Christmas is, without a doubt, one of the most cherished celebrations in Christianity—a sacred time to honor the birth of Jesus Christ, the light that came into the world to bring hope and salvation. For Christians, it’s a cornerstone of faith, a moment to reflect on the profound love of God. But over time, Christmas has transcended its religious roots, blossoming into something universal—a celebration of humanity itself.

You don’t have to be a Christian to celebrate Christmas. You don’t have to belong to any particular faith. Christmas is about giving, about sharing a moment of kindness and joy, no matter who you are or where you’re from. It’s a time when the barriers we build between ourselves and others don’t feel quite so impenetrable. It’s a moment when we stop, even briefly, to remember what truly matters.

And yes, there’s joy in the traditions—decorating the tree, gathering with family, exchanging gifts, singing carols, and indulging in the warm glow of lights strung up against the cold, dark nights. These moments matter, and they fill our hearts with gratitude. But Christmas is so much more than the gifts we give to those we already love.

It’s about the people we don’t always see.

This time of year, there are many who are left outside the warm glow of celebration. The lonely, the forgotten, the invisible. They’re not in the pictures we share on social media or at the tables where laughter rings out. But Christmas is their season too. Maybe even more than it’s ours.

It’s their time because Christmas is about giving, and giving isn’t just about money or presents. It’s about presence. It’s about care. It’s about seeing someone who feels unseen, hearing someone who feels unheard, and offering the smallest of gestures—a kind word, a smile, a moment of your time—that can mean more than gold.

Think about that for a second. A gentle smile can mean more than gold. A small act of kindness can warm someone who feels the world has left them out in the cold. We all have that to give. Every single one of us.

And isn’t that the true spirit of Christmas?

And what about peace? Isn’t this supposed to be the season of peace? Yet look around. The world is drowning in hatred and division. Wars rage on. Fear has replaced understanding in too many hearts. It’s easy to feel like peace is just a dream—a word we say but don’t really believe in anymore.

But here’s the thing: peace doesn’t start with governments or treaties. It doesn’t come from some grand gesture. It starts with us. It starts in the small corners of our lives—how we treat the person next to us, how we respond to conflict, how we choose to lift others up instead of tearing them down.

This Christmas, let’s choose peace. Let’s choose kindness. Let’s resurface love and understanding, even in the smallest ways. Let’s clean up the surface of our world—not by waiting for someone else to do it, but by starting with what we can reach. And maybe, just maybe, in the process, we’ll touch the heart of this world too.

Christmas is more than a holiday. It’s a chance to remember that we are all connected, that we all have something to give, no matter how small, and that love—real, selfless, transformative love—is still the greatest gift we can offer.

So this year, let’s make Christmas more than just lights and decorations. Let’s make it more than gifts under the tree. Let’s make it a season of giving that doesn’t end when the calendar flips to January.

Let’s make it matter—not just for us, but for someone else.

And maybe, in giving a little of ourselves, we’ll find that Christmas gives us something even greater in return: hope.

Now, I will be talking about Christmas all the way until it comes. There is a new series I wrote that I will include on the podcast every day starting from today all the way to Christmas. This series is called A Forgotten Christmas, and before you dismiss it and think it’s a mood killer in the holiday season, hear me out and join me while we talk about stories of those to whom Christmas really belong. Now, happy holidays everyone, starting from thanksgiving all the way to Christmas; it’s the time of giving, loving and showing the world how kind we and it can be.

Danny Ballan
Editor-in-Chief
English Plus Magazine