I like every holiday for different reasons, which makes picking a favorite a little tricky.
New Year’s Day is a fresh start. It feels like the calendar takes a deep breath and says, “All right, let’s try this again.” Plus, it has always come with great football games and my traditional black-eyed peas, greens and jambalaya. That’s hard to beat.
Easter is beautiful because it is a celebration of new life in Christ. It comes after more than seven weeks of self-reflection, sacrifice and preparation, which makes the joy of Easter morning feel even more meaningful.
The Fourth of July matters because it gives us a chance to remember where our country began and to reflect on the freedoms we enjoy. It’s not just fireworks and cookouts, though I am certainly not opposed to either. It is a day to pause and be grateful for the blessings of living in this country.
I have always loved Labor Day, too, partly because it used to mean the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. That was one of those strange cultural markers that made the weekend feel different. I miss that. Labor Day also gave us a little breathing room before the school year really hit full speed, which is not nothing.
Thanksgiving is wonderful for many of the same reasons as New Year’s. There is football, food, family and tradition. But more than that, it gives us a chance to stop and recognize just how blessed we are. It is a holiday built around gratitude, and we could all use more of that.
But then there is Christmas.
That’s the big one.
And it’s not just the presents, although I am not going to pretend I dislike presents. I enjoy giving them, and I do not exactly file a complaint when someone hands one to me. It’s not just the food either, though Christmas food has a way of making all other meals feel like they are not trying hard enough.
What makes Christmas my favorite is what it means.
Christmas is the reminder that we have a Savior who left heaven to live as one of us. God did not love us from a safe distance. He stepped into our world, into our mess, into our hurt, into our need. He came humbly, quietly, as a baby in Bethlehem, and that changes everything.
And then, on top of that, Christmas comes with all the extras.
We give presents. We receive presents. We eat traditional dishes. We spend time with people we love. We tell old stories. We remember people who are no longer at the table. We decorate. We watch the same movies again. We listen to the same songs again. And somehow, even though we know exactly what is coming, it still works.
And the music — my goodness, the music.
There is nothing quite like Christmas music. It can be joyful, silly, sacred, nostalgic, peaceful and heartbreaking, sometimes all in the same playlist. One minute you’re hearing about the birth of Christ, and the next minute somebody is trying to convince you that Santa needs a new marketing department. And somehow, it all fits.
So, yes, I like every holiday for different reasons.
But Christmas is different.
Christmas has faith, family, food, music, memories, generosity and joy all wrapped together. It points us back to the greatest gift ever given, and then it invites us to share a little of that love with the people around us.
There’s nothing about Christmas that I don’t love.
