What if there was no Christmas? I don’t mean what if Christ had not been born, for we all know the tragic outcome of that prospect. What I mean is what if the liberals and agnostics had their way and suddenly Christmas was cancelled? Let’s just place the entire event on the celebration ash heap. No more Christmas trees, no more decorations, let’s just scrap the whole thing!
Well, that would also be tragic. Not nearly as tragic as a world without Christ, but tragic nevertheless. Actually, even apart from its spiritual significance, Christmas is quite good for our country.
First, without Christmas a lot of retailers, especially marginal retailers, would go out of business. It is called Black Friday for a reason. Yuletide sales account for billions in economic activity. For many merchants, this season accounts for nearly half of their annual revenue. If you cut December off every shopping calendar, the U.S. retail industry would be in a permanent depression. One-half trillion dollars would be lost. One-half of all toy sales would be lost, marginal retainers (those suffering already)just wouldn’t make it.
Second, a lot of people would lose their jobs or face cutbacks. Holiday hires at retail stores lift employment and stimulate the economy. What would happen to all the part-time Christmas help? What would happen to the seasonal overtime so many employees count on? Short term employment, not just in retail, but also in wholesale, manufacturing, and shipping would be affected. The post office estimated several years back, that without the profit of Christmas mailings, first class postage would increase by 10% all year round. Turkey sales would take a huge hit. Although Thanksgiving is the biggest turkey day, Christmas is second, and without the Christmas sales, your Thanksgiving turkey would cost an estimated 15-20% more.
What would happen to the fruitcake bakers? Personally, I like fruitcake, if it’s good fruitcake. But, I also understand it just doesn’t seem to fit in for July 4th. How about giving your sweetheart a fruitcake for Valentine’s Day? Even if it were shaped like a heart, I just don’t think it would work. What an economic loss!
Third, we would miss a lot of wholesome movies and music. Most movies on television are not fit to watch, but during Christmas it seems even Hollywood and Disney can sometimes remember how to be decent. The same is true for the music industry. Last Christmas I was scanning the radio dial and found that one of our local hip-hop stations was playing Silent Night on Christmas Eve. That was weird, but it was also kind of nice.
Fourth, innovation would be stifled. I know American ingenuity would not cease without Christmas, our efficient capitalist system is always looking for ways to develop new products to sell for a handsome profit. But, as you have seen, many manufacturers work hard to develop new, innovative, and exciting products they can bring to market for the profitable Christmas season. New smartphones, new laptops and tablets, new video games, new clothes and shoes, new appliances and pots and pans, while artists come out with new music. Why? Because it’s Christmas and people buy stuff at Christmas.
Fifth, volunteer work would suffer great loss. It is estimated that nearly one-third of all volunteer work is done over the Christmas season. Could it be done during other seasons? Sure, but would it be done without the magic of Christmas to back it up. Volunteer work at homeless shelters and soup kitchens would likely take a hit. Outreach would suffer at nursing homes and prisons. Service and work done for the poor and needy, outreach to orphans and widows would likely be stifled without the holiday magic.
We see this even in the church. As a pastor I could sometimes get someone to help in a Christmas play, or sing in the choir for the Christmas cantata, or help with the church Christmas decorations, when getting their help any other time of the year was almost impossible. In turn, we were also able to get folks to visit church at Christmas to hear the Gospel of Christ.
Sixth, without Christmas we would soon forget all those wonderful Christmas memories,the memories that seem to be stored in the boxes with our holiday decorations. These are the memories of childhood, memories of loved ones now departed, and memories of when our children were small. These are the memories of life that perhaps could be relived anytime of the year, but never with the depth of emotion and feeling they bring at Christmas.
There are other things that we might think of if Christmas were suddenly cancelled:
For example, there are some family members we would never see again without Christmas, because that is the only time we see them now. Some of us guys would never again experience the joy of owning a new pair of socks or new underwear, and there would be no more bow ties with flashing lights on them. Unbearable loss! No more kisses under the mistletoe. No more of the left-over Christmas wrap that we later use to wrap birthday gifts throughout the rest of the year–I mean if it is good enough for Jesus’ birthday, it’s surely good enough for your birthday in August, right?
They would no longer ship Frazier Fir trees to the east so we could see them and smell them this time of year. Otherwise, we would have to travel to the mountains to catch a whiff of their magical aroma. Children would not be as likely to look up into the December sky and wonder. While even us old grey haired Christians would also not be as likely to look up into the December sky…and wonder.
No, as a Christian I don’t want to spend Christmas without all the stuff that goes with it. I am not talking about the drunkenness and godless revelry. I am not talking about the staggering debt that some folks will acquire, but I’m talking about all the things that have made Christmas special to me and pointed the way for me to see Christmas in a true light, once I became a Christian.
Christmas for me is a season of great joy. It is a time of God showing His great love for us. It can be a time of healing and renewed strength. You see, Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the Christ child. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born. His birth brought great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men, and angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby. The prophets had told of His coming hundreds of years before. The star stopped over Bethlehem just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child.
Whatever your traditions, or memories, or expectations of the holiday, we know the birth of Jesus Christ is the real story of this incredible season. What I am trying to demonstrate is that there is hardly any realm of our life today that is not touched by Christmas. Our economy, our music, our technology, our culture, and traditions are all touched by the power of this wonderful holiday. And, we desperately need this touch, more than ever. This touch, the Christmas touch, can be a contact with our God, for those who need it most.
So if secular things can be affected so profoundly, and in many cases greatly improved, just because of the historical message of Christmas; if economies and cultures take such note of a single date on the calendar; if its cancellation would be devastating for the world—the physical realm—then, just think of the impact the birth of Christ made in the spiritual world. If Christmas, just in its raw and natural form, can lift up or cripple the world, just think of what it can do in its spiritual form. If it has the power to make non-believers joyful, generous, and caring—just think of what it can do for us—as God’s children.
What if there was no Christmas? The world would be a whole lot darker. It would be less caring. But, thank God, there is a Christmas, a day to celebrate the birth of our Saviour.
Merry Christmas!
Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry over forty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries.