Christmas

It is Christmas Eve. All over the world tonight and tomorrow, Christians celebrate the birth of Christ, whose name is the root of both Christmas and Christian.

But it is not only Christians who celebrate this day, for the holiday is filled with solstice symbols and activities from many cultures. From the ways we decorate our homes with colored lights and candles, to the trees we adorn inside and out, to the fatty pastries and sumptuous feasting we offer to friends and family, we draw on traditions from cultures ancient and modern.

Chief among our Christmas traditions is giving. Generously, we give to charities, to those we love, and quite often at this special time of year, to complete strangers whose need touches our hearts.

While giving is symbolic in many solstice celebrations, Christmas giving stems from the gifts of the magi to the Baby Jesus, the child who would become both Prince of Peace and King of Kings. His mission was to redeem us from wickedness and bring peace at last to earth. More, his very presence in human form on earth was a sacrificial gift of his father to the world.

In honor of the gifts of the father god and the gifts of the magi, Christians as well as folks of other faiths, caught in the spirit of generosity, go into a frenzy of buying and giving, culminating in a rush of present opening on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas morning.

That's a fact.

Daily Tip:

Receive graciously.

And before you go, enjoy this Christmas treat from YouTube subscriber vert46. Enjoy.