What does Christmas mean to you?

It’s supposed to be a special time for Christians (Catholic and Protestant) to celebrate and rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ. But it can be so much more, in spreading the message of love, faith, & hope throughout your community and the world.

Last night at the Christmas Eve Mass at St. Augustine Cathedral, Bishop Gerald Kicanas preached that “we are all precious children of God”. He also said we need to “create a world of peace.”

Many non-Christians (like my birth family of Jodo-shu Buddhists in Hawaii) celebrated Christmas as a family tradition and secular holiday from school/work. I’m sure that can be said of other religious families & communities as well.

Now to be politically correct, American communities may also celebrate the 8 days of Hanukkah (Jewish Americans), Kwanzaa (Black Americans) from Dec. 26 to January 1, sometimes Bodhi Day (December 8 for Buddhists commemorating the birthday of Lord Buddha), and even Diwali (Hindu Festival of Lights) till mid-December.

However you celebrate these holidays, even if its just to get together & exchange gifts and fellowship, please reflect upon what faith means to you spiritually, and to spread love (and the “aloha spirit”) to your family, friends & neighbors.

And Merry Christmas to all today. Mele Kalikimaka in Hawaiian (click here for last year’s blog on the 12 days of Christmas – Hawaiian style).

Since I grew up hearing “Mele Kalikimaka” (Hawaiian) meaning the same thing as “Merry Christmas”, I didn’t realize it wasn’t mainstream till I came to the U.S. Mainland for law school.

If you want to hear the popular Hawaiian song with this title, google it to hear various versions online. The first few lines go:

“Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day”…

But there’s many other ways to express Christmas greetings in some of the languages I’ve studied: Frohe Weihnachten (German), or Feliz Navidad (Spanish), or “Merii Kurisumasu” (Japanese version of Merry Christmas).

Whether you celebrate Bodhi Day, Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa (or none of these like my Muslim nephew) it’s that time of the year to extend a secular “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” to all.

Have a safe and happy holiday season.