Most sources will say that the “Christmas season” begins with Thanksgiving Day. I think that they are probably right. I remember in times gone by, how people seemed to take on a different attitude and perspective as we approached Christmas. Thanksgiving was always a wonderful day for our family. One of the ingredients to a great time together was the fact that our family was a close-knit group of people. We did a lot of things together and it was a family that didn’t feel that things were exactly right unless we were all involved when we would have a “big” day. I remember going to the city park in Tifton, Ga. It is named Fulwood Park and it is a wonderful place that is very big with plenty of things for all the family to do. The park is filled with tall Georgia pines, a large variety of cultivated bushes and a stream that runs right through the middle of the acreage. It is truly beautiful. Adjacent to the stream was a big area in which people usually had their family reunions and such. Our family would go there every Thanksgiving for a big time together. We were able to see family members from various South Georgia towns. It was a glorious time together. I look at photos from those family reunions and the moments flash back through my mind in vivid color.
Thanksgiving Day was viewed by most people as the official beginning of the Christmas season. From that point on, the children and young people would start anticipating the time of the year in which we would celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Of course, the idea of Santa Claus was ever present in the minds of the younger people. But, I remember that our parents, grandparents and other grownups always tried to keep the focus on the real reason for the season: the coming of Jesus Christ to the world to save us from our sins. Everything that went with the season began to excite people. The Christmas lights in downtown Tifton, the Christmas parade which involved Santa Claus arriving by airplane and being escorted into town on a fire truck, all the stores decorating their front windows in all the colors of Christmas and a myriad of other things. I remember the radio stations playing Christmas music for a month and then there were a lot of people who would dress in holiday fashion. Homes all over town were decorated with every conceivable color and a lot of glitter. Yes, Thanksgiving ushered in this This Wonderful Season.
Dring these days of celebration and expectation, people seemed to have a much more benevolent feeling and approach to others. The Peace that Jesus Christ brings to the soul of mankind seemed to bloom and produce its fruit during the days following Thanksgiving and leading up to Christmas. It would affect people with a greater degree of kindness and care for others. Kids would behave better and be far more obedient (Santa Claus is coming to town) and parents would enjoy planning for the events around Christmas Day. It was a good time to experience. I only wish that the spirit of This Wonderful Season had lasted longer than it did. The good thing is that it would be renewed when the next Thanksgiving day brought the beginning of the Christmas season again.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that great spirit would last all year long. Just think what a different world it would be. The peace that comes from focusing on the Birth of Christ and His actual coming to live among us is something this old world needs in abundance. It would relieve much of the tension of the life we live in our rushed and competitive society. Thinking about the coming of Christmas helps people tap into the feeling of peace that God wants us to have. There is no bigger day on the calendar that Christmas day. People look forward to it like no other day of celebration. People should just make sure that they place the right value upon it. Sadly, the Person of Christmas is often only a side thought as Christmas is celebrated. One should read the entire second chapter of the Gospel of Luke. It will help a person get a renewed concept of what actually happened when Jesus was born. It will show us again the real reason for the season that traditionally begins on Thanksgiving and goes through Christmas. Actually, that realization of what God did for us in Jesus Christ should travel with us as we work through the days of the entire year. It is not limited to one day and should not be. This Wonderful Season is given to us for remembrance of the birth of Jesus who died for our sins in order to bring us salvation and the permanent peace of God which passes all understanding.
Thanksgiving is a time to thank God for His provision and protection at the beginning of our nation. Christmas is given to us as a time to thank God for His Peace and eternal life. Yes, as we experience these days we should thank our Heavenly Father for This Wonderful Season.
