We may think of the presents and the parties first. They certainly represent the generosity and joy of the Christmas season.
But the true miracle of the holiday season is the renewal of kindness, love and charity for all. We can set aside our differences and bask in the warmth of family and community.
Collected here, from a variety of sources, are thoughts both serious and humorous about this special season:
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” — Luke 2:11
"I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights." -- Maya Angelou, American memoirist and poet
"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." -- Calvin Coolidge, 30th president of the United States
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"Santa Claus has the right idea: Visit people once a year." -- Victor Borge, Danish-American actor and comedian
"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" -- Bob Hope, American comedian
"Once again, we come to the holiday season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice." -- Dave Barry, American author
"Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves." -- Eric Sevareid, American author and journalist
"Christmas is a baby shower that went totally overboard." -- Andy Borowitz, American writer and comedian
"A good conscience is a continual Christmas." -- Benjamin Franklin, American statesman and inventor
"What I don't like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day." -- Phyllis Diller, American comedian and actress
"God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If He gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it." -- Pope Francis
"Your children need your presence more than your presents." -- Jesse Jackson, American civil rights leader
“Christmas Day is in our grasp, as long as we have hands to clasp! Christmas Day will always be, just as long, as we have we! Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand!” – Dr. Seuss, American author and cartoonist
“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas Day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” -- Andy Rooney, American television writer
“Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.” -- G.K. Chesterton, English author
“Adults can take a simple holiday for children and screw it up. What began as a presentation of simple gifts to delight and surprise children around the Christmas tree has culminated in a woman unwrapping six shrimp forks from her dog, who drew her name.” -- Erma Bombeck, American humorist
