December 5, 2014: Del Rio News-Herald * Letter to the Editor * The Colossal Christmas Schism

Letter to the Editor,

The Colossal Christmas Schism

For nearly two thousand years there was only one Christmas, which started with the Birth of Jesus Christ in 1 AD; AD stands for Anno Domini, Latin for “In the Year of Our Lord”, because everything before that was BC, which stands for “Before Christ”.

Then toward the end of the 20th century in the United States of America, the once joyous Christian celebration became contentious and controversial with the culmination of the cultural declaration of the War on Christmas.

Cultural clashes and societal skirmishes were fought incessantly throughout the land, until finally the Colossal Christmas Schism occurred, which fractured into two separate and distinct camps; the adherents of traditional Christmas and the advocates of modern Xmas.

One side reveled in the merriment of a jolly old man named Santa Claus dressed in a red suit hollering “Ho, Ho, Ho!”  surrounded by elves in a whimsical Winter Wonderland at the North Pole; while the other side rejoiced in the Birth of a Baby Boy named Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary, who lay in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes in the city of Bethlehem surrounded by angels singing “Holy, Holy, Holy!”.

The trend-setters entertained with a make-believe celebration filled with merchandise and merry-making; while the traditionalists engaged in a commemoration of Our Lord and Savior and His Miracles of joy to the world and peace on earth.

For modernists it was a holiday of magical, twinkling lights; for those honoring the Messiah this day was a Holy Day glorifying the Miraculous True Light of the World.

One side was concerned with gift -giving; the other side was committed to the Giver of All Gifts.

Holiday shoppers gleefully ravished all the bargains at the end of the year; Holy Day observers gratefully cherished all the blessings they had received throughout the year.

One side deliriously embraced the chaos and confusion of the Midnight Madness Sales; while the other side devoutly entered into the solemnity and reverence of celebrating Midnight Mass.

For the trendy crowd this was a fast-paced, panic-driven, hectic time of year; for the traditionalist congregations this was a feast day, prayerfully divine, holy time of year.

The modernists delightfully acknowledged that special time with the secular “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings”; while the traditionalists devoutly acclaimed Christ with the spiritual “Merry Christmas”.

Merry Christmas 2014 AD!
Marian Casillas, Ed.D.