PEORIA MAGAZINE December 2022

C O M M E N T A R Y

CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA Both holy day and holiday, it reminds us where we came from, and what we need to be to survive

BY JOHN F. GILLIGAN

T wo big things can be said about Christmas in America. It’s an inextricable holy day and holiday. For Christians, it’s immediately tied to their faith and belief in the birth of Jesus Christ. For those of other faiths or none whatsoever, Christmas is just one day — a national holiday established by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1870 — during the holiday season. CHRISTMAS WAS NAMED A NATIONAL HOLIDAY BY PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT IN 1870 To the second point, whether believer or nonbeliever, Christmas has become a cultural phenomenon. Beyond the economic impact of the season of sales and deals, Christmas is traditionally a symbol of gratitude and the ritual of gift-giving. After all,

like Jesus, we are born naked and own nothing other than what’s given us: our lives, food, warmth, comfort, safety and, most importantly, love. Families gather and acknowledge their gratitude for what has been given to them. That extends beyond families and into the community of the unknown and unfortunate. Here the gift-giving follows the principle of “it’s better to give than to receive.” Americans are a generous people and wish to better the conditions of children, the elderly, the disabled and homeless. It’s all part of the cultural roots of America and the spirit of Christmas. Too often forgotten, America is the birth-child of Western civilization, of which a Judeo-Christian culture had become one of its principle constituents. The history here is informative. The exact birth date of Christ has never been determined. But in AD 350, Pope Julius I established Dec. 25 as the day of celebration.

At roughly the same time, there was a bishop by the name of Nicholas in Myra, a seaport located in south central Turkey, now an archaeological ruin. He was known for his charity, kindness and care for others. Hence, hewas identified as a saint. In America, he would morph into Santa Claus. Due to differences in Christian beliefs about the role of saints, Christmas in America was not a holiday —never mind a holy day — between 1659 and 1681. In Boston, it was banned and a fine was imposed on anyone celebrating it. The Dutch, however, brought in Saint Nicholas — Sinterklaas in Dutch — when they founded and occupied New Amsterdam (now New York City) between 1624 and 1664. Nicholas had patron status in the Netherlands, like St. George in England and Joan of Arc in France. Out of this dominant Dutch population and their descendants emerged a new version of Sinterklaas. Translated into English, it becomes

58 DECEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE