24/12/2025
Every December, cities shimmer with lights.
Stores overflow with sales.
Families rush to buy, wrap, and ship.
Yet very few pause to ask the most basic question.
Why?
If December 25th is not the birthday of Jesus Christ...
As many of us were taught as children...
Then what is this highly anticipated annual holiday truly about?
The short answer?
The opposite of what it's become.
The Bible never mentions a date for Christ's birth.
It wasn't until the fourth century that December 25th was chosen.
Not because it was sacred...
But because it coincided with ancient Roman pagan festivals.
But amid the myth and marketing...
There was a real person who embodied the spirit of giving.
Saint Nicholas of Myra.
Born around 270 CE in what is now Turkey.
A humble Christian bishop known not for taking...
But for giving.
He didn't fly with reindeer or dwell at the North Pole.
He walked the dusty streets of Myra.
Slipping coins through windows and chimneys to rescue the poor from despair.
He gave dowries to girls so they wouldn't be sold into slavery.
He comforted the sick.
And defended the innocent.
Nicholas gave in secret.
Not for applause.
Not for reward.
But because compassion demanded it.
That's the man behind the myth.
A man of faith, humility, and radical generosity.
And yet, somehow, over the centuries...
We turned his selflessness into a shopping spree.
How did a bishop's charity become an empire of consumerism?
When Saint Nicholas's story reached Europe, it grew.
Blending with folklore and local traditions.
In the Netherlands, he became Sinterklaas.
In England, Father Christmas.
By the 19th century, in America, he had evolved again.
Into Santa Claus.
A few poems, a few drawings, and eventually a Coca-Cola ad later...
And the saint who once gave gold to the poor was reborn as a jolly old salesman in a red velvet suit.
The modern Christmas is now less about faith or generosity...
And more about flash sales, shipping deadlines, and overdrawn credit cards.
We've replaced the humble act of giving with the exhausting ritual of buying.
And the man who once gave quietly now sells everything loudly.
But it doesn't have to stay that way.
This year, instead of measuring Christmas by what we get...
Let's measure it by what we give.
Not in money...
But in meaning.
Before the holiday, gently let your family and guests know that screens and devices will take a break this Christmas.
Make it clear that this year will be different.
Rather than setting strict rules...
Invite everyone to help shape the experience.
Making this Christmas a shared journey of joy, presence, and meaningful moments.
Teach your children that Christmas isn't just about waiting for gifts to appear under a tree.
But about nurturing gratitude and appreciation.
And then sharing that spirit of generosity and love with everyone around them.
Let's revive the true intent of Saint Nicholas.
Generosity without expectation.
Kindness without credit.
Love without limits.
Let's trade the mall for a moment of connection.
The mass-produced gift card for a handwritten blessing.
The disposable toy for a hand-crafted token made with time and thought.
Because store-bought gifts fade, break, or get forgotten.
But words of kindness...
Gestures of love...
And memories of care...
Those last forever.
Any family courageous and conscious enough to embrace this approach will not end the year in greater debt.
But will instead find themselves overflowing with a rich surplus of love, connection, and meaningful memories.
Hit reply and let me know what you’re giving “in meaning” this holiday season.
Merry Christmas!
