The Magic of Christmas

Miracle on 34th Street, Baltimore, 2023 _{(Credit: Author)}

For some, Christmas is marked by candlelit solemnity. For others, hectically getting the kids dressed and to mass in hopes the service will be over with in time to get to relatives’ houses for dinner. For some, it’s an unremarkable day, perhaps too painful to recognize in light of their relationships to their family. Still others enjoy its cultural trappings such as the tree and decorations and presents and cookies without an ounce of religion involved. Many others do not even observe the holiday, due to its origins coming from a different culture and religion.

Everyone’s approach to Christmas is very different. But I think that it’s impossible to say that Christmas doesn’t affect each and every one of us in some way. Even if it is just the annoying six songs at the mall on a loop which makes one loathe the very concept of holiday music or dumb commercials expressing the worst aspects of the Christmas season. I’d like to think, however, that the magic of Christmas is that it gives us the ability to feel a little something special no matter how big a grinch you are.

Maybe it’s cheap and sentimental and naïve, but I think the idea of celebrating a season of peace on earth and goodwill toward man is a thing of beauty. Christmas’ pagan beginnings before being appropriated by Christianity aside, the spirit of this holiday has transcended its religious origins to become something more universal.

The Christmas we know today is a collection of traditions which have crossed cultural boundaries and evolved through centuries to become the holiday which we know today. Personally, I think the fact that Christmas has become divorced from its origins more and more to be an overwhelmingly good thing. Christmas is a shared cultural experience. It has become more universal because all sorts of people have brought something to it. And that’s what the holiday season is about: bringing people together in love and joy in the hopes of bringing about peace on earth. The ideas of the season: peace on earth, goodwill towards man, love and joy, etc. are things that all of us can get behind. Christmas has been given magic by all of us, by the traditions we’ve developed with each other.

The magic of Christmas is bringing smiles to people who may be lacking in them. A time where we try to give children a little extra magic to make them believe in hope and joy, because this world is too scary and forces them to grow up far too quickly. That childhood wonder and imagination and belief and love should all be fostered so that they persist with us as we grow into adulthood. Perhaps they become tempered by age and experience and the wisdom which accompanies both, but it should never be snuffed out as it does with such frequency.

The thing about Christmas is, even to the most bitter among us, there is always something to make us smile. It’s been quite a few years since I considered myself a full believer in a greater power, and it’s been even longer than that when I considered myself part of an organized religion. And yet, Christmas is more magical to me now than ever before, because that magic comes solely from the things that we do just as people. There is no higher purpose or meaning other than what we chose to give the season.

There’s something that speaks to the Christmas magic within all of us. And this can be something like your local tree lighting, or ice skating at Rockefeller Center, or seeing the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, or watching A Charlie Brown Christmas on television, to baking cookies, decorating the tree on Christmas Eve, or that party with people you don’t get to see all the time. There are people who are moved by midnight mass, or by seeing Trans-Siberian Orchestra live in concert around the holidays or by a quiet walk around the neighborhood to look at everyone’s lights. There is a tradition at this point of the year for everyone that makes it feel like Christmas. And it’s magical because we take part in those traditions together.

Christmas Eve is the most magical day of the year, and it leads up to Christmas Day. But that magic doesn’t happen if we don’t make it happen. The spirit of Christmas is us, all of us, and we have to remember that. We have to show love and care, and act for others. And if we take that a step further and do that all year round, then we can keep that magic alive, and build a better world, together. Every wave starts with many little ripples.

The magic in Christmas comes from people being brought together, by celebrating what we love about others, by giving gifts with no expectation of anything in return, by being with the families we’re born into or the families we find along our way. The magic of Christmas is the fact that we experience it together, with each other, for each other. We remember the people no longer with us, and we rejoice in the memories they left us with, we celebrate that we were lucky enough to have the time we had with them, and we continue to grow and evolve our traditions so that more and more people get to share in this magic.

The end of the year is my favorite time of year, always has been. I love the Christmas season with music, cookies, decorations, and especially the time with family. This year hasn’t felt very Christmassy. I’m just exhausted. But I see the spirit of care and decency and love still very much alive here. Not all is lost, there is still good to be found here, and I hope that we can continue showing as much as possible of that good throughout what will be a very difficult new year. We have such a long way to go, and so many wrongs to correct, but everything has to start at some point.

We live in interesting times. But many of us, here, are lucky to have the chance to spend this holiday with those we love. Taking part in traditions we look forward to each year. To give gratitude for our loved ones, and for the things that bring us together.

So if you see this after presents or between halves of a football game or after dinner or before bed, I ask that you take a moment to just be grateful for the things that you have. Take a moment to think of those people who may not enjoy this time of year as much as you do, for whatever reason they may have. To remind yourself that there is always more work to be done in spreading the peace and joy and light that this season is all about.

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. Not for the gifts or the commercialization or anything like that. This is a time for family and friends, good food, and reflection. This is a time of year where we do try and celebrate peace and joy, to try and bring each other closer together. Our ability to connect with each other is the greatest magic we have, and I count every second I’ve had with every one of you to be the greatest magic there is. I would not be who I am without the people I know, and so to all of you, from the bottom of my heart, I want you to know that I truly do love you and I will be forever grateful for you being part of my life.

I wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and that the light of the season will help you through the darkness we face every day.