How Native Americans Celebrate Christmas

Christmas is probably one of my favorite times of year, as it is the time that I end up being the closest with my family. As my family is scattered with very few of us living in my area locally, I give many thanks that I have the ability to be able to spend thi special time with them each year. But, I had never known exactly how my heritage celebrated the holiday and if it was any different than what I was currently doing now.

After some careful research, to my surprise, Native American had never celebrated Christmas until the day that the Europeans landed on our shores and began to teach us of St. Nicolas and Jesus Christ and the significance of the holiday. But, with this knowledge, while we do celebrate it differently, there is a deeper meaning to the holiday for us, and this article will explain why this is and what the meaning of Christmas is.

To Native Americans, Christmas is not an event that happens once a year where everyone gets together and eats, opens gifts and sings Christmas carols around the old piano. We may do that, but it is in a very distinct and different way. Christmas to a Native American is every day, and not just one. Where we do eat the traditional meal like every one else, we do not just take what we want. We always look at things as a matter of sharing rather then just taking. If we need to take something, we always give something back and ask permission of every plant or animal that we may take for food.

We always give a tobacco offering every time we take an herb or plant, and we never take it by the roots but rather cut it along the plane of the earth so that another may grow in its place. When we eat, we always save a little back to show reverance for the Creator and the spirit world and offer the food to say thank you for the abundance that we are given daily. Abundance is not only in the form of food for us, but also for the air that we breath each day, the water that has been provided to drink, and even our very hearts, as that is where the spirit lies. Everything that we are comes from the Creator, and prayers are said all the day long for our ancestors and for Christ, who we pray will return one day to take us home.