I recently had a lovely phone chat with a friend in the states.  She remarked, offhandedly, that she was attending several Holiday Parties this week.  While this phrase, “Holiday Party” may not have seemed out of place last year, after living in Scotland for several months it now seems a bit odd.

Stay with me, I’m not going to battle for or against the greeting “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” in America’s (Fox News-sponsored) annual “War on Christmas.”  Instead, what has struck me this year is the annual aspect of these celebrations–be they “Holiday” or “Christmas parties.”  With few exceptions, I think they are a cultural phenomenon and manifestation of our tendency to mark time year by year rather than actually having anything to do with Jesus at all.

Sure, I know religion is social, and the celebration of Christmas at all shows that we are creatures of habit who like to mark time in periods of 365 days.  Jesus was born once, many years ago, so to celebrate his birth again might seem a bit strange to begin with.  But I think it’s helpful to analyze what we’re actually doing this December.

Let’s then take a few things as given: (1) we are creatures of habit, (2) we mark time in yearly cycles, (3) we (generally) enjoy parties and excuses for revelry.  I’m arguing that these factors are much more important to how we celebrate during December than anything having to do with Christmas itself.

Take the office Holiday/Christmas party.  I think most offices would meet for a yearly party whether or not Christmas happened to be on December 25.  And what better time to do it than near the end of the year when the weather is a bit depressing?

Take the sending of Christmas cards.  I think yearly check-ins and greetings to friends just makes sense and have very little to do with December 25.  Several friends of ours send these cards months before or after Christmas which is great and doesn’t make a lick of difference to us.

Take the decorating of houses, the giving of gifts, the eating of special meals.  I think all these rituals are plenty nice, don’t get me wrong, but they have very little actual connection to December 25.  One is hard pressed to make the connection between Jesus’ birth and Christmas lights, between Jesus’ birth and the orgy of conspicuous consumption that drives our economy, between Jesus’ birth and that darn fruit cake, Turkey, or egg nog.

Perhaps I’ve got to much time to think (which I assure you is not the case), or am extra Scroogey this year, or am jealous of those with Nintendo Wiis.  Or, perhaps, these weeks before January 1 have much more to do with cultural conditioning than Jesus Christ.