Students see Christmas from different perspectives, find common ground
Written by Sean F. Lowe
With a life threatening illness in her sophomore year of high school Emily Miller, a second-year in psychology, learned to rely on the power of prayer and her faith — something that she is reminded of during the Christmas season.
The Ohio State finals week ends Dec. 14 and with that, many students will travel home to celebrate the Christmas holiday. To some, Christmas is a devoutly religious experience — celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ — and to others it is more secular, a time for family, friends, food and giving gifts.
“Christmas is a special time where we get to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and as a Christian, I believe he came into the world as vulnerable baby, but is the savior of the world,” said Miller.
Being sick and with the doctors not really knowing what’s going on, I thought I could die, said Miller.
“I said, ‘I should probably pray about this,’ I knew I had the backing of going to church,” said Miller. “I decided to live my life for the lord.”
To other students, it increasingly seems Christmas has become more open to other cultures and faiths and less about the birth of Christ and more about the aspect of family and the season.
“As someone who grew up in the Muslim faith, we didn’t celebrate Christmas for the religious reason. But you better believe every single year we gave each other presents, every year my family found any excuse to cook and be together and Christmas was a good excuse,” said Adam Othman, a third-year in marketing. “There’s no religious reason there, we just take advantage of the good cheer and good energy.”
While not everyone sees Christmas exclusively as a religious experience, it is a great thing that everyone can find a way to celebrate the season, said Miller.
“I had a friend that wasn’t raised Christian, but I think it is powerful that people from different cultures, even they do not believe in Jesus, still celebrate the holiday,” said Miller. “I think it is great that people can still celebrate and have the essence of Christmas joy and the Christmas spirit.”
Most people seem to want to share the holiday with everyone, but that does not always ring true. Especially when someone is really passionate about it, said Othman.
“There is almost a resistance when they hear people celebrate it for non-religious reasons. I think that it depends on who you are asking,” said Othman. “It can make people on my side of it feel a little less included during the season.”
I do worry about taking Christ completely out of the season; the retail side makes me uneasy, said Miller.
“I think it is sad that this is what our culture made this holiday into, more of a time to receive and get and get,” said Miller. “For me, following Jesus, it is a time where we get to give thanks and praise the Lord that he would send Jesus.”
It seems though that everyone can agree, no matter your faith our culture, this season is special, said Othman.
“The darkest of all the seasons, winter, it is interesting that the word darkens but the world responds with light,” said Othman.
Source List:
Emily Miller Second-year (937) 564–4065 Dec. 3rd — Ohio Union
Adam Othman Third-year (440) 319–5239 Tuesday — phone interview
