Christmas - The Feast of Happiness

Many days before the big day, in houses, in the streets, in the neighbour-hoods, in the villages and in the cities, we see a great deal of rushing and excitement. There is a sense of happiness and pleasure everywhere.

Christmas is coming up! The big day of the year is drawing near.

The shop windows of the cities are elegantly decorated. The Christmas tree, with the glowing star on the top, is decorated with many coloured bright lights which flash on and off, grabs the attention of the passers-by, especially of the small children.

The stable at the root of the Christmas tree with the animals inside it, the doll-like images of the Holy Family with the central piece being the image of the baby Jesus, makes the passers-by stop for a moment and think back to the past, while looking at the holy symbol. For a moment they are touched.

The Christmas melodies which reach their ears bring a feeling of joy.

“Silent night, holy night, all is calm all is bright…”

People move in and out of shops and department stores. They buy the presents they have chosen carefully for their loved ones, a tradition that is observed every year. Then they go on to do the shopping for a sumptuous Christmas feast. Amongst other things there will undoubtedly be the traditional Christmas turkey.

Let us not forget the delicious wine and other drinks. They are also needed for the Christmas feast. The hasty passer-by does not forget, that, especially in this festive season, he must dress well. Nice clothes, nice shoes and whatever else will contribute to luxury, the comfort and the entertainment in life.

The family man enters his house, loaded with the precious Christmas shopping, presents, food, clothes and all. The members of the family welcome the provider with great joy. The children’s laughter and the enthusiastic shouts fill the house when they see the colourful packages, which contain the hidden treasures, their long-awaited presents.

Even the poorest person becomes a little richer at Christmas time. A person could be justified to say: “ My soul you have many good things. Eat, drink and be merry.”

But why all this business and activity? Why these traditional preparations? The answer comes naturally and easily: Christmas is coming. The big day is drawing near. The day of joy for young and old. The day that Christ was born. It is the day on which, every year, we celebrate the historic, supernatural event, which changed the course of history. It is the day on which God became man and “made His dwelling among us”. It is the day of the renewal of human history.

So people are justified for creating these old traditions that go back through the centuries, in order to express their feelings of faith and piety.

Traditions, habits, joyful practices that many times, however, adopt a conventional nature. Many times, people give all the attention to events or things that have a Christmas ‘look’. They forget, with all the activity of the Christmas season, the essence of Christmas and its true meaning. They forget where all these things which we call the joys of Christmas started from. They become engrossed with the bright and fancy outside features.

They put aside the person who is the reason for Christmas and they celebrate Christmas without Christ! What a pity it is for someone to put aside the essence and be concerned only with formalities, however joyful they may be. What a pity it is that people are concerned with Christmas in a folkloristic way and because of that, they face the spiritual dimension of Christmas in a very superficial way. They close their eyes to the salvatory event and they only see the typical , exterior formalities which it created.

Christmas is the feast of joy! Undoubtedly we have the right, as Christians to practice all those blessed and rightful joys which Christmas brings. We have been created with both soul and body and we have the right to be experience the joy and happiness of Christmas both spiritually and bodily.

It is alright to have turkey, sweets or Christmas cakes. It is alright to give presents and entertain oneself decently. It is alright to have a Christmas tree with its coloured lights. But these practices and traditions which come as a result of Christmas, must firstly have as a basis, the acceptance and the attainment of the spiritual treasures and gifts which the mystery of the Holy Incarnation of Christ our God brought to the world. A person must examine his inner self carefully and he must make sure he has the correct attitude towards this great feast day of joy. So let him prepare the manger of his own soul to welcome in it the Lord of Peace. Let him cleanse himself, through repentance, confession, prayer and fasting, through deeds of love and charity. Let him unite with Christ, who was born into the world through His love for all mankind, with his participation in the divine worship and through his partaking in the Holy Communion.

In this way, he will truly feel the full joy of the great feast day of Christmas.

May you have a happy and blessed Christmas, brother and sisters, and may the New Year of the Lord’s grace give you and your families every joy and happiness.

By the late Father Nicholas Moutafis 1931-2001