For people surrounded by department store decorations, commercials, Christmas carols, special foods, and the like, believing that today’s Christmas celebration actually evolved from the humble story of a young woman giving birth in the straw is a stretch. It might help to focus on the characters involved.

What do you think went through Joseph’s mind as he witnessed Mary giving birth to a baby? What do you think went through Mary’s mind as she struggled with the birth experience?

The Christmas story is full of symbols. Jesus, who becomes our bread and wine – our nourishment – is laid in a manger, the feeding trough for the animals. Jesus, who is the champion of poor people, is born into a homeless family. Poor shepherds were the first to welcome the Messiah that the Jewish people had been awaiting for generations. The symbol of angels singing, praising God, and flying madly all over the sky was a good clue that something out of the ordinary was happening.

Modern Christmas stories use different symbols to make the same points: Rudolph, the ‘poorest’ reindeer, becomes the champion; and Frosty, a snowman, transforms children’s lives.

What story from your own personal Christmas experiences has special meaning or symbolism?

Calderone-Stewart