First of all, that’s an exaggeration to get your attention. Of course, Christmas in its origins is not more evil than Halloween. What I mean is that, as it is commonly practiced by many Americans, Christmas is more evil than Halloween.

What happens during Halloween? The majority of Americans celebrate by dressing up in harmless costumes and going door to door begging for candy, while a small minority celebrate by holding a seance or sacrificing their neighbor’s cat to Satan in a backyard ritual. Conversely, during Christmas, a majority of Americans celebrate by giving people they don’t necessarily like stuff they don’t need with money they don’t have–all because of some sense of cultural or traditional obligation. Debt is incurred. Feeling are hurt. Gifts are weighed in the balance and found wanting. Jesus gets ignored like a Christmas fruitcake, and so do the neediest people on the planet.

I’m not against giving at Christmas, but I am against the needless obligation of giving gifts for gifts’ sake and expecting gifts in return–particularly when it is in celebration of a Gift that had no strings attached. That’s why I like projects like the Advent Conspiracy and other efforts to redirect the energy of giving beyond the rather incestuous custom of inhabitants of the Western world to give gifts to each other while the rest of the world goes hungry.

And yes, the Green kids do get Christmas presents …

The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs
and the obedience of the nations is his.

He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.

His eyes will be darker than wine,
his teeth whiter than milk. – Genesis 49:9-12

And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel. – Genesis 3:15