PEORIA MAGAZINE December 2022

Saint Claus. Like Beth in Elizabeth, Claus stands for Nicholas. In 1823, a New York poet, Clement Moore, wrote Amer ica’s most memorable Christmas poem. The first four lines read as follows: ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there … By 1881, Sinterklaas had become what the cartoonist, Thomas Nast, characterized as “Merry Old Santa Claus,” jolly indeed and seeming to consume too much cheer. The cartoon signified a shift in American culture from giving and gratitude to getting and taking. A fault of our own day.

Cultural dynamics matter. Societies can only survive if their members can live together with a certain amount of collective gratitude. Gratitude is the recognition that my well-being is also a gift of others. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our parents. We wouldn't survive unless taken care of; nor edu cated unless taught; nor hired unless recommended; nor helped except for relatives, friends and neighbors; nor free to live freely without the gift of our na tion. The simple fact of life is that no one can thrive without others in their lives. Christmas is that twofold ritual of faith and culture, of holy day and holiday. Gratitude is its virtue. If that is the cultural virtue we wish, then it needs to be daily nurtured, as if every day were Christmas. When it isn’t, virtue rots on the vine. Humans need these reminders lest we destroy humanity itself. Our fundamental national holidays — Memorial Day, Fourth of

July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas — are reminders of what we, as a nation, need to be about. THE SIMPLE FACT OF LIFE IS THAT NO ONE CAN THRIVE WITHOUT OTHERS IN THEIR LIVES Christmas is special because it’s a unique blend of the sacred and the secular. It gives us a depth of understanding, a recognition of whowe are and of why we’re here. It offers hope for our future. Let us all be grateful for Christmas in America.

John F. Gilligan , PhD, is a clinical psychologist and president emeritus of Fayette Companies. He lives in Groveland

DECEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 59