The Genius of the Grinch

This is the fourth in a series of 12 personal reflections on Christmas posted during the 12 Days of Christmas.

Last night I watched a video of two of my nieces, Rachel and Allison, in a production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I was reminded of just how great that story is. The Grinch has been a part of my own holiday tradition for years. At least the animated Christmas special directed by the venerable Chuck Jones.

The version we watched last night was performed by the elementary and middle school children at the private, faith-based school my nieces attend. I wondered how this non-religious story could work its way into the normally scripture-insistent culture of this private school.

Then it dawned on me that the genius of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is that it tells us what Christmas is not but then never tells us what Christmas is. The obvious lesson is that "Christmas doesn't come from a store. Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." But Dr. Seuss never says what Christmas is. He leaves it up to the audience's interpretation. And, at least in the animated version, there are several possible interpretations.

For the religious person, the star that shines above the Whos as they sing is an apparent allusion to the star that is said to shine over the manger in Bethlehem at the birth of Jesus. The singing is a form of worship. Someone with a Christian background would obviously interpret this to mean that Christmas is about celebrating the  birth of Jesus.

For those who aren't thinking in that vein, Christmas can be interpreted to mean time spent with family and loved ones connecting and reconnecting in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the season. The Whos come out of their homes on Christmas day and clasp hands to join in singing a song that has no overt religious connotations.

Or someone could easily interpret Christmas to mean observance of the traditions around Christmas. Christmas is about the preparations, the anticipation and the quiet reflection that is completely separate from the abject consumerism.

Ironically, Dr. Seuss's critique of a consumer culture was written in 1957 and the animated show was produced in 1966. So do we really agree with this critique or is it just fashionable to say what Christmas isn't without ever looking more deeply at what it is?