'Christianity’s emphasis on the worth of the individual makes such power
as Lenin claimed, and Washington now claims, unthinkable. Be we
religious or be we not, our celebration of Christ’s birthday celebrates a
religion that made us masters of our souls and of our political life on
Earth. Such a religion as this is worth holding on to even by atheists.'
By Dr. Paul Craig Roberts: Christmas is a time of traditions. If you have found time in the rush before Christmas to decorate a tree, you are sharing in a relatively new tradition. Although the Christmas tree has ancient roots, at the beginning of the 20th century only 1 in 5 American families put up a tree. It was 1920 before the Christmas tree became the hallmark of the season. Calvin Coolidge was the first President to light a national Christmas tree on the White House lawn.
Gifts are another shared custom. This tradition comes from the wise men or three kings who brought gifts to baby Jesus. When I was a kid, gifts were more modest than they are now, but even then people were complaining about the commercialization of Christmas. We have grown accustomed to the commercialization. Christmas sales are the backbone of many businesses. Gift giving causes us to remember others and to take time from our harried lives to give them thought.