It's stubborn denial to diminish the significance of Christmas in our world.  Even the Cynic is moved to to acknowledge that there is something significant about Christmas that is unique.  We even have books about it (see the famous story by Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol") that reveal the foolishness of cynic towards Christmas.  But here is the question:  What is the significance?  What is Christmas about?

For some reason I always experience a small bit of loneliness around Christmas.  It's decreased drastically over the years, namely because of the companionship of my wife and the joy of my kids.  I think it was highest in high school and early college when I would have a moment where I missed my friends or a certain family member or even had the deep insecurity that there was some great Christmas party somewhere where everyone was, and I was missing out.

What is Christmas?  So often in books or movies (I'm thinking particularly here about the children's movie "the Polar Express", which I loved) we hear this vague statement "the spirit of christmas".  It sounds neat and all, but I can't find anyone who knows what that means.  The only answer to that undefined statement really lies in what it means to you.   But that search will only lead so far as Clark Griswold standing on a street curb, confusing the visible sewer treatment for "the spirit of Christmas" and saying to yourself "now I know what it means to me."  But will you?