The Christian holiday of Christmas has become a cross-cultural worldwide phenomenon. Every year, trillions of dollars are spent on Christmas worldwide, with the birth of Jesus Christ serving as the most economically lucrative event of the last two millennia. No holiday or public event is as profitable for the commercial enterprises of the world as the birthday of Jesus, with non-Christians dominating the marketplaces, overtaken by a first- or second-generation Christmas fever.

By Nadia Ahmad
Throughout history, the birth of Kings and Princes was marked by massive public spectacles, including the ringing of bells and the firing of gun salutes. Despite Jesus’s refusal to ascend to the status of King, referring to his Kingdom as “the Kingdom of Heaven,” the men and women of earth have nonetheless crowned and ordained him, celebrating the anniversary of his birth as medieval countrymen would celebrate the birth of the heir to the throne.

In accordance with scripture, the second coming of Jesus will see him come as a conquering King, yet the world has hastened his ascension as he has apparently been ruling as King for the last two thousand years, with or without his consent.

Throughout his life, Jesus Christ was simply Jesus of Nazareth, commonly identified as the son of the carpenter Joseph. Jesus lived his life in a vagabond manner, similarly to a Shaman, healing people’s chronic illnesses, and resurrecting the dead, never turning away a sick man or woman, a true Hippocrates with a policy of non-discrimination thousands of years ahead of his time.

Jesus and his followers wandered through Judea, Galilee, and Samaria without regard for accumulating wealth. A life of sober restraint, the only festive days observed by Jesus were Palm Sunday, the wedding at which he turned water into wine, and the Last Supper, where he had a substantial meal.

For centuries, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus have been central to Christianity—the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy, the confirmation of his Messianic status. In the beginning, the Christian faith was centred on Easter, the crucifixion, and the resurrection of Jesus. Today, Easter no longer commands the attention of the masses in the way that Christmas does.

The simple joy of Christmas has overtaken the theologically complex Easter. Christmas is celebrated so grandly, as though the second coming of Jesus has already happened, and the Christian world is celebrating en masse, or the influence of the pagan Romans has seeped into the heart of Christianity. The Christianization of the Roman Empire by Constantine did not take into account that the Romanisation of Christianity was also a subsequent outcome, turning Jesus into the shadow Emperor of Rome.

Celebrating the birthday of Jesus, who once said that those whom he calls must be willing to leave behind their possessions and daily comfort, by accumulating material goods and indulging in epicureanism is irony at its best.

The lavish spending on Christmas decorations and presents, a Hallmark of Christmas, is not a Christian tradition, but a Roman one. In ancient Rome, Saturnalia, which fell on December 24th, was observed with grand festivities and the decoration of evergreen trees.

It was also customary in Rome to spend lavishly, dress splendidly, drink consummate amounts of wine, and eat rich foods until regurgitation. Jesus, who was born and lived among the Jews, observed the Jewish holidays in the more modest fashion customary to Judaism. While their Roman overlords’ celebrations were marked with excesses, the Jews were humble in comparison. Meaning that it is Roman, not Jewish, influence that defines Christian holidays as we know them today.

Jesus the Rabbi would seldom recognise the degree of cheer on display every December. The traditions he himself observed would be considered dull and austere by the merry Christmas goers of the modern age. Mastering Christmas as it is marketed today requires one to be a gourmand and a compulsive shopper with deep pockets.

That is why, while Christmas is a celebration of Jesus Christ, it is actually Santa Claus who has stolen the show. Jesus needs to hasten his reappearance before he permanently loses Christmas to Santa. Just as Jesus came to redeem Adam, Santa has come to redeem Jesus.

No one wants to be shamed for overeating or overspending during the Christmas season. In fact, it is the only time of year when it is socially encouraged to engage in such practices. If Jesus were to see the exorbitant prices in modern Christmas fairs, he might decide to “cleanse the temple” once again.  

That is why Santa Claus, an elusive pagan figure of unclear origins, is the centre of Christmas. Similar to Jesus in that both reside in undisclosed celestial locations (some say Santa lives at the North Pole, but no one has ever gone to verify whether he is actually there). While the world awaits Jesus’s second coming, Santa’s annual Christmas appearance has bridged the gap, making sure no one is too much in a hurry for Jesus to come again.

Santa's annual bribery of the world’s youth and his seemingly open budget are part of his broad, popular appeal. In our capitalist world, Santa represents everything we pretend we don’t love: a billionaire who roams the globe tax-free and visa-free. Santa operates like a billionaire philanthropist or the CEO of a large conglomerate dedicated to spreading holiday cheer.

We ignore his blatant favouritism of wealthy children, as our society has collectively accepted that children with socioeconomically disadvantaged parents should learn to go without. Santa, the ultimate bourgeois, even requires a chimney to descend, further proving the implication that he only visits houses from specific zip codes.

The capitalist side of Christianity has been unlocked, while Jesus, the mystic wanderer, had no such tendencies. Santa has become the bridge between the Kingdom of Earth and the Kingdom of Heaven, filling the gap – perhaps too well – as the world awaits Jesus’s return. Framed as a more user-friendly Jesus, Santa is the ideal figure for those who do not wish to delve too deeply into biblical theology when celebrating Christmas.

 Before Santa overfills the stockings of children across the world this Christmas, he should remember Jesus’s words: “the Meeks will inherit the earth, not the bourgeoisie.

It is essential for the observers of Christmas and the observers of Christianity not to conflate the two. While both Jesus and Santa emphasise children, Jesus did not intend to bribe them with expensive toys or the latest iPad. Jesus’s focus on children’s lack of ego, while Santa spends every Christmas feeding children’s egos.

While Santa is often portrayed as obese, Jesus is rarely depicted as lean as a cross-country runner. His diet of bread, the occasional pomegranate, and fish greatly contrasts with Santa’s Standard American Diet and insatiable desire for milk and cookies.

Beyond Santa, the Christmas tree has become ubiquitous in its symbolism. Muslims, who essentially resist Western influence, particularly where it contradicts Islam, have purchased Christmas trees in their millions. Without the nativity scene, a stand-alone tree is a reminder that Jesus is no longer the star of Christmas.

The Christmas tree is now the rebranded, repurposed tree of knowledge, minus the guilt of original sin. The two central trees of Christianity – the tree of knowledge and the tree of Christmas – have been linked in the human subconscious, contributing to its widespread popularity among the descendants of Adam and Eve.

Just as Apple products and their symbolic link to Eve’s apple of knowledge recall humanity's fall from bliss. Jesus's redemption of Adam, the Christmas tree is a reminder of humanity’s fall from bliss and of Jesus’s birth to redeem the world from original sin.

While Santa’s sleigh lands annually on schedule, as quietly as a winter breeze, Jesus will not reappear as gently and will likely be accompanied by loud, climactic sounds, since the second coming is primarily an apocalyptic event, which will alter the fabric of reality and initiate the end of time.

The style of Christmas celebrations does little to remind the world that Jesus the redeemer’s reemergence will literally end the world. The Christmas spirit has reached the degree where, if Jesus’s second coming fell on Christmas Eve, many might be disappointed that he ruined Christmas. A hastening of Jesus’s second coming is in order so that he may reclaim Christmas from Santa Claus.