Reflections. What if we freed Christmas from consumerist frenzy?

How can we resist the consumerist pressure of the upcoming family Christmas? Not easy when you want to be able to spoil your children and grandchildren during these special moments. And yet, an impression often remains as soon as the festive moments have passed: the greatest gift is that of the time spent together, of the attention paid to each person, while each passing year both makes us grow and also reminds us of our fragility. What if Christians, who have now become a minority, got used to giving meaning to their practices in their primary spiritual dimension?

In the eastern regions of France, the feast of Saint Nicholas, on December 6, allows us to distribute gingerbread and small gifts to the children around us, while honoring this Christian character (from whom “Father Christmas” was inspired in his outfit) who knew how to defend the dignity of children against the violent people of the world.

Elsewhere, in Spain, for example, it is the feast of the Three Kings, at the beginning of January, which is an opportunity to offer, like them, gifts to each other, to also honor the Christ who is born spiritually in us. Resuming these kinds of dates head-on would free the Christmas celebration from this “magic of Christmas” which has, in fact, nothing to do with the simplicity of the Christmas crib. It has become a daring catechetical act to announce, not without humor and tenderness, to the children around us that at Christmas, the gift we should expect is not that of an imaginary old bearded man, but that of the loving presence of each other, in the very name of this Jesus who brings us together.

The Christmas tree then becomes what it originally was: not a totem at the foot of which presents appear, but, through its greenery and its decorations, a sign of resurrection in the heart of winter.

The crèche also invites us to tell what brings us together: the story of a poor family who receives the most beautiful gift imaginable. Even the family meal finds impulses of sobriety: not falling into the excess of meals that hurt the stomach or that are intoxicating but meals that are meaningful, with local foods that tell the story of the work of the land and which demonstrate our lucid solidarity with those who work for us.

All these alternative approaches are not easy to put in place, as habits, memories and emotions get involved. But, held from year to year, this Christmas with a human face, simple and fraternal, will help each of us, Christians and non-Christians in our families, to rediscover the humility of this child of Bethlehem who invites us to step beyond our appearances.