Merry Christmas!
Why do we celebrate Christmas the way we do?
Asking Why
Over the weekend, we celebrated Christmas with my side of the family, and on Friday night, we watched Nate Bargatze’s recent Christmas special together. (If you didn’t see it, I highly recommend!)
This clip is from one of the skits, set at the manger scene. In it, the angel, played by Nate, humorously lists many ways people will celebrate Christmas in the years to come, leaving Joseph and Mary baffled as to how these traditions connect to Jesus.
The skit is hilarious, but it’s also eye-opening and deeply thought-provoking. It raises a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately: Why do we do the things we do?
Why do we celebrate Christmas the way we do? Why do we put a tree in our homes? Why do we tell kids Santa brings their presents?
It reminds me of when kids go through that phase of constantly asking “Why?” after everything you say. It can be exhausting when you’re on the receiving end, but there’s wisdom in their curiosity.
I wonder if maybe we should all be asking “Why?” a little more often.
Christmas: The Reason Why
The God of the universe came to a broken, sinful world as a vulnerable baby. His arrival didn’t meet everyone’s expectations—it was messy and unconventional.
And yet, He came.
He offered His presence to us while we were still sinners.
He continues to offer it today.
I pray that this Christmas, we celebrate with intentionality and wonder, remembering the incredible gift of Emmanuel—God with us.
A few little things I wanted to share with you:
🍪 A favorite holiday recipe: After I finish typing this, I am heading to the kitchen to make my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. In my opinion, these are perfect, and I’ve made different variations of these cookies using coconut oil, dairy free chocolate chips, and coconut sugar. They always turn out delicious!
📚 A cozy book recommendation: I recently finished Christmas with a Crank by Courtney Walsh, and it is my new favorite holiday read! From the lovable characters to the small town setting to the Christmas activities, I enjoyed every second of reading it!🎁 A brilliant gift idea: I recently came across these spiral Bibles, and I think they are genius. They have more room for note taking, have thicker pages, and they lay flat! They come in different and volumes, or you can get a complete five notebook of the entire Bible! While they might not arrive in time for Christmas, they’re on sale and would make thoughtful gifts throughout the year.
Wishing you a Christmas filled with hope, peace, joy, love, and the wonder of God’s presence with us.
Thanks for reading!
Take care,
Caroline