Christmas spirit isn't just a man in red

Just a little over 2,000 years ago, a child was born on the outskirts of the town of Bethlehem.

Bethlehem, at the time, resembled Pullman in many ways, except for the fact that Bethlehem was actually capable of boasting access to three wise men, a virgin and a decent demand for business at the village inn.

Just as the wise men of this story celebrated the birth with the sharing of gifts, we continue that tradition today.

Since our childhood, the purpose of these gifts has been successfully driven into our heads. We are told that Christmas is not about the presents, but rather, it is a time to harbor generosity as a dominant sentiment. Yet, even this claim exists in a glaringly misdirected spirit.

Today, the word "Christmas" no longer conjures up images of a baby in a manger, but rather, a fat old man in a red suit. And while American schools condemn the use of the phrase "Christmas break" as a violation of the separation of church and state, I would object that the term Christmas has come to have a meaning far from any religious connotation that was first intended.

Perhaps today's Christmas spirit is best personified by the increasingly popular spiritual status of the church CEOs (Christmas, Easter Onlys). Christmas is a time for CEOs to clip on their ties, arrive belatedly to the Christmas Eve service, nap through the sermon in the back pew and leave before the pastor has spoken the benediction. So, while religious pursuit without heart is meaningless, there seems a cultural prerequisite to fulfill religious duties come Christmas time.

The truth for many is that this burden must be carried in order to renew one's annual hellfire insurance.

Don't get me wrong; the general attitude of the holiday season is surely one to be welcomed. Barring a few brawls, tramples and scenes of avid cussing on the front lines of holiday shopping, the season remains a successful catalyst for sentimental kindness.

Heck, if the fat man in a red suit is all we need to mend family tension and stimulate worldwide benevolence, then I'm all for throwing a red jump suit on Michael Moore and voting him president.

Nevertheless, amid this straining effort to achieve a sufficient level of goodwill, the purpose of the Christmas celebration has been lost.

Does that concept fire a few neurons? During our culture's vain attempts to secrete a minute level of potential generosity for -- gasp -- a full month of the year, we have lost complete sight of the original purpose of the holiday.

It seems to me that today atheists, agnostics and Christians are chopping down Christmas trees for the same purpose. So has Christmas become just another excuse to give and receive presents in an attempt to claim hold of a charitable spirit?

Perhaps this year will be different, for as we sign our greeting cards to family and friends, whether we have a religious pursuit or not, the accurate translation of "Merry Christmas" still looms.

It celebrates the nativity of a life that changed the face of the world.

It means "Happy Birthday, Jesus."