What does Christmas mean to people of other faiths in our community?

ASK a Christian of whatever denomination in Australia what the meaning of Christmas is and why we celebrate it, and they will tell you it is to celebrate the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, over two thousand years ago.

His essential message is one of Peace and Joy to the World.

However, what do people of other religions think of Christmas?

Through their membership or affiliation with Ballarat Interfaith Network, a handful of people of other faiths in our local community were recently asked how they viewed such an essentially Christian holiday from the perspective of their own religious beliefs, and these are some of their views:

In Thailand, Christmas does not really feature in the cultural activities of most Thai Buddhists. “My Thai wife had no exposure to Christmas until she emigrated to Australia over 10 years ago, and while I explained what Christmas Day meant in a spiritual context, she finds it hard to reconcile how much advertising and consumerism is associated with Christmas rather than the story of the person it represents.”

A similar festival which celebrates the birth of Buddha in Thailand is a public holiday where rituals are undertaken at temples, Buddha statues are decorated with flowers, and often birds and fish are released.  However, there is no emphasis on buying of presents for people.

A number of Buddhist scholars consider Jesus and Buddha were offering similar guidance to people and were both teachers of great relevance.

Interestingly, Muslims also acknowledge Jesus as a person of great significance. A member couple in the Islamic Society of Ballarat said, “In Islam, Jesus (PBUH) is an honoured and respected prophet who was sent to mankind as the messiah by God. And like Christians, Muslims also believe in the second coming of Jesus (PBUH) as told in the Quran. However, Muslims do not celebrate Christmas as it is not written in the Quran to do so and the actual birthday of Jesus (PBUH) is not factually known.

For Muslims living in western societies where the celebration of Christmas occurs all around them, the Quran teaches Muslims to be respectful of other religions without compromising their own faith. Muslims will as such generally respond to greetings of ‘Merry Christmas’ from their non-Muslim work colleagues and friends with a suitable response for them to have a happy holiday break, as Christmas coincides with the end of the year holiday period in western countries.

Bahá’ís believe in the oneness of God, of religions and of mankind and Bahá’u’lláh (the founder of the Baha’i faith) says, “Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.” Therefore, although Bahá’í families and communities do not celebrate Christmas with each other, they are quite happy to join their Christian friends and relatives in celebrating the birth of Christ.

A member of the Ballarat Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre explained, “It’s impossible to escape from the beautiful summer festival season beginning in early November – festival hangings on streets, in shops with Christmas sales and decorations in work places and images of Santa everywhere.

“Christmas is a time of joy to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and Christmas Eve means midnight mass, prayer at church, welcoming Lord Jesus’s birth. It is a reflection of Jesus Christ’s teachings of love and peace to society. This is very much like celebrating Janmastami, the birth of lord Krishna in Hinduism. This is mainly to teach faith in all religion.

“Festivals are important for everyone. Christmas celebrations engender enthusiasm and happiness between family and friends. In this busy society, Christmas is about family get-together. Though Hindus, we will have a decorated Christmas tree at our home, give Santa’s secret gifts to our children and make a special Christmas cake for our family. Sharing gifts at the end of the year is an expression of thanks between friends, businesses, employee and employer. Christmas holidays give the opportunity to meet and greet family and friends living far from us (overseas or Interstate).

And finally, a local adherent of the spiritual beliefs of Eckankar had this to say, “In Eckankar we believe all religions have a role to play in the spiritual evolution of the individual soul. Most of us have come from one of the major religions of the world, so we often help family and friends celebrate festivities of their religion. With Christmas we participate in sharing and giving and join in family get-togethers. It’s all about Love. An Eckist always walks on Holy Ground, and is not prohibited from attending places of worship of other faiths. There is freedom of choice.”

In light of these varied views therefore, it can be seen that Christmas is valued and respected by members of many other faiths. Just as the festivals and holy rituals of non-Christian faiths can also be enjoyed and respected by Christians, or people of no faith at all.

The message of Christmas is a message for all: Joy to the World.

Margaret Lenan Ellis

Chair, Ballarat Interfaith Network