True Meaning of Christmas

December 24, 2020

It's that time of year again! The month of December has come and with it all the joys and excitement of Christmas. But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it putting up a decorative Christmas tree? Lights all around our homes? Distributing Cakes and cookies to our near and dear ones? Dinner with family and friends? Or exchanging gifts? Sure, the giving and receiving of gifts can bring us immense joy, but this should only be a small part of the meaning we find in Christmas.

For many of us especially children, Christmas is all about receiving presents. We need to realize that there’s more to it than just presents. Often we get lost in the season and forget the true meaning of it.

Christmas signifies the birth of Jesus Christ. It is one of the most wonderful, joyous times of the year. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’’. He gave His only Son to bear our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible sacrifice.

Is Christmas necessary? Yes, because we need a Savior!

We celebrate Christmas every year to commemorate the birth of Jesus, owing gratitude to God for giving us His only son as a Savior. We remember His birth by worshipping Him and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate.

Let us strive to celebrate Christmas more meaningfully, have an attitude of gratitude and thank God for all the seen and unseen blessings. Give more and do not expect anything in return, lend a helping hand to our parents and elders. A kind gesture of ours can be a reason for someone’s smile. Let us live in the moment and not worry too much about the future.

With this in mind, I remembered a story that was narrated by my Grandpa…

Once upon a time, in the countryside, there lived a poor widow with three small kids who worked tirelessly to make ends meet. When she could find work, she was able to feed her kids. At times, it was difficult to have even one meal a day.

On Christmas Eve, a stranger knocked on the woman’s door. He looked like he hadn’t eaten for days.

The woman felt sad at the man’s plight and invited him to her house. Since he was shivering from the cold outside, she made him sit by the fireplace. Once the man was comfortable, she offered him some of the porridge she had kept aside for the kids. The man ate the porridge and profusely thanked the lady. As a token of appreciation, he gave her a handful of grains and asked her to put it in a jar.

The next morning, before leaving to work the woman looked into the jar. To her surprise, she found the jar overflowing with grains. She could not believe her eyes.. No matter how many grains she removed from the jar, it always overflowed.

The woman soon realized that this was no less than a miracle and she believed that it was Lord Jesus himself who came in the form of a beggar. Thereafter the woman and her kids never went to sleep hungry.

This story tells us that miracles can happen and this was indeed a Christmas miracle!

It teaches us to be selfless and help others without expecting anything in return.

Christmas is the season of great joy and happiness. After all, the true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of God's ultimate gift: the birth of Jesus, Christ the Saviour.

Let’s strive to make this Christmas a special one by making Jesus the center of our celebration.

Best wishes for a meaningful and festive holiday season. Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year 2021.

Stay safe and healthy.

 

 

 

 

By Diya Rebello
Diya Rebello studies in Class 7 at Mount Carmel Central School.
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Comment on this article

  • John B. Monteiro, Bondel Mangalore

    Fri, Dec 25 2020

    Topical and crisp. Grandpa's story is icing on the cake. You have seeds of writing in you. Pl. keep it up and shine. Happy Christmas and New Year.

  • MABEL SALDANHA, Mangalore

    Thu, Dec 24 2020

    Beautifully written, a blessing from Grandpa from above ,keep it up dear. God bless you

  • V P D'sa, Dubai / Manipal

    Thu, Dec 24 2020

    Miracles do happen. They are an effect of a cause. Nice article Divya . Merry Christmas to you. You have sent a lovely Xmas message to the readers of Daijiworld. God bless you.

  • John, Mangalore

    Thu, Dec 24 2020

    Very well written. Keep it up!

    Blessed Christmas to All.


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