The Festival That Is Not For Festivity: Rediscovering The Sacred In Christmas Conventions
Joseph Attoh 
Christmas remains the most widely celebrated season across the world, cutting across cultures, nations, and belief systems. While its expressions vary—from family gatherings and acts of charity to cultural festivities—the heart of Christmas, for Christians, is the celebration of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. It is a sacred moment in history when God took on human form, fulfilling prophecy and revealing His redemptive love to humanity. This spiritual foundation gives Christmas a depth that goes far beyond leisure, entertainment, or commercial celebration.
In recent times, however, concerns have grown about the steady secularisation of Christmas. The season is increasingly presented as a generic end-of-year holiday, stripped of its Christ-centred meaning. This concern was strongly echoed by Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, who cautioned that efforts to redefine Christmas risk disconnecting the celebration from the glory of God and the redemptive significance of Christ’s birth. While Christmas may be enjoyed globally, its spiritual essence must not be diluted among believers.
Within the Church, an emerging challenge is the growing reluctance of some Christians to fully embrace Christmas Conventions. For many, the festive period is viewed primarily as a time for rest, travel, and social engagement, making church gatherings appear inconvenient. While practical realities such as family responsibilities, financial pressures, and exhaustion after a demanding year are valid considerations, they should not eclipse the deeper spiritual purpose of the season.
Historically, Christmas Conventions were not arbitrary additions to the church calendar. In Ghanaian Christian experience, they emerged as redemptive alternatives to traditional year-end rituals that involved sacrifices to ancestral deities. By gathering believers for thanksgiving, worship, and consecration to God, the Church provided a Christ-centred expression of gratitude and dependence on God at the close of the year. Over time, these conventions became spiritually strategic moments for reflection, renewal, and recommitment.
Christmas Conventions continue to serve this vital purpose today. They re-centre the festive season on God, offering believers a sacred space to thank Him for His faithfulness, receive spiritual renewal, and dedicate the coming year into His hands. In an age marked by materialism and distraction, these gatherings stand as a countercultural reminder that Christmas is not merely for festivity, but for worship.
Rediscovering the sacred nature of Christmas Conventions is therefore essential. They preserve the theological depth of Christmas, strengthen communal faith, and realign believers with God’s purposes. By embracing these conventions with understanding and devotion, Christians safeguard both their spiritual heritage and their witness in a world that is watching closely.
Written by Pastor Emmanuel Foster Asamoah, PhD. (Coordinator PCUPGs – Africa; HUM Minister- Achimota Sector)
About The Author
Joseph Otsibah 
