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Which Giving Reflects the True Meaning of Christmas? by Randy Overbeck
Christians have been celebrating Christ’s birth for more than 2000 years, honoring this event by doing what God did, showering those we love with gifts. According to the Biblical legend, the Magi may have started it with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but by now, the giving of presents to show our love and appreciation of those around us has become an accepted, and expected, part of the holiday celebration. (Some might argue this tradition has simply caused Christmas to become overly secular and super-commercialized, but that’s a discussion for another time.)
But what about the practice of giving to those less fortunate?
It would be logical to think this tradition of generosity is a natural development of the true Christmas spirit. After all, Christians believe God did give the ultimate gift—his only son—to those less fortunate, all of us on earth. Those of us who grew up with Salvation Army Santas manning the kettle and ringing the bell for donations or who participated in school canned food drives or who contributed to the Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” program at Christmas were taught that such altruism was simply an extension of the real Christmas spirit. Lately, even companies and corporations have gotten into the act of philanthropy at Christmas. Not only do they donate to the poor, but companies like Subaru, Amazon, Target and Chick-Fil-a spend millions in advertising each Christmas to promote their efforts to bring families together, to feed the hungry, to help animal shelters—in other words, to give to those less fortunate.
However, according to annuls of history, this practice of altruism has a more recent origin—though 180 years is only recent compared with twenty centuries. In mid-nineteenth century England (and much of the rest of the civilized Christan world) Christmas was celebrated mostly in small towns, where life was close and interactions were personal. In the crowded, major cities of the time, where life was impersonal and interactions often anonymous, Christmas was largely ignored.
One author and one novella changed that. In 1843, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, a runaway bestseller, and it became so popular, its message changed the culture. Before this, the idea of sharing your time and treasure at Christmas with those less fortunate was not a thing. But Dickens’ exposure of the parsimonious and money-hungry Ebeneezer Scrooge struck a chord that still reverberates today. Slowly, in the 1850’s beginning in London and spreading outward, the idea of Christmas started to take on a different, more layered message. Not only was the holiday the time to celebrate those you love and cherish, but it also became the time of year to share your bounty with others in need. (For a more extensive discussion of this transformative Christmas tale, you might want to check out this episode of my podcast, GREAT STORIES ABOUT GREAT STORYTELLERS https://www.authorrandyoverbeck.com/podcast/episode/7f9d3d6e/what-you-didnt-know-about-dickens-a-christmas-carol
It may not have as long a history, but I’d argue this practice comes closer to the true meaning of Christmas than giving your wife another bottle of cologne or gifting your teen son or daughter with another video game. That’s why each Christmas I select several charities who serve those less fortunate and give them a special donation. Now I’m not rich. After all, I’m living on a teacher’s pension and I’m a struggling author, but I do what I can.
In the true spirit of Christmas, I suggest you do the same.
All Darrell Henshaw wanted was to enjoy his honeymoon with his beautiful wife, Erin, in the charming town of Crystal River on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida during the holidays. Only a pair of ghosts decide to intrude on their celebration. And not just any ghosts, the spirits of two young Latino children. Unwilling at first to derail the honeymoon for yet another ghost hunt, Darrell finally concedes when a painting of the kids comes alive, weeping and pleading for his help.
When he and Erin track down the artist, they discover the children’s family were migrant workers the next county over. But when they travel there, their questions about the kids gets their car shot up and Erin hospitalized. Torn between fear and rage, Darrell must decide how far he will go to get justice for two young children he never even knew.
Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author and speaker. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has turned this experience into captivating fiction, authoring the bestselling series, the Haunted Shores Mysteries, winner of nine national awards. Last year, the Wild Rose Press released his newest work, an atmospheric amateur sleuth mystery, CRUEL LESSONS, which has captured two more national awards including mystery of the year. He hosts the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets. He is also a speaker in much demand, sharing his multi-media presentations about ghosts and the world of writing with audiences all over the U.S. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences. When he’s not researching or writing his next thriller or historical suspense or sharing one of his programs, he’s spending time with his incredible family of wife, three children (and their spouses) and seven wonderful grandchildren.
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