As I was decorating my Christmas tree this year, it occurred to me again, as I've thought of this often while decorating the tree, that many people judge decorating trees as the wrong thing to do to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. I won't go into the history of this tradition and many of the other symbols and activities that our culture has adopted related to the celebrating of Christmas or their pagan roots because it is easily found online by anyone who doesn't know.
I'll just stick with that there are a lot of things I do on Christmas that I know are possibly conceived as "wrong' if one is strict about the right way to celebrate Christmas being in thankfulness and awe of the gift of Jesus Christ to the world. No I can't on the surface relate decorating a tree, my yard and my house with festive things that have nothing to do with that Holy event. Nor can I relate buying gifts for others to celebrate His birth on a date that we know was fabricated.
But I feel no guilt for what I do. And maybe it is because I celebrate the birth of Christ every day and completely understand that what Christmas has become has nothing much to do with it other than it was originally intended to be the date to celebrate a special Mass in remembrance. It coincided with what was then the Winter Solstice because as the Church said, it was symbolic of the state of the earth in its longest night before the coming of Christ. His birth represented the increasing light to the world from that day forward according to the proclamation. It also helped win over the Pagans who were already celebrating the Solstice. There has been a lot of criticism about this and maybe the Church did the wrong thing but for the right reason. It brought attention to Christ and possibly won over those who didn't know him. That can't be all bad!
I really don't care about the politics of why the day was chosen or where the origin of decorating a tree came from. I find those things interesting but I only care about my traditions, my culture and what repeating these annual rituals surrounding the date of December 25th means to me and in this case especially decorating the Christmas tree. To me decorating the tree is a great way to express my artistic nature but mostly it is about memories. I think about the history of each ornament and where I was in life when I got it, who made it, or maybe the trip I was on when I bought it. I handle each one with special care because their value is not in the materials but in moments of my life that I treasure. I think of Christmases past and the many wonderful times I've had surrounded by loved ones. I recall laughing, crying, hugging, giving a treasure that would be held dear or receiving one. There are so many memories that pass through the ornaments into my fingers and flood my mind that it is a profound experience for me every time I do it. And the ornaments that express the "true" meaning of Christmas also bring me back to what it is that I am the most thankful for, being able to be forgiven for all of the really wrong things that I have done no matter how large they were because Jesus Christ the Savior was born.
Maybe memories are so important to me because in 1996 a series of events left me with PTSD including selective amnesia. The selective Amnesia caused me to learn new things about myself and my life over a period of years to follow. And often when I thought I remembered it all then another reminder would come along and a rash of details that I had completely forgotten came rushing in. At that time my heirloom ornaments were in storage in another state where they had been kept for many years. It was several more years later before I once again had those at my disposal along with the others I accumulated in the meantime.
The first year I opened the old decorations was like opening a flood gate into my past. It was so overwhelming that it took me several weeks to digest these new found memories. All at once I recalled precious moments such as the year I was so poor that all I could afford was a few materials for my kids and I to make our own. I touched the foam balls wrapped with patchwork fabric and matching bows like they were a new born baby with such love and care. I gently lifted and hung our handmade clay figures that included the elements of Christ's birth and thought that nothing to do with the season will ever be more valuable to me as reminders of the true meaning of Christmas. I found small inexpensive wooden items from another year when we were financially strapped and also the decorations from some of the most successful years of my life right beside them. And next to those were the ornaments I brought with me from years following before and after getting PTSD. That particular Christmas happened over a decade ago when I also bought a few more items to go on the biggest tree I ever had. and since then I've aquired or been gifted something new every year.
Whether it is the memories of my two angelic small blond children shaping clay or a trip to Europe or a friend of long ago, good times, hard times, crazy times or whatever it is it is always a journey into this precious life God gave me every time I decorate the tree. And so yes, it might be that I am doing the wrong thing in the judgment of some people but in my heart I know it is for the right reasons because the memories leave me feeling nothing but love and thankfulness and if that is not the gift of Christ to celebrate then I don't know what is.
This year something happened on the day I was halfway through decorating the tree. It was something so disturbing that I didn't even want to finish it and so I didn't for a week. My heart was hurting for not being able to appreciate this gift more than it was hurting over what happened. I knew that I could not have a "Happy New Year" until I resolved the issue and was able return to my journey. So finally I confronted the situation in a way that allowed me to resume my job and when I finally finished hanging the last ornament with care to stand back and recount my blessings I knew that I did the right thing, and that no matter what anyone thinks of it this is a blessing in my life.
It isn't just decorating Christmas trees that might fall under doing the wrong thing for the right reasons but it is a good example of it. I believe that it is a far better thing to do than to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. God alone knows our heart and what motivates our actions and it is God alone that we should care about pleasing. If the end result brings you closer to God through thankfulness and joy then friend, you have nothing to worry about regarding what others may think.
May God bless you and your family this Christmas and may its true meaning be the gift that sends you into the New Year with hope and a smile.
This year's Christmas tree 
Full of love and memories.
