Leila Oskui ’26

When I was younger, Christmas and Easter mornings were all about magic—racing out of bed to see what Santa or the Easter Bunny had left for me. In reality, it was my mom, quietly working behind the scenes to make the day feel special. And it worked. I’d show off new clothes at school, snap pictures of a new phone, and soak in the joy those mornings brought.
As I’ve grown older, though, the excitement of gifts has faded, and something deeper has taken its place. I’ve come to truly appreciate what these holidays mean in the Christian faith. My journey with religion hasn’t always been a straight line, but over the past few years, I’ve made a real commitment to being a Christian. Through that, I’ve started to see Christmas not just as a day of giving, but as a celebration of Jesus’ birth. And Easter, too, is no longer about candy and egg hunts—it’s about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
While I believe the origins of these holidays are important, I don’t think you have to be a Christian to celebrate them. In fact, at the heart of Christianity is the idea of love—love for others, love for God, love without conditions. That message shouldn’t be limited to people who go to church every Sunday or know the Bible by heart.
The truth is, holidays have always been about coming together, reflecting, and celebrating something bigger than ourselves. Whether someone celebrates Christmas for the birth of Christ or simply for the chance to gather with family, there’s value in both. The same goes for Easter. If someone finds joy in pastel colors and egg hunts, that doesn’t take away from the spiritual meaning for those who believe.
And honestly, if the message of the holiday is love, then the more people who experience and share that love, the better. You don’t need a specific set of beliefs to spread kindness, enjoy time with family, or find hope in a new season. Those things are for everyone, just like the heart of these holidays should be.
Yes, consumerism has distracted many from the original purpose of these holidays. But instead of gatekeeping their meaning, maybe the better path is to share the love, peace, and joy they were built on. After all, isn’t that what they’re really about?