What Would a "Real Biblical" Christmas Look Like?

This is what I'm thinking about today.

What would it really look like?

This is the season, you know, much like Easter, where we Christians pull out our attitudes and platitudes.  We're really great at putting on the charity and grace.  We pull out all the right lingo and phrases, you know, "reason for the season" and all.

But I've been thinking.  And wondering.

It began with the fat man in red.  You know, Santa.

There is an endless debate of can you be a Christian and still have Santa or if you're a "real" Christian then your kids know the "truth" of Santa right up front or maybe you're a super Christian and you don't even have Santa as part of your traditions.

I got to thinking about this over the last few days.  Santa. Lying.  Christmas.

Christmas, American Christmas in the suburbs is about a lot of things.  We have the Christian layer with it's hymns and advents and charity.  We have our Bible stories and church services.

There is the layer of Christmas that is gifting and parties and holiday cards.  There are movies and TV specials and secular songs and stories.

There is the layer of fantasy and magic.  Flying reindeer, a single man who knows if every child is naughty or nice-aren't all kids both?  Snowmen come to life.  Elves.  Heat Meiser.  Jack Frost.

There is the layer of music.  We have the holy music.  The hymns.  They feel holy.  We have the "classic" Christmas songs.  We have the new favorites.  A huge chunk of them are a little raunchy though, a bit of a party endorsement.  A cue to indulge.

So on to indulgence.  Gifts galore.  Over the top.  Out of the budget.  Food.  Feasting really.  And the choices?  All the rich, sweet, decadent foods.  The delights, the rare, the special.  Drinks.

So what does our Bible say about it all?

I haven't read anything about lawn decor or theme trees in my Bible.  I didn't find a favorite cookie list or best gifts for the season list.  I didn't see anything about elves or snowmen or Santa.

I'm not being a giant cosmic kill joy, even though I loath holidays.

I'm just wondering.

I'm wondering what it would be like.

A real Christian Biblical Christmas.

I don't believe that God wants us to not have Christmas, to not have joy and fellowship with our friends and families.  I don't believe that God wants us to not feast together or give gifts or sing songs.

But I wonder.

I really wonder.

If you could somehow drop Bible life into present modern day American Christmas, what would it look like?

Would we still have light up deer in our snow banks in our front yards?  Would we still sing of chestnuts and silent nights and Santa Baby?  Stockings?  Candy canes?  Spiked egg nog and tickets to the Christmas church services that blast your ear drums and give you seizures with their strobe light?

Would we still just be giving our change in the bucket at the sound of the bell and saying how now we know, "those aren't just empty words on a page"?

What would it really look like?

What do you think?  What would a real Biblical Christian Christmas look like?

Would there, could there even be such a thing?