{"id":2382917,"date":"2024-12-23T07:18:02","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T12:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-christmas-is-not-what-you-make-it\/"},"modified":"2024-12-23T07:20:32","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T12:20:32","slug":"no-christmas-is-not-what-you-make-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-christmas-is-not-what-you-make-it\/","title":{"rendered":"No, Christmas Is Not &#8216;What You Make It&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fno-christmas-is-not-what-you-make-it%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2382917&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Hobby Lobby has been running a\u2064 Christmas\u200d marketing \u2064campaign with the theme &#8220;Christmas is what you make it,&#8221; highlighting moments of joy shared\u200b among \u200bindividuals during the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-10-viral-food-trends-of-2020\/\" title=\"Top 10 Viral Food Trends of 2020\">holiday season<\/a>. \u2062Their commercials often depict heartwarming scenarios, such as an older couple\u2063 helping two lonely singles connect and decorate a Christmas tree\u2064 together, which resonated emotionally with viewers. However, the \u200barticle \u200dcritiques this message, particularly given Hobby Lobby&#8217;s Christian\u200d background, arguing \u200dthat Christmas is not about personal efforts \u200cor actions, \u2062but rather somthing inherently given. <\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the article addresses the stress\u2063 that frequently enough accompanies the holiday season. While it \u200dis a myth that suicide rates rise during holidays, the stress linked to holiday demands\u2014such as\u200b shopping, hosting events,\u2063 and the \u2062pressure for \u2064ideal celebrations\u2014can be meaningful. For many, loneliness during this &#8220;most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fox-cancels-celebrity-studded-new-years-toast-roast-special-over-covid-19-spike\/\" title=\"FOX Cancels Celebrity Studded New Year\u2019s \u2018Toast &amp; Roast\u2019 Special over COVID-19 Spike\">fantastic time<\/a> of the year&#8221;\u200b adds to\u200c the emotional burden, alongside the physical darkness that comes\u2062 with winter.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>For several years now, Hobby Lobby&rsquo;s Christmas marketing campaign has used the theme: &ldquo;Christmas is what you make it.&rdquo; Commercials depict warm and heart-tugging vignettes of individuals, in one way or another, sharing some Christmas joy with someone else:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Neighbors | 50% Off Christmas | Hobby Lobby&reg; Commercial\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g-RCBAqRgi0?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>I must admit, the commercial above brought a lump to my throat: An older, happily married couple observes two young, lonely singles that need a little push to get to know each other. The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">older couple takes steps<\/a> to make it happen. The young couple meets and decorates a tree together (with Hobby Lobby decorations, of course!). What&rsquo;s not to love?<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that the overarching message is all wrong. Coming from a company known for its Christian ownership, its abundance of Christian merchandise, and its practice of not being open on Sunday, this is surprising. The truth is that Christmas is not what you make it. It has nothing to do with any action on your part. Thank God.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Christmas Comes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>While it looks to be <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/6342914\/holiday-suicide-link-myth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a misconception<\/a> that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-introduces-gun-control-bill-psych-evaluations-ammo-bans-federal-gun-registry\/\" title=\"Democrat Introduces Gun Control Bill: Psych Evaluations, Ammo Bans, Federal Gun Registry\">suicide rate<\/a> goes up during the holidays, it is not a misconception that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/2023\/11\/holiday-season-stress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the holidays can cause stress<\/a>. Some of that stress might be due to the demands of the season itself: There is shopping to do, gifts to wrap, parties and events to attend, cleaning, cooking, and pressure to have a picture-perfect Hallmark-worthy celebration. Other stress might arise from a heightened sense of loneliness for people who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/despite-insistence-by-democrat-politicians-and-medical-elites-empirical-evidence-does-not-conclusively-show-that-masks-reduce-the-spread-of-covid\/\" title=\"Despite Insistence by Democrat Politicians and Medical Elites, Empirical Evidence DOES NOT Conclusively Show that Masks Reduce the Spread of COVID\">don&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t have someone with whom to share &ldquo;the most wonderful time of the year.&rdquo; Yet another source of stress is the literal darkness of the season, causing some people to experience <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/publications\/seasonal-affective-disorder#:~:text=If%2520you%2520have%2520noticed%2520significant,pattern%2520SAD%2520or%2520winter%2520depression.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">seasonal affective disorder<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So to add, on top of an already demanding time, the pressure to &ldquo;make&rdquo; Christmas into anything at all, as if Christmas needs you in order to happen, misses the whole point. It&rsquo;s the same lesson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hqOOUJFv1n0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr. Seuss<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bPhqMJpQsYQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Charles Schulz<\/a> both tried to teach us.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Christ Came<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Many Christians, during the month of December, seek not to let Christmas, particularly all its secular trappings, crowd out the liturgical season that comes right before it: Advent. The season of Advent is a time of preparation and repentance, of waiting and looking with anticipation toward the arrival of the newborn King, the One sent to save the world from its sins. <\/p>\n<p>That tiny baby, Jesus Christ, would grow up to die on a cross and rise on the third day to proclaim victory over sin, death, and the devil. All who are in Him share, by grace, in that same victory. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esv.org\/Revelation+22\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">One day He will return to claim His own<\/a>. Advent, at the same time that it recalls Christ&rsquo;s first coming in the flesh, also looks forward to His final coming, when the things we now see only dimly, as in a mirror, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esv.org\/verses\/1+Corinthians+13:12\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">will become radiantly clear<\/a> as we see our Lord face to face.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>What the Grinch learns after realizing he can&rsquo;t stop Christmas, and what Charlie Brown learns as he seeks to understand the true meaning of Christmas, is the same lesson we need to learn: It&rsquo;s not up to us. We can&rsquo;t make Christmas happen. We can&rsquo;t make it better. To think that, by our feeble efforts, we can make it more meaningful is the height of arrogance, not to mention a prescription for deep disappointment. The meaning of Christmas is not in us or anything we do. It is only in Christ and what He did.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Be at Peace<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I am not trying to hate on a sweet commercial. The message of looking beyond ourselves to care for others &mdash; a message we hear in abundance this time of year &mdash; is a worthy one. We should listen and try to carry it through December, into the new year, and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>But if you are struggling right now &mdash; with rejection, loneliness, or illness; with fears about the future or dreams unrealized; with the effects of natural disasters or the pain of losing a loved one; with unemployment, financial pressures, addiction, or something else &mdash; you don&rsquo;t have to do anything to make Christmas happen. Christmas does not depend on you. Christmas happened, and happens again in our yearly observance, only because of a gracious God who had a plan, from the beginning of time, to save the creation He loves.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth&rdquo; (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=John%201:14&amp;version=ESV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John 1:14<\/a>).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Merry Christmas!<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Cheryl Magness is managing editor of <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.lcms.org\/\">Reporter<\/a>, the official web magazine of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. She writes regularly on issues of faith, family and culture. The opinions expressed here are her own.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hobby Lobby&#8217;s Christmas ads say, &#8220;Christmas is what you make it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":736,"featured_media":2382918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hobby-Lobby.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[7695,6922,10509,16617,8775],"class_list":["post-2382917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-celebration","tag-christmas","tag-holidays","tag-perspective","tag-tradition"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hobby-Lobby.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/736"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2382917"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382917\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2382921,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382917\/revisions\/2382921"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2382918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2382917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2382917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2382917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}