Compare two of the most famous Christmas films of all time: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (specifically the half-hour animated show, not the newfangled live-action Jim Carrey nonsense), and Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer (the stop-motion animation extravaganza).
First, let's review the plot of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Grinch, a mean-spirited guy who lives in a cave to avoid all contact with happy people, decides that he hates Christmas so much that he wants to steal it. So he goes all cat-burglar on Whoville, taking away all the Christmas trappings: the presents, the stockings, the decorations, even the tree and the food for the Christmas dinner. Then, smug and satisfied that the Whos are totally lacking all things Christmas and looking forward to hearing their cries of dismay, the Grinch looks down on Whoville only to see that all the Whos have gathered in a circle and are singing. They found a way to celebrate Christmas that didn't involve material goods. So instead of concluding that next year he should improve his plan to include surgical removal of all the Whos' larynges, he has an epiphany regarding the true meaning of Christmas and decides to give everything back, even participate in the festivities.
In all, it's a great story about how although the festive trappings and doodads and baubles may make Christmas extra fun, they are not the be-all-end-all, and that Christmas is more of an ineffable, intangible, dare I say spiritual thing unaffected by such mundane setbacks as stolen hams.
Now, let's take a look at Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We needn't summarize the whole story, just one scene. On Christmas Eve, Santa notices that it's too foggy to safely steer his sleigh through the sky to deliver presents, and it isn't showing signs of letting up. So what does he do? He announces that he will have to "cancel Christmas." Not just "cancel the toy-delivery", but Christmas itself. Santa Claus, the ultimate Christmas icon second only to Baby Jesus, often thought of as the personification of Christmas Spirit, doesn't think that Christmas can happen without toys. Not only that, he's thwarted by a simple fog. It didn't even occur to him to bring a lantern or two. How fragile Christmas must be, and how temporal, if this is to be believed.
So what do you believe? Do you believe that Christmas is about presents and decorations and feasting, or is it about something more intangible - and therefore more enduring than the ham that will soon be digested away and the toys you'll probably have gotten bored of by New Year's? If your Christmas encounters some setback - say the feast gets burnt, your presents get lost in the mail, your relatives are fighting, the store runs out of the toy your kids desperately need in their stockings - do you give up, canceling Christmas in your heart by letting frustration and stress overtake you, or do you let joy prevail, and find a Christmas spirit that cannot be stolen?
You may find that if your Christmas doesn't depend on the material trappings, then neither will it depend on the calendar date - that, too, is ephemeral. You may find that joy follows you throughout the year, lifting you up during the darkest times in your life.
Merry Christmas everyone, and a happy New Year.
