Three Things That Go By the Name of Christmas

My oldest daughter brought a paraphrased remark by C. S. Lewis to my attention a few minutes ago: "...there are actually three different things that go by the name of Christmas: a religious festival, a popular holiday, and a commercial racket.' ("True Meaning Of Christmas" TV Tropes)

That's short, pithy, and makes a fine aphorism. Being the sort of person I am, and given the source of the quote, I did a little digging.

Sure enough: That's a pretty good summary of two paragraphs in an essay by C. S. Lewis:

"...Three things go by the name of Christmas. One is a religious festival. This is important and obligatory for Christians, but as it can be of no interest to anyone else, I shall naturally say no more about it here. The second (it has complex historical connections with the first, but we needn't go into them) is a popular holiday, an occasion for merry-making and hospitality. If it were my business to have a 'view' on this, I should say that I much approve of merry-making. But what I approve of much more is everybody minding his own business. I see no reason why I should volunteer views as to how other people should spend their own money in their own leisure among their own friends. It is highly probable that they want my advice on such matters as little as I want theirs. But the third thing called Christmas is unfortunately everybody's business.

"I mean of course the commercial racket. The interchange of presents was a very small ingredient in older English festivity. Mr. Pickwick took a cod with him to Dingley Dell; the reformed Scrooge ordered a turkey for his clerk; lovers sent love gifts; toys and fruit were give to children. But the idea that not only all friends but even all acquaintances should give one another presents, or at least send one another cards, is quite modern and has been forced upon us by the shop-keepers. Neither of these circumstances is in itself a reason for condemning it. I condemn it on the following grounds...."
(What Christmas Means to Me, "God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics", C. S. Lewis (copyright 1970 by Trustees of the Estate of C. S. Lewis))

After copying the excerpt for this post, I signed up on TV Tropes and added a comment on that particular page, with a link to the Google Books entry: and found out that Amazon.com has the "God in the Dock" book in stock.

Happy Christmas Eve!