How is Christmas celebrated in heaven?
While neither I nor anyone else can claim to know exactly what heaven is like, I am happy to offer some reflections that could help us think about it.
First, it is always good to remember when we are thinking about heaven and the things beyond our world that even time itself is a part of God’s creation. God exists outside of time and is present to everything all at once. God created time as a part of creating our material world, and it is one of the great mysteries and graces of the Nativity that the eternal Son would deign to become a part of our own human history.
So when we are united with God in heaven, we can be reasonably certain that it is not a place where wall calendars and alarm clocks will rule our lives. (Very good news for those of us who are habitually late!) That means that celebrating the Incarnation of Jesus will not be limited to just one day or even one season of the year. The joy and good cheer we have to wait until Dec. 25 to experience in this life will always be a reality when we are united with God in final blessedness.
The second reflection to keep in mind is the great diversity of Christmas celebrations throughout the human family. We all probably have celebrated Christmas differently with different people and in different times. For example, I know that my dad’s family will always make spontaneous (and boisterous!) caroling a part of this feast, but my mom’s family is much more likely to enjoy a glass of after-dinner port while watching a family slide show. What both have in common is that these traditions help us to come together and experience the peace, joy and communion that Christ established by His Incarnation.
Similarly, I suspect that in heaven, everyone celebrating the Incarnation will have an intense experience of its underlying spiritual meaning, even as they bring the diversity of their family and cultural traditions into the details of how they celebrate it.
One of my favorite traditions that I discovered in researching this column was that in Ethiopia they play an ancient sport called Ganna (which has similarities to field hockey) to celebrate Christmas. The legend is that when the message of Christ’s birth first reached Ethiopia in the first century, the game started when local shepherds began to hit a ball with their crooks out of joy!
While we may not know for sure, it is my hope that those who play Ganna, those who decorate pine trees and those who celebrate every type of Christmas tradition will all share alike in their traditions in the next life while keeping in their heart the grace made present by the birth of Christ our Lord. Merry Christmas!
Father Chris Schroeder is senior associate pastor of St. Charles Borromeo and St. Peter parishes in St. Charles.
