Wednesday, Dec. 21, was the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Long winter nights are ahead of us, but at least we can celebrate “the return of the sun,” as humans of all religions – and none – have done before and since the birth of Jesus.

Apparently, there was a recent poll that asked people if they think Americans are losing the spirit of Christmas. I heard about it, but could not find this poll while “doing my own research.” Our 21st Century oracle, The Google, pointed to surveys about how much consumers are spending, but nothing current about the spirit of Christmas. There was a 2017 poll from the Pew Research Center that indicated most Americans believe the religious side of Christmas is less prominent than in the past but also that most Americans were not overly concerned about the religious decline of the Christmas season.

A new poll carried out by Ipsos – conducted Dec. 9-11 of this year – found three-quarters of all Americans and 84% of Christians in the U.S. said the country has forgotten the real meaning of the holiday. It would be interesting to know why most of us feel this way. Do the respondents feel that they themselves have lost the “spirit of Christmas,” or are they only looking at others? Are the traditions feeling stale or are we concerned about global events as a whole?

There’s no secret to keeping the spirit of Christmas alive within ourselves. Suggestions include treating others with kindness and strengthening relationships. Engage the senses by singing or listening to Christmas music, baking or making something, decorating and adding scented pine cones to a room. At the same time, cut down your to-do list by keeping things simple. Take time to breathe, take a walk, take in the Christmas lights,  and then watch a Christmas movie or read a book.

You can read the Bible’s Christmas story in the second chapter of Luke, or see a Nativity pageant at many Christian churches, if that is your “reason for the season.” The spirit of Christmas can be alive and well in us, and that is the place to start.

Merry Christmas.