Christmas is Special

During the decade or so that I taught English to high school freshmen, I would adjust my teaching schedule to begin a block on poetry a few weeks before winter vacation. Poetry needs to be heard to be appreciated, thus, I would begin and end each class period by reading a poem aloud. The last day before holiday break, I would read Clement Moore’s epic that begins “Twas the night before Christmas.” This poem defines the American version of Santa Claus. We would then read and discuss some other traditional Christmas poems and song lyrics. I concluded every year with “Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus.”

I consider Francis Church’s editorial response to eight-year-old Virginia the best essay I have ever read. The cartoon and movie version of the story depict Mr Church as a troubled soul. I find no evidence of this. He was a graduate of Columbia, an experienced war correspondent and magazine publisher. When he penned his famous essay, he was an editor for the New York Sun. He was in the right place and time, with the prerequisite experience to write the masterpiece that continues to inspire millions during this special time of year.

Each Christmas Eve, our family reads the Nativity story from the Gospel of Luke and Mr. Church’s reply to Virginia’s letter. In preparation for this year’s family ritual, I located and read my copy. I was struck with how much responsibility those of us who write for the public carry. “Papa says, ‘If you see it in the Sun, it is so’.” With ultimate trust, eight-year-old Virginia turned to the newspaper to seek the truth. I sincerely hope we can continue to earn that level of confidence.

The other thing that struck me was the absence of any reference to religion. Mr. Church was the son of a protestant minister, but there is no reference to Christ. Millions of believers around the globe celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Jesus. I have no intention to diminish the significance of the origin of Christianity, but Christmas is more than that. Christmas is faith, hope and childlike trust. It is a spirit that lives within us and transcends nationalities, cultures and, at times, even transcends religions. One of my most cherished Christmas memories happened while I was in Thailand during the Vietnam War. The Buddhist staff in the officer’s dining hall made ornaments out of tin cans to decorate our tree and celebrated with us. Christmas is special and brings out the best in humanity. I taught school for a time in the Japanese public schools. Although the Japanese are mostly Shinto-Buddhist, their schools take a Christmas break. Not as a birthday party for Christ, but as a time of joy and kindness. Their Christmas season lasts about ten days until it culminates with the highest Japanese celebration, New Year.

During the first Christmas of World War One, an unofficial truce silenced the guns along much of the front-line trenches. Men even spilled out into “no man’s land” to play games and exchange gifts. They put their differences aside until the war resumed the next day. While I was in Viet Nam, it was official policy to stop fighting on Christmas. Yet, this holiday season we have American sons and daughters overseas fighting terrorist ideology and we continue to fight among ourselves. Members of Congress are using Christmas recess to debate articles of impeachment. We shouldn’t be fighting on Christmas. It should be a time of human kindness and love. It should be a time of truce and peace on earth.

(Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and a long time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free lance columnist for over 18 years.)