and that was all she wrote. People who have not attended church in years were offended at this affront to one of the most sacred days to Christians. After all, the name Christmas celebrates the mass for the birth of the Christ.

And now, one year on, we seem to have a little of the same problem. The clerks in the stores that I have visited seem to be suffering from the fallout of Christmas 2006. They hesitate about wishing me a Merry Christmas. They are a little worried that they will offend me, or at the very least, get in trouble with a supervisor. How sad. Even if they wanted to be jolly, they cannot.

So, for the next few weeks, I am implementing a plan that will hopefully bring cheer and good tidings of great joy to everyone I encounter (whether I am merry or not). My goal is to wish every bell ringer, every stock person, every greeter, every cashier, every package wrapper, every manager and supervisor a Merry Christmas. I am not going to wait for someone else to greet me first. I will take the initiative and wish others well.

I am going to smile until me cheeks hurt. I will not be called a Grinch or a Scrooge. I will be a smiling mirth-spreader. I will not be offended when someone, no matter who they are, does not wish me 'Merry Christmas,' but I will be offended if I do not. I am going to be "Merry Christmas Boy."

One more thing that is a little related: What is with the greeters at Wal-Mart? At the Wal-Mart where I do business, the grouchy greeters outnumber the friendly ones 10 to one. This too is very sad. Most of the greeters do not even look up except to make sure that you are not shop-lifting, or trying to get away with something. They have a very boring job, and it shows. Most of the time my shopping experience is already ruined before I even get into the store.

My goal of being Merry Christmas Boy will apply to the greeters in every store as well. I am going to smile and be friendly regardless of the attitude of the greeter. I will wish them Merry Christmas until December 25 and then I will continue to greet them in the most friendly way that I can muster. I will bring joy to people as much as I can.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has become a secular holiday rather than a religious holy day. Our culture has re- translated giving thanks to God into, giving thanks to our friends, family members and others who have helped us. Make no mistake, giving thanks to our loved ones is important. We are woefully deficient in the gratitude department. We should be reminded to thank those who care for and support us regularly.

But let us not forget to thank God as well. No matter how much you do for yourself, no matter how much you earn, save or receive, no matter how much you create or produce, it all comes from God. No matter how good your network is, God put it together. And at the very least, God made it possible for you to accomplish whatever you have accomplished.

And then there are those who are having a hard time thinking of anything for which they can be thankful. At the risk of seeming uncaring and trite, remember to be thankful anyway. Things can always be worse. One of the keys for people to get better is to recognize that there are people in worse circumstances. Even if it does not seem like it, you should thank God. Thank God in every circumstance, no matter how bleak. Allow him to see your gratitude. Let God know that you are open to his work and blessing in your life, so that he can bless you and work in your life.

We ought to learn to be thankful in every situation. This means that our gratitude should not be limited to one day, or even one season of the year. We should be thankful every day. Thanksgiving should be a mark of your life. Offer to God thanks on a regular basis.

As far as this holiday season is concerned, take advantage of this occasion for thanksgiving.

• Be sure to thank your family and friends for all they mean to you.
• Spend as much time with your family as possible and savor every moment that you have with them.
• Go out of your way to be with them.
• Be gracious and forgiving, if that is necessary.
• Stop holding grudges or relating to others with animosity ill- will.
• Be willing to compromise.
• Do not feel like you always have to get your way.
• Be generous- more generous than ever before.
• Love everyone with all your might.
• Spend time with God.
• Count your blessings and thank God for them.
• Recognize where your blessings come from.
• Practice simplicity.
• Be humble.
• Live in an attitude of thanksgiving.

Holidays and Holy Days

Having just finished the madness that is Halloween (with almost no regard for All Saints' Day) and with Christmas shopping already weaving it's magic over the retail world, it seems appropriate to think about what makes a holiday. There are several categories of holidays in the USA.

1. There are civic holidays. These are occasions like Independence Day, Flag Day and Memorial Day in which our government and institutions recognize the importance of a specific detail of Americana.
2. There are greeting card holidays. These holidays are made-up. That is, someone who wanted to sell a product, a card, flowers or candy, invented these occasions. Some examples include Secretary's Day, Grandparent's Day and even Mother's Day.
3. There are quasi-religious holidays. These are generally secular events that through the years have taken on religious, or spiritual, tones. Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving are among these events.
4. There are social holidays. Social holidays are those dates that we save only for the purpose of celebrating. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day fall into this category.
5. There are also religious, or Christian, holidays (holy days). Easter, Christmas and others constitute some of the religious holidays that we celebrate.

One of the problems with our holidays is the secularization of holy days. Here are a few examples.

1. St Patrick's Day was originally a celebration of the great saint who brought Christianity to Ireland. It had nothing to do with leprechauns or green beer.
2. Easter is a recognition of the resurrection of Jesus, the foundational event in Christianity. However, we have allowed it to become a time for hiding colored eggs, eating chocolate and visits from magical rabbits. (Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all of Lent have largely been lost in the secularizing shuffle.)
3. All Saints Day, celebrated on November 1, is a remembrance of all the Christians who have gone before and are no longer with us. This long-forgotten holiday has served for many to be an after-thought from All Hallow's Eve (now commonly know as Halloween).
4. Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is celebrated by virtually everyone in America. It matters not the religion, people shop and give and spend and regret throughout the month of December. A controversy a few years ago reminded us that we celebrate "Christmas" not "Happy Holidays," but it was, and remains, a largely semantic distinction.

There are reasons for Christians to celebrate. We ought to be celebrating our Holy Days more gloriously and graciously than anyone else. We should be using our holy days to bring the love and grace of God to bear on our world.