The True Meaning of Christmas

Written by Patricia Zimmerman

Every year, as the holiday season fast approaches, we hear many reflections on the meaning of Christmas.

For some, Christmas is a time of joy, giving, and good cheer—a season that brings warmth and love shared among family and friends. For others, it is a time of peace and goodwill toward all. And for Christians, it is celebrated as the birth of Jesus, a Divine Messenger of God. Yet the true meaning of the season reaches beyond celebration—it lies in the Spirit of Christmas itself.

Christmas is not about decorating trees, sending cards, or singing carols. It is about opening our hearts and sharing our love—not only with those we know, but with all of humanity. For a brief moment each year, the world is inspired to express love. We pray for peace on Earth and goodwill to all. But once the holiday fades, too often our intentions fade with it, and we slip back into our old ways of being.

The Deeper Significance

Even the word Christmas offers a clue to its deeper meaning. While tradition celebrates the birth of Jesus on December 25, the Bible gives no specific date. The giving of gifts symbolizes the offerings of the Magi to the Christ Child. But the greater plan behind every Divine Messenger—whether Buddha, Krishna, or Jesus—is to embody and express the fullness of the Divine Nature through consciousness, word, and deed. Their lives serve as living examples of what it means to bring the Light and Love of God into form. As children of God, we too are called to embody this same Love in our daily lives—to be living expressions of Divine Love made manifest on Earth.

Love and Service: The Heart of the Season

Love is the reason for life. Not the conditional love we so often practice, but unconditional love—love that forgives, uplifts, and includes all. We grow in unconditional love through compassion and forgiveness—for others, and for ourselves. And service is the law of life. It is easy to serve those we already know and love; it is a greater act of Love to serve those we do not know and from whom we expect nothing in return.

This is the true meaning of Christmas: not found in gifts or decorations, but in the heart that gives freely, without condition. Jesus may indeed be the reason for the season, but the Spirit of Christmas is Love, and that Love is best expressed through Service.

May your heart be filled with the Spirit of Christmas—not for a season, but for all seasons. May your Love flow in great abundance—without end.