Christmas or Christ-mas? How Do You Celebrate?

Written and Typed 19/12/2023

Welcome to this year's Christmas post!

I haven't written in over a week, as everyone is busy getting ready for end of year celebrations! Our site continues to get viewings but my posts have definitely had a dramatic fall for the first time since we started at the end of October!

No matter, Hubby has come down with Covid and as he won't isolate, Christina and I are likely to catch it from him.

With this summer heat and our little yellow brick non-insulated, non-air-conditioned house, is hot, possibly covid infected and a complete mess!

In Christina's boredom state, she gets destructive, and like a little tornado, turns the house into a tripping hazard, stumbling block for mum's uncoordinated feet!

Trying to remain positive, mental health afloat and my daughter busy while we isolate, is not the end of year Christmas celebration we had in mind this year. Usually we are full of church and Family festivities (excluding gingerbread house making events- which are life threatening to me and has now caused me a paranoia, fear and phobiatic problem! See a gingerbread house and I see it as my death warrant! Welcome to the life of an Anaphylactic!!

Want to know how to kill me off - feed me an egg, take me to a gingerbread Festival or kiss me after eating seafood, chicken and other fowel bird protein meats!)

But what can happen to me while in isolation right! 🤷‍♀️ 🤡

A great many things so it seems.

A waiting game to see if we catch covid from hubby! Isolating over Christmas with little to no personal space for this Autistic Duo and mum in the middle!

So this year, it's a digital Christmas for 2023 and I am calling us the: Clarke Covid Christmas Club! 3 members only! 🤣

"I ❤️ humour!" As much as "I ❤️ Sarcasm!"

("It's a great way to deal!" Says Daria's Aunt Amy from the cartoon show Daria!)

My parents, sister and I were talking over the weekend about Christmas and what it means to us compared to what it means for our post Christian and western world!

Our extended family, Christmas is about the whole entire family coming together and eating a large meal and opening presents!

Sadly, in the last few years our families have fallen apart. My cousin has cut me out of her life, my twin aunts can't tolerate each other anymore, my sister won't see our uncle (for valid reasons I do support), and one of my other aunts is now in Foster and celebrating Christmas up there. But it means we are no longer the large big family we used to be! We are cut in half!

Smaller families are growing and expanding into new large families, and the few Christian members are at a loss as to how a family who once was so tight knit and close, has now fallen away to create new lives!

It is because Christmas means something different to all of us now! We no longer have the same attitude towards our old family traditions. And I get it - people change, life changes!

The point of the above is:

As Christians, Christmas is about celebrating JESUS!

My parents, sister, hubby, my grandparents and his parents are Christians and love Jesus!

We can celebrate Christmas at any time! Because we are to worship Jesus daily! For who he is and what he has done for the human race! But ultimately everyone can decide how they want to celebrate Christmas!

My mum grew up with Catholic parents and one of our traditions was going to mass at midnight! We celebrate Christ - Mas! We would enter the new year by coming together with other Christians and having mass together with Christ as our focus! 😍

But also in the last few years, mum and sister work nightshift and we haven't made it to mass in a while! But Christmas Eve is our Christmas. Early baked dinner, opening presents! I take Christina home for our evening routine and then when hubby and Christina are asleep, I go watch Carol's at mum's with my parents and sister! Take that traditional Christmas tree photo of myself! Thanks to mum, I have at least 4 years of me in front of the Christmas tree in my Christmas dress! And I love it!

My friends and Family celebrate Christmas: presents, food and family!

My family of 3 plus my parents and sister do Christ - Mas! Now more in a protestant fashion. Christmas is about JESUS and not about family traditions and presents! Wonderful things and nothing wrong with those, but our world is so commercialised now! It hasn't been about Christ - Mas in decades! It's all earthy material goods and the good times now, other than the focus of spiritual life and meaning of what the term Christmas actually means!

Don't even get me started on Father Christmas, or Santa Claus!

Saint Nicholas was wonderful and his story inspired the whole Santa theme! But like all humans eventually die, he is dead and gone! He's mythical like the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny and other man made folklore!

This post is definitely not for the young people under a certain age who still believe in an old man who comes down your chimney to deliver presents! Parents deceiving their children with fake and false ideas. (Secret Santa doesn't work for adult me!)

Nothing wrong with a Christmas stocking! Just not over an open fire! Safety hazard.

You know what, I don't even have a chimney and my doors are always locked at night! And even if we did/didn't have those things, I still wouldn't want a strange old man in my home! I'm definitely not enticing him to stay with "milk and cookies"!

Sorry! I get passionate about these things!

Christina will grow up with her mind wide open!

She sings about Jesus! We give thanks for our food. She know that Jesus loves me because the bible tells us so. And most importantly, being autistic with multiple other disabilities, let's not confuse the girl! Let's not give her false things to worship when our spiritual father has given us his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit to celebrate! He is my life by the way, and I worship in spirit and in truth! John 4 verse 24!

I'm sorry to offend anyone here, but this is my website, my post and how I feel about the topics I choose to cover and are very passionate about. That's why I put a disclaimer on my website to say if this website is not for you, don't subscribe or follow. But I also don't turn anyone away. I love all people regardless of their beliefs and traditions, and in no way try to convert anyone!

I want to be more Christlike and loving! Yes, I post way too much on Facebook! I'm not the quiet, mind your own business woman! I'm a lover of people, disability and our great God!

I have lost family and friends because of my decision to reach out and share my faith in Jesus! I know some people call us freaks, mad, or insane! I've been directly insulted a few times!

Some people so passionately hate God, Jesus and don't want anything to do with him, but they watch Christmas Carol's! 🤷‍♀️ Um! Wat! A bit contradictory there!

But anyway, we all do what we want to do right?! Everyone does things the way they want it to be done! It's all being human right! We are all flesh and blood, selfish and self-centred. We aren't Christ - Mas focused anymore. We have become lovers of self. Yes, we love the people that we like and will keep close to those who support us, and sadly turn against those who don't follow our beliefs, but we all celebrate Christmas in some form.

However you celebrate Christmas is your choice! It ain't my business!

But did you know?! Christmas isn't actually December 25! In the middle east, on the other side of the world, their seasons are different. A good point my sister made last week was that the shepherd's watching their sheep at night and the wise men who followed the star to Bethlehem! Clear night! No rain, snow or clouds come to think of it! It doesn't matter for the Christian when we celebrate Jesus birth because we are to worship Jesus every day! But if the seasons overseas compared to Australia are different, the timeline doesn't match up! I just think we've celebrated Christmas on December 25 for centuries that it will continue as a tradition! And hay, everyone loves to have a double end of year celebrations 👌 Party for over a week, not saying no to that! 😅

However you celebrate, remember I care and support you here, with much love,

Sarah Louise Clarke

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! 🎄🎁🎈🎊🫂❤️💋