Christmas Blessings
by Kimmie Rose Zapf

From November onwards, it is impossible to forget that Christmas is coming. Colored lights decorate many homes, villages and shops and Christmas Trees are decorated with beautiful lights and garland. As December 25th approaches, shopping centers become busier and often stay open later than their normal business hours. Many shops play traditional Christian Christmas music through the store speakers to set a joyous mood of giving and receiving. And Christmas carolers often sing festive songs to raise money for charity.

Since about 400AD, Christians have celebrated the birth of Jesus. In many countries, the celebration of Christmas on December 25th is a high point of the year. Christmas is a special time for people of many around the world because it is a time they celebrate their unique customs and traditions, which have been handed down from one generation to the next. One tradition that is celebrated in many countries is the sending of Christmas Greeting Cards to family and friends. And often these cards will be hung on the walls of homes to decorate this special time of year.

So, why do we celebrate Christmas with Santa Claus? Father Christmas (or Santa Clause) is based on a real person, St. Nicholas, which explains his being called Santa Claus. And Santa Claus comes from the Dutch "Sinterklaas" Nicholas, who was a Christian leader from Myra (in Modern day Turkey). In the 4th century AD, he was very shy, and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed onto the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in a stocking, which a girl had placed near the fire to dry. This seems to explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts inside stockings.
With the passing of time, Santa Claus has become the human face of Christmas. Pictures of an old man with long white beard, red coat and bag of toys are seen practically everywhere. In most countries, children are taught that Santa lives near the North Pole and travels through the sky on a sled pulled by reindeer. And sometime during the night before Christmas (or St. Nicholas Day December 6th in some countries), he slides down the chimney and places presents for the children in stockings, in bags by their beds or stacked in front of the family Christmas tree. For many children up to the age of 7 or 8, they really believe this is true.

While Christmas is viewed as too commercial by most people, those who keep their traditions alive renew the joy associated with the birth of Christ. Unlike any other baby, the one born that night in Bethlehem was unique in all of history. He was not created by a human father and mother. He had a heavenly existence pre-existence (John 1:1-3, 14). He was God, the Creator of the Universe. This is why Christmas is called the incarnation, a word which means "in the flesh." In the birth of Jesus, the eternal all knowing Creator came to earth in the flesh.

So, regardless of the unique customs, traditions and even the commercialization of Christmas, the true meaning of Christmas remains the same. It is a day in which we can gather together and give thanks for the blessings we have in our lives. We come together on a level of consciousness that connects our hearts and creates good will amongst one another. We show our gratitude for the great love that Jesus gave us!

As we continue to express our gratitude for what Jesus taught us, it is important that we take time to reconnect with one another. This world has many people in it who are alone and just need to be loved. We can share this love with them by letting them know how much they mean to us. The Bless You Project, a non-profit organization, encourages individuals to reach out, smile and bless others so they too can experience the joy and peace that is within them. Simply put, our goal is to make the world a better place by connecting with people one person at a time and blessing them; who in turn will reach out and bless others. We invite you to make a difference and help create a movement that is life changing. Bless You!

Kimmie Rose Zapf is an inspirational author, speaker, intuitive, healer, teacher and student. She is the founder of The Bless You Project, a non-profit organization, which was created to bring attention to the importance of the human connection. The goal of the project is to encourage individuals reach out to one another through acts of kindness and love, and thereby, spread a message of hope and unity everywhere. For more information about Kimmie and The Bless You Project, please visit www.kimmierose.com and www.theblessyouproject.com.