Hi Sarah,
Thanks for once again running another great forum. This is one eveyone should give his 2-bits worth in, I think. So, What does Christmas mean, either to me or to others, or to the world for that matter?
Christmas to me is a celebration of the Yule' Season. That said, how does one interpret 'Yule' ? Yule is a season at the end of the year, where everyone slows down to spend time with family, kin and friends. It is also a time of taking in the whole picture, recognizing who and what you are and how you fit into the whole scheme of things.
It is at this point where being thankful for all of the blessings in your life, and sharing those blessings with each other, is of prime importance. Not just in physical gifts, but in the things that REALLY matter in the long run. Like how you relate to your friends and family. How you forgot an important matter and made up for it by spending time with that person, cooking dinner (or breakfast ) for them and sharing thoughts, dreams, goals and aspirations. Maybe you even offered to include this person in your future plans.
And lastly, whether you are Christian or not, it is mostly a time of recognizing and appreciating that a great person was born 2,000 years ago who cared a great deal for the likes of meager Humanity... So much so, that he later died for them. It is this spirit that should always be remembered in this holiest of seasons, for it is this spirit that Keeps a lot of us going throughout the whole year and that for which we live. And lastly, it is this spirit that should drive all that we do, and pass as much of this as we can on to our fellow 'meagers', all year long.
Merry Christmas, Happy Yule', and a very Happy Holiday to all.
Your Friend, The Benster!