Celebrating a Buddhist Christmas?

Every year around this time I start reflecting again on the question
what Christmas means to me as a Buddhist. Having been brought up in a
Christian country with respect for religion, Christmas has always been
important to me, and it has usually meant something like "peace on
earth." And of course, world peace is the final goal, isn't it?

As Christmas comes at the end of a year, I always feel the need to
reflect on what happened in the year, what it brought to me, what I
learned, and how I want to continue and grow in the next year.

Christmas is also a time to simply be with family and to appreciate
how lucky I am to have so many loving people around me, and a roof
over my head and delicious food in my belly. As I wrote about before,
gratitude is one of those things that makes people happiest.

Finally, Christmas is a time to really consider those who are not as
lucky as me. I often like to do a practice like Tonglen or Loving
Kindness to really think of those people and to wish them
well. Sending positive intentions into the world at this quiet time
(at least it's quiet in the West, especially when we have such a large
amount of snow!) is very powerful, I'm sure.

So although I do not celebrate Christmas quite in the traditional
ways, it is still one of my favourite holidays to be with my family.