What is the true Meaning of Christmas?

Let’s look at the history of Christmas to begin to answer this question.  From the History Channel:

That was part 1. The rest can be seen on YouTube: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

Highlights:

• The origins of Christmas are a mix of the Roman festivals of  Saternalia and Sol Invictus, the Germanic Yule, and early Christianity.  Any connection with Mithras seems unlikely.
• Jesus was never the focus of Christmas and it’s not clear when he was born.
• For hundreds of years, Christmas celebrations were dangerous and a severe disturbance of the peace.
• Washington Irving (with his book Bracebridge Hall), Charles Dickens (with his book A Christmas Carol) , Henry Livingston Jr/Clement Clarke Moore (with the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas/Twas the Night Before Christmas), and Thomas Nast (with his cartoons of Santa Claus) are responsible for the current version of Christmas, created in the mid to late 19th century.

What do I conclude form all this?  What is the meaning of Christmas?

Is it the celebration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?  No.  Even if I was Christian, this claim seems doubtful.  First of all, there is no way of knowing when Jesus was born.  Second of all, the importance of Jesus is his resurrection.  Without that he’s just an apocalyptic Jew who pissed off the Roman government (frankly, that’s all I think he was anyway, but that’s another post).

Is it family & charity?  In Part 3 of the video, around 1:25 in, it is stated that “Scrooge learns that family & charity cannot be ignored at Christmas time.”  This sentence sums up the big problem I have with the current version of Christmas.  Consider: “At Christmas time, Scrooge learns that family & charity cannot be ignored.”  A small grammatical shift, a huge cognitive shift.  Three Victorian writers and one cartoonist decided that 1 day of family & charity should make up for 364 days of fragmentation & avarice.  It doesn’t.

Is it a celebration of renewal?  This is an interesting proposition as Christmas falls near the end of the year and near the solstice, which seem like logical events to celebrate.  It must be asked, however, who’s end of year?  Calendars are arbitrary.  As for the solstice and the return of the light: it’s 2009 – I think we’re going to be alright.

How about a shot of pragmatism? At least it’s a day off, right?  Ouch.  So close.  For some this is true, unfortunately for me I work a weird schedule.  December 25th would have been a day off for me anyway.

So what is the true meaning of Christmas?

It has none.  The religious claims on the date, both Christian and pagan, are dubious; the cultural claims are superficial; and the astronomical claims are questionable.

I’ll be spending the day as I would any day off: writing, watching tv, and playing video games.  I suggest you do the same.