Rockin' around the manger scene, have a happy holiday.

So I had this "conversation" with some family members at a Christmas party about why I don't put up Christmas decorations. They found it absurd that I don't join in and "celebrate" the "holiday" by decorating (I am going to be using a lot of quotation marks to imply sarcasm). I just don't get it......this is an American holiday tradition and it has nothing to do with the actual celebration itself. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Savior. Not evergreen trees. Not strings of lights. How do these things get people in "the Christmas spirit".....whatever the heck that is. Is it feeling good about yourself? Is it the sense of accomplishment? Is it being in a different surrounding?.......like I said, I do not get it.

I would say that doing something that Jesus would do should be the thing that "gets you in the Christmas Spirit". If Jesus were around today would he be wasting time and resources on a Christmas tree?.....No!.....no way!....he would probably say that it's foolish. I would rather take the money and time that would go into the decorating and use it wisely......like give it to the poor.....or help a family that's in need......or whatever, just something other than that.

Am I being overly dramatic.....maybe a little.
Am I being a little mean.....maybe.
Am I being sarcastic.....definitely......But my point is this: I shouldn't be labeled as weird or different or a scrooge just because I don't like decorating. That's not fair to me.

An argument for another time: Why do we buy presents for ourselfs and our family's......it's not our birthday celebration. Jesus said in the Bible: Whatever you do for the poor, you do for me.....that sounds like a good birthday present to me.