What Does Christmas Mean To You?

What Does Christmas Mean To You?

Tonight my wife and I were out at a concert called Christmas in Concert, put on by Koinonia Christian Fellowship. It was an excellent performance with over 100 performers and musicians, and over 200 people who will help put on the event over the weekend. There were some very powerful performances. But between a number of the pieces, as set changes were made and people switched out were a series of vignettes of families talking about their traditions and what Christmas means to them.  

In some ways it was amazing seeing so much diversity in how families celebrate the season. And in some it was disheartening. For me I love the Church aspect of Christmas, but the personal not so much. If I were to describe my feeling towards the holiday season in general it would be lonely, disappointment, consumerism. I do not even like going shopping between mid November through mid January. I am ambivalent towards the season at best. I love reading advent devotionals. But do not enjoy the holiday bustle and business. In some ways I feel broken inside because I would be happy to just stay in the house with the kids for the holiday season.

So I wonder what does the holiday season mean to you? Can you describe it in three words?

(Old photo's of me at Christmas, the first from when I was 14, and the others from when I was 19.)