What's Christmas without the Christ?

That is the question I pose to you. Now you might say that in the U.S., Christmas has turned into a secular holiday. I agree with you on this view. But consider this; you take the Christ out of Christmas and you are only left with "mas." Now this year has been different for me. Since I worked on Christmas Eve, I missed going to the Christmas Vigil mass with my parents. And as a rule, we don't attend Christmas Day mass. So for me, I have taken both the Christ and the Mass out of Christmas. Which means I am left with nothing.Nothing is a strong idea. So strong that when I think about Christmas now, I can only think of nothing. Please don't misunderstand me. The Christmas Eve dinner at my cousin's house was scrumptious. Christmas morning was just as great as any other year. I was happy that I was with my family on that joyous day. But not marking the occasion with a religious ceremony made me feel weird. I felt as if I jumped the turnstile at an amusement park or second-acted a classic Broadway play. Yeah, it's great to be there, but I was not entitled to that enjoyment. Maybe I'm just being too hard on myself. Maybe I was missing the point of Christmas.Christmas is about family. Having conversations about everything and nothing; sitting down and sharing a home or store cooked meal; enjoying the simple and loving presence of people who you did not choose, but can never subsitute. In my opinion, that is Christmas.