I am writing on Christmas day. Why? I love what I do and I am a nerd. I am really interested in the question of how YOU celebrate Christmas.
The majority of Americans celebrate Christmas but the reality is that Christmas means different things to different people. Â I am not writing to tell you how to celebrate Christmas, but to ask you how you celebrate it.
Let’s use a simple formula:
Christmas is about ________________________.
I celebrate Christmas by ____________________.
For example:
- Christmas is about family. I celebrate Christmas by going to Grandma’s house where the entire family gets together for Christmas dinner.
- Christmas is about forgiveness. I celebrate Christmas by making a list of all the people with whom I need to reconcile.
- Christmas is about toys. I celebrate Christmas by shopping.
- Christmas is about Jesus. I celebrate Christmas by remembering the birth of our savior and singing hymns at the Christmas eve service.
- Christmas is about celebrating the holiday season. I celebrate Christmas by having a good time (especially under the mistletoe).
So How do You Celebrate Christmas?
The purpose of this article was to ask YOU what YOU believe Christmas is all about and how YOU celebrate Christmas. I sincerely want to know.
Quirky Traditions?
I would also like to know about any quirky Christmas traditions you might have. For example, I have a friend who orders pizza every year on Christmas because when he and his wife were young and broke, that was all that they could afford. I have a relative who breaks out green polyester “Christmas pants” from the 1970s. Â I am not judging. I have my share of Christmas ties.
Our quirky tradition is to  ___________________.
So what is Christmas all about? How do you celebrate Christmas? What are  your traditions? I would love to hear what you have to say.
-Darin Gerdes, Ph.D.
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Dr. Gerdes is the Director of the MBA Program at Charleston Southern University. All ideas expressed on www.daringerdes.com are his own.
