The 'W' in Christmas

Let me first greet you dear reader a Happy Christmas! Note that I used the more current adjective “happy” rather than the trite, old English “merry.” I did a quick internet research and found out that while the greeting “Merry Christmas” first appeared in the 1500s, it became popular during the reign of Queen Victoria at about the same time that Charles Dickens published his Christmas Carol in 1843. Merry means “jovial” and “outgoing” and, when you think about it, connotes some form of mild intoxication. That said, it then probably makes more sense to interchange our traditional greeting to “Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year.”

Another interesting nugget that I learned in my research is that wishing someone “Merry X’mas” is not sounding too commercial or being un-Christian after all. Apparently, “X” is the Greek abbreviation for Christ, although this is not well known.

The fact that you are reading this column today is not a good sign. You should be spending time with family, sitting around the Christmas tree, opening gifts, sharing laughs and creating memories, amidst the carols of Bing Crosby or Joey Albert. But just like me, you are hooked to the habit of starting the day by reading a newspaper with a mug of hot coffee in hand. Although for our more tech-savvy readers, I know this now means logging on into the internet during the early hours of the morning to find out the latest breaking news.

Speaking of breaking, let’s take one from the usual legal stuff contained in this column. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time. But we all know that is not the case for everyone. On the contrary, the season tends to punctuate the melancholy and loneliness that some may be feeling (and thus, the need to be “merry”). But for those who may have recently lost a loved one or are convalescing in the hospital or if you are an OFW brother or sister who was not able to come home for the holidays, let me share this simple story of a single mother on the true meaning of Christmas...

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Last December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he’d been memorizing songs for his school’s “Winter Pageant.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there’d be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

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So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as “Christmas,” I didn’t expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment – songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer.

So, when my son’s class rose to sing, “Christmas Love,” I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row - center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing “C is for Christmas,” a child would hold up the letter C. Then, “H is for Happy,” and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, “Christmas Love.”

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her – a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter “M” upside down – totally unaware her letter “M” appeared as a “W”. The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her “W”.

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

“CHRIST WAS LOVE”

And, I believe, He still is.

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Let me end this column with two thoughts:

“There were only two classes of people who heard the cry of Christmas night: shepherds and wise men. Shepherds: those who know nothing. Wise men: those who know they do not know everything. Only the very simple and very learned discovered God - never the man with one book.”

– Bishop Fullton Sheen

“Peace on earth will come to stay when we learn to live Christmas every day.”

– Helen Steiner Rice

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