Dear friends,

Well, I have celebrated my first Christmas in America and it was full of surprises.

Christmas in not celebrated in rural China, where I grew up, so it is not in my early memories. I was in college when I received my first Christmas gifts: wrapped apples. Why wrapped apples?

Christmas Eve is called Peace Eve in China. The words for “apple” and “eve” share the same beginning sounds, so apples are given on Christmas Eve.

Since I live in a metropolis now, I have long perceived Christmas as a season for shopping when streets and malls are decorating with shining lights, following the international trend and designed to promote more buying.

In China, Christmas is mainly celebrated by churches, that seize it as an opportunity to preach the Gospel. Performances and plays are staged, a message about Christ is delivered, and gifts are given to those who come to church for the first time.

This year, my first Christmas in a foreign land, I saw Christmas is to Americans is more similar to Spring Festival, which is celebrated in every Chinese household. There are conventions to be observed, such as decorating Christmas trees and exchanging gifts, just as we set off firecrackers and post couplets on doors for Lunar New Year’s Eve.

I really appreciate the custom of exchanging gifts on Christmas. In accordance with Lura’s family tradition, she prepared a stocking for each person who came to dinner Christmas Eve. We all brought gifts to fill the stockings, so we all received gifts.

The stockings reminded me of vessels, which must be empty before they can hold something, in the same way sometimes our hands must let go of something in order to receive something else. As we give, we receive, and of course it’s more blessed to give than to receive.

Exchanging gifts is like a flow of resources and love, in which things fulfill their worth and love is expressed. When we live with others, there can be a flow of negativity, but Christmas is the opportunity to create a flow of positivity in which familial affection, friendship and love are renewed.

I hope as you received this year, you also enjoyed giving. As you were loved, you also loved.

How about you? Did you have a good Christmas? Tell me about it in the comments section of this post!

I look forward to hearing about your Christmas,

Ray

P.S. I now have a Goodreads account, but it’s lonely over there being the new guy. Click here to friend me on Goodreads or look me up by my email: ray { at } lifebeyondmybody.com. See you there!