Christmas is an occasion Christians celebrate with great joy and enthusiasm as it is the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ. But, unlike other events and festivals, there is something about Christmas that makes it good for our mental health.
Christmas Love Promotes Mental Wellbeing
The true meaning of Christmas is love. For many Christians, the real Christmas story is the story of God’s son becoming a human being. As the creator of mankind, God loves his creation and according to Biblical accounts, man has a singular distinction in God’s heart. The physical birth of Christ was necessary because mankind needed a Savior. God loved us and thus provided a way –the only way –for mankind to spend eternity with him.
Christians all over the world today celebrate Christmas in honor of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Several traditions have been associated with the celebration of Christmas and different cultures celebrate the festival differently. The unifying factor is the fact that we all celebrate Christmas or the birth of Christ as a “good news.” We celebrate Christmas out of gratitude for what God did for us and we remember Christ’s birth and sacrifice by giving each other gifts.
We celebrate Christmas with gift-giving because of the “indescribable gift” that God gave to us. Christmas is thus the season when we reflect back on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the love He demonstrated. It is a period where we find steadfast love in the simplest of things. And, it is an undeniable fact that love –no matter what form it comes in – has the power to reduce stress and anxiety and improve mental health.
When you are in love with a person and when you don’t end up with that person, that love can ruin your mental health. However, Christmas love can neither weaken a relationship nor can it force you to feel weak. On the contrary, Christmas love can make you feel upbeat, highly energetic, contented and at the peak of fulfillment.
We Feel a Sense of Connection
There’s something special about Christmas that brings people together.
For Christians, Christmas is an event worth celebrating because it marks the birth of Jesus, their king and savior. However, Christmas is also widely celebrated by many Hindus. Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, and other non-Christians. During that festive period, people forget about their respective religious beliefs and come together to share the joy of Christmas.
Studies conducted have found that unlike other events and festivities, people feel more connected and closer to each other during Christmas. Social connectedness is one of the secrets to positive mental health and gift-giving, emotional conversations and positive vibes of Christmas can all help to improve our mental health.
Christmas Joy
A lot of people hate Christmas because they believe it involves too much marketing and is all about forced joviality. I understand that for some, this festival might bring sadness and bad old memories. But, for many, it also spreads love and happiness.
Joy is perhaps the biggest blessing and gift of Christmas. It shows up when you are excited about the festive season, when you start buying gifts for your loved ones, when you start decorating, when you listen to Christian music and when you reconnect with the spirit of Christmas.
For me personally, Christmas always brings back the feelings I remember from my childhood. It makes me remember the magic, wonder and warmth that used to fill the air during Christmas time. More than anything, I would miss staying up past bedtime with my sister talking about the gifts we might receive. Back then, we would wake up super early before our parents to go sneak a look at the presents under the tree. It’s really a beautiful thing looking back on those times and that would really make me happy.
