Christmas is one of the most celebrated “festivals” today. It has become so famous that is has gained so much ground even in places or countries that wouldn’t want to identify with the reason for the season. Well celebrated with its jingles heard even in places with little or no idea of what Christmas is all about. I was in a shopping mall during this period and I discovered that most shops in the mall were well beautified with attractive Christmas decorations, but I was pretty sure that they knew very little or completely nothing about Christmas because it’s clearly written all over their faces from their gestures. No matter what we do for Christmas, if the reason for the season is missing then what we are celebrating isn’t Christmas!

To many, it is a festival like every others such that the festive mood have been so prioritized than the essence of the season. It’s even getting worst to the state that some people have started comparing it with carnivals like the nothinghill carnival and the likes. Who said Christmas is a carnival or jamboree? Please give some answers if you have any. I once spoke to a man about Christmas and he replied me, “Christmas is a western festival”. That’s surprising because he sounded so affirmative about his knowledge of Christmas but it appears to me that all he knows is that it’s a festival designed by the west to influence others culture, period! In the freezing cold of winter, on my way to work as I hurried to catch up with the shuttle, I met a neighbour and said to her “Merry Christmas”. She replied me, “we don’t celebrate Christmas, because it isn’t one of our festivals nor part of our culture!” Wow! That was also surprising seeing that Christmas have been reduced to a thing of culture.

Today, Christmas is seen as a time to make new friends, hangout with old friends, make reconciliations and possibly find new lovers – that’s the definition in the minds of many, while others see it as a time for shopping and most especially buying of new wears. To some it is a time to gift themselves with new items ranging from expensive wears, jewelry, cars or even houses; that’s not completely bad. To some others, it’s a time to make wealth at all cost since they would need to return to their families to celebrate while showcasing their wealth; for them it’s apparently a time to compete among friends as they gather together for Christmas. That’s just the idea that rules the minds of many. It’s for sure that Christmas have been wrongly interpreted if these are all we know and think about Christmas. Some of the above mentioned may not be outrightly wrong if the reason for the season is well understood and dwell richly in us. The underlying question still remains, “what is this Christmas?”

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ; it isn’t just an ordinary celebration of birth like every others because the personality of Jesus is so unique that we would hardly celebrate Him to the fullest without having a knowledge of Him. Isaiah, the prophet, wrote in Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” He spoke of a child born unto us – you and I. He also spoke about the characteristic names of this child born to us; Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. The summary of Christmas lies in what Isaiah prophesied about His birth and to have the joy and happiness of Christmas to the fullest, we also need to have to the fullest the meaning of what Isaiah was saying in the above verse.

Firstly, he wrote, “For unto us a child is born…” meaning we have Him this day given unto us. It means that He is now present with us and among us. The child Jesus is a gift to mankind. A gift that is above all gifts we can ever think of or imagine. He continued, “…, unto us a son is given”; son signifies strength, might and power. In most places especially in Africa, a male child is very essential in a family such that most couple would keep making babies until they finally get a male child. To them, the male child also signifies continuity of life and lineage.

Secondly, he wrote about what will happen at the arrival of this baby called Jesus that have ...

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Written by: Sunday Okorie for Smartink Blog.
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