Promotional preparations far ahead than religious preparations for Christmas

While I was walking through the Broadway in Ernakulam on December 01, 2017, seeing the Christmas sales promotions, I whispered in my mind, “Oh Christmas is around the corner.” No Church could trigger that thought as well as emotion in my mind. While passing St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, Ernakulam, and St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica on my way to Broadway there was no Christmas star seen in front of both the churches to indicate that Christmas is around the corner, whereas shop fronts are filled with stars and Christmas decorations.

Of course, officially the religious preparations for Christmas start on December 1st with the commencement of the 25 days Lenten period.

Thanks to FMCG companies, big hotels and textile shops in India for Christmas promotional activities which gave a secularist mind to everyone. That a religious festival is not confined within the fabric of that particular religion, therefore, makes Christmas no more just a religious or a Christian festival.

Of course, promotional preparations are to boost the sales and to cash in on the season. But how are the preparations of Christians towards the spiritual and religious element centered on Christmas, which should be indeed far beyond promotional preparations. Religious element of Christmas which has been there for the last 2000 years is surpassed by promotional elements that started a few decades back, that too very rigorously.

How many of the Christians really adhere to the 25 days of Lenten period to have spiritual and religious preparations for the birth of Christ. Christmas celebrations of Christians are confined to setting up the crib and having sumptuous dishes with all possible non vegetarian items.

Christmas being a celebration of faith, the Church needs to get into deep and rigorous preparations so that the message of Christmas shall go deep into the hearts of Christians as well as the message shall be spread to their surroundings. There could be non Christians, who celebrate Christmas in its true sense than the so-called Christians.

“Though Christ is born in thousand mangers, if He is not born in our hearts”, what is the point of Christmas celebrations for Christians.