jhorn@christacadguate.org
My first Christmas in Guatemala I missed Christmas music in English more than anything else. I left to come here in July and didn’t think of bringing my Christmas CD’s with me. It didn’t really seem like Christmas until I got back home because there was no snow here, it wasn’t cold and I wasn’t with my family. The Christmas decorations just seemed tacky since some were behind razor wire or fences. I thought later, “Is this what Christmas is all about? Snow, music and decorations.” None of these things have anything to do with the true meaning of Christmas. I realized that most of the things I associate with Christmas have nothing to do with Christmas but with culture.
It was December and I was about to go home for the holidays. It was a magical time of the year even if it wasn’t the same. The first Saturday in December, I went to the faculty Christmas party. There was Christmas music playing and later we even sang Christmas carols. We ate a lot of delicious food. The house was decorated for Christmas. We played a game made up especially for Christmas. It felt a little like Christmas at this party but when I went home, I lost that Christmas feeling.
It finally felt like Christmas again when I got back home and could listen to Christmas music in English, there was even a little snow my second day home. I went shopping that day at my favorite mall. It wasn’t too crowded. The stores were decorated for Christmas and had Christmas music playing. Santa was in the mall also. People were trying to get their last minute shopping done. Everything seemed the way it always was but I noticed more since I missed many of these things.
During my Christmas vacation, I went ice-skating and ate Christmas cookies while listening to my favorite Christmas CD’s. I remember preparing for a family Christmas dinner with my mom, sisters and sisters-in-law. We were all in the kitchen fixing the meal. It smelled heavenly. There was Christmas music playing in the background and a forecast for snow. It felt so much like Christmas. All these things still had nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas though. We all prepared ourselves for the Christmas Eve service at church. We sat together filling up one long pew. During the candlelight service the Pastor read, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you (Luke 2:11, NIV).” Then I remembered the real reason for Christmas.
I have been a Christian all my life and knew the reason for Christmas but it’s easy to get caught up in other things and associate them with Christmas. I’m glad for the reminder. I now think back on that Christmas and it’s one of my favorites because it’s when I remembered the true meaning of Christmas.
Copyright 2005 by Jill Horn
