Pros and Cons

So, I was challenged to come up with a pro/con list about celebrating Christmas.

Here's the parameters I'll set up:

1. focused on the real, modern American celebration of Christmas - not Dickens' Christmas, not an idealized Hallmark Christmas, just the looking at what we experience now

2. recognizing that one person's "pro" could very well be another person's "con" - and vice-versa - so some items could end up on both lists

3. as always, your observations and challenges are welcome - but please note that I will call "Malarky" on nonsense like "it's the one time of year when there's peace on earth and good will towards man" - because really, that's patently false on multiple levels.

So, with that done, here's my list of pros and cons about Christmas

PRO

1. Quality movies released on Christmas Day
2. Vacation Days
3. Those sugar cookies with the chocolate drop in the middle
4. Opportunities for family get-togethers

CON

1. A one-day holiday that gets started in November and goes into January
2. Christmas music - from 24 hours of the garbage on certain radio stations to the non-stop music in stores - Todd Chappelle captures this perfectly here:


3. Christmas movies - seriously, turn on ABC, Hallmark, Lifetime, or whatever in December and it's wall-to-wall horrible, bad, unwatchable trite with snow and tinsel
4. People who confuse Christmas with Christianity (one really has nothing to do with the other - see previous posts)
5. People who get really obnoxious about whether a clerk greets them with "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" - like this:

6. Family get-togethers and all the drama that can bring
7. blatantly lying to children
8. the continued adding on of "traditions" from Rudolph to Elf on the Shelf
9. the inevitable let-down when December 25 rolls around and every attempt at creating some "magic" fails miserably
10. People who love Christmas and can't accept that some other people don't


Did I miss anything from either list?

Seriously - add yours in the comments below...


UPDATE: as some have observed, there's a more lively discussion happening on facebook than here - so I'll add comments from facebook here - feel free to jump in on either platform:

Here's a list of pros and cons from Syd:

Syd Swann Pros
-Encouragement: Church services, plays, events, and advent readings that provide an opportunity for people to collectively and individually reflect on the wonders and hope that God loved those He created so much that He came and lived among them with the stated purposes of "being an example" and to "save sinners."

-Growth:
To accomplish the point above people should be encouraged to read and study the Old and New Testament passages that foretell the birth (and reasons) or the events surrounding the birth. The Bible says that "God's Word will not return void" so it could change lives completely. The numerous fulfilled prophecies alone have confirmed in many people's mind the authority of the bible and have been part of their conversion. Also there are so many examples to follow from the passages: faith (virgin birth), obedience even in hard situations (Joseph/Mary), evangelism (shepherds), faithfulness Simeon/Anna), worship in giving/sacrifice (wisemen), etc. 

-Evangelism:
Many open doors to talk about Jesus Christ: His miraculous birth to a virgin. Even "Happy Holidays" could be used to ask the greeter "Thanks, which holiday do you celebrate...I celebrate Christmas...God loved us so much that He came and dwelt amongst us, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for us and then rose again providing a way for us to be with Him one day." People could even write a blog to help share their faith at a time where people are open to hear it. 

Cons
-Misunderstanding:
sadly there is a lot of misunderstanding and legend surrounding the 
biblical accounts (wisemen at the stable, censuses being taking in the winter, etc). 

-Breaking
the 3rd commandment: I might be on my own on this one but I hate 
hearing people vainly saying Christmas. I believe Jesus Christ was/is God so "Christ" is a name of God. 

-Pagan traditions: oddly most christians incorporate pagan traditions into their celebration of Christmas (trees, yule logs, etc). Those traditions are carry overs of when 

-Overspending: Many christians get wrapped up in the commercialization of the holiday and overspend / go into debt buying things they/others dont need or will ever use.