Celebrating Christmas Everyday

December 29, 2025

The ornaments are packed, the tree is curbside (or boxed), and the credit card bill arrives like a lump of coal. Christmas is over… or is it? What if the manger’s miracle wasn’t a one-day event but a daily invitation? I Googled “Celebrate Christmas Every Day”, expecting sermons on perpetual joy. Instead, I found Andy Park, an Englishman who decided to celebrate Christmas every day. Since 1994, he’s consumed thousands of turkeys, mince pies, and stuffing balls, gaining weight until his doctor warned him this was unhealthy.

In 2017, he quit, switching to Easter every day with chocolate eggs. Andy missed the point: Christmas isn’t about endless feasting. At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s about embodying the love that came down from heaven. But what does that look like?

Colossians 3:12-17 gives a blueprint for celebrating Christmas daily, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

What does this look like? Start with forgiveness (verse 13). The Bible stresses it relentlessly. There are over 100 verses commanding us to love enemies and forgive offenses. We usually forgive badly with strings attached to inflict pain, a deep desire to prove we’re right, or by locking hurts in a “sin vault.” That is, remembering offenses until they can be useful, and then pulling them out to bludgeon the offending person. Or, we choose not to forgive at all, inviting God’s wrath, as Matthew 6:15, reminds us, “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins”. Forgiveness isn’t easy; it’s cross-bearing. At Christmas, remember God’s love expressed in forgiveness, as we read in Romans 5:10, “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” Daily Christmas means releasing grudges, and unleashing the power of forgiveness, even when it hurts.

Next, Paul mentions thankfulness three times (verses 15-17). Americans, showered with blessings, often complain the most. My granddaughter unwrapped an amazing gift, grinning, “This is the best gift ever!” Later, when stockings went to my adult children, she burst into tears, screaming, “Where’s mine?!” Five minutes of meltdown ensued. Ungratefulness blinds us to abundance, and we don’t have to be a child to exhibit it. Christmas every day means pausing to thank God for breath, food, and salvation. As 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Paul speaks of Humility in verse 12. The wise men journeyed seeking a king. They found a child in an insignificant town called Bethlehem. Their journey had humbled them, as we read in Matthew 2:11, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.” Christmas daily humbles us, remembering the King born in poverty for our sake.

Worship is central to this every day celebration (verses 16-17). The Shepherds, angels, wise men all worshiped Jesus. Daily Christmas means letting Christ’s message dwell richly through songs, teaching, Bible study, prayer, and deeds done in Jesus’ name. We can turn commutes into praise sessions, chores into prayer time, and worship Jesus with the extra time we can free up by putting down our phone.

Love binds everything together (verse 14): “over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Forgiveness, thankfulness, humility, worship all are expressions of love, as we advance God’s kingdom. As 1 John 4:19 reminds, “We love because he first loved us.” God’s love has invaded our broken world, binding us together in perfect harmony.

Andy Park’s feasts fattened his body but starved his soul. A starved soul will struggle with living like Christ daily: forgiving, thankful, humble, and worshipful? Why? Recall a time ungratefulness blinded you to God’s unending provision? How can you “put on love” this week to bind your relationships in unity? What one habit will help you celebrate Christmas and glorify Jesus with your life this coming year? (To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).