How to spell out the meaning of Christ at Christmas

The Council of Catholic School Cooperative Clubs sponsors the annual Keep Christ in Christmas poster, essay and poetry contest. The Office of Catholic Education and Faith Formation selected winners in three divisions: grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. The contest is promoted by the Christ in Christmas Committee, which coordinates the placement of “Keep Christ in Christmas” billboards throughout the archdiocese. Go to www.keepchristinchristmasnola.org to see the exact locations of the 60-plus billboards.

By Rory Pilie
5th grade
St. Benilde School, Metairie

Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love looking for my elf on the shelf every morning. It is fun to help my mom and dad buy and wrap presents for our friends and family. The most exciting part is getting the presents under the tree on Christmas Day. 

Even though we all enjoy getting presents, it is not what Christmas is all about. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is easy to forget the reason behind one of the most important holidays of the year. We can get distracted by the shopping, decorations, parties and food that the Christmas season brings. 

In order to remember to keep Christ in Christmas, you should focus on the first six letters of Christmas.

C stands for how God CARED so much that he sent his only son to save us. 

H is for HONORING Mary as the mother of Jesus and reminding ourselves about the news she received from the angel Gabriel.

R is for REFLECTING on the miracle of God’s son being born on Earth.

I is for the IMPORTANCE of the religious message that comes from the season and not the gifts.

S is about SPENDING time at church with your parish and sharing stories of faith.

T reminds us to TALK with our family about the wise men who searched for Jesus.

You cannot spell the word “Christmas” without “Christ,” and so you cannot have the gift of Christmas without him. Take the time to remember how it all started and why it is so important to us. 

If we all do that, the true meaning and message of Christmas will live forever.