I absolutely love this time of year. The Christmas season is here, and I am trying to soak it up as much as I can.

My family is all here, and we have been desperately trying to spend as much time together as possible. My mom is happy, my dad is content, my brother is his normal teenage self and everything seems to be well. How is it that a time of year can completely change the attitudes of the people you are around?

I try not to question it because no matter what the cause, it makes people happy and kind. For one month out of the year, the world seems at peace. Sure there are still high tensions and stress, but it all seems to be put aside for a little while. People seem to forget everything bad for just a little while.

What amazes me about this time of year is that even though not everyone is celebrating the Christian Christmas, there is still an air of contentment with everyone you meet.

Some think that this is because Christmas has become so entirely commercialized that people who are not Christians have adopted the holiday for themselves. They believe it is a tragedy and that people should pay more reverence to one of the two most holy days of the year. However, I can honestly say that, as a Christian, it does not bother me that people from other religions have taken the holiday for their own. It actually makes me a little happy that they choose to do this.

In my opinion, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and that is exactly what these people do; they recreate the holiday to fit their lives. Though Christmas Day may not hold the same religious meaning for people who are not necessarily Christians, they are still sharing something that is at the heart of Christian belief: they are sharing love.

It is my personal belief that Christianity’s foundation is built upon love and nothing else. Love your neighbor, love your family, love your friends, and love your enemies. With love, all things are possible, and that is the one thing you need to be a good person in this world.

So, what does that have to do with Christmas for non-Christians?

Christmas for non-Christians, from my point of view, is about exchanging gifts with the ones you love to show how much you love them. They get together with friends and family and neighbors and share a good and peaceful time.

Christmas for Christians is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and his love for us by exchanging gifts with the ones you love to show how much you love them. They gather with family, friends and neighbors to celebrate this peaceful and loving time.

It does not sound much different, does it?

So it will not ever bother me that non-Christians have taken Christmas for themselves because it does not cheapen it. In my opinion, they are doing what Christians are called to do: they are loving. And how can that take away from the value of Christmas? If anything, it makes the message of Jesus’s birth even more powerful because Christmas brings peace and love to those who do not even believe.

I do not think that non-Christians celebrating Christmas is blasphemous or wrong. I think it is just another excuse to share love, and what could possibly be wrong with that?