I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion and I wish you the joy of yours.
You cannot however unilaterally declare that there is no spirit of Christmas. Spirit is something people feel in their hearts and is not controlled by outside opinion or historical references.
Humbug is a negative connotation adjective applied to signal an opinion. The speaker’s opinion. I do believe in Christmas spirit for many reasons that I find true and sufficient.
Christmas is a time that many people mutually agree to wish other well, to think of ways to give others joy or to better their circumstances. Think of all the good Samaritans going around paying off Walmart layaways, people banding together to help children, veterans, the elderly, hospitalized or indigent have a merry Christmas. Even the singing of carols brings joy to the listeners and singers and fosters the spirit of selflessness. We take joy partially because it evokes a time when we felt loved and cherished as children who were part of magical Christmases.
For those who believe it Jesus it is a time to make manifest in the world the kindness, concern and love he showed to humanity in his Father’s name. Young children are told many things that are imprecise, are simplified versions of the truth that they are not old enough to grasp. The idea that this is a special time when we show love and concern for everyone, family, friends and people who need us is embodied in the giving at Christmas.
Very young children understand concrete ideas best. Santa cares for every child and goes all over the world to make each feel special, the reindeer and elves help him, laboring to bring happiness to every household. No one is left out not even Rudolph.
Like organized religion Christmas is a framework to guide children to a code of behavior that is better for themselves and for the world. It starts with the personal and as they grow focuses on the other. If a parent is very lucky the lessons of Christmas generalize to an always not just at the Holiday season. To focus on the concrete is to be a child, yes there is no Santa in that sense but in another sense he is real if you carry him in your heart and do service in his name.
The NJ children probably already knew!
Sure I can. What you're describing as the "spirit of Christmas" is a manufactured set of emotions that is encouraged and perpetuated primarily by the mass media. Remove the cultural clues that it's time to feel this way and there is no such thing as the "spirit" of Christmas.
We can have altruistic feelings any time of the year. In fact Christians should ALWAYS have the high minded ideals that you're espousing. However these attributes, this "fruit of the spirit" (Galatians 5:22) do NOT develop in their true form overnight. It requires time and growth.
The real danger in promoting a belief in a Christmas "spirit" is that it teaches people (incorrectly of course) that they don't need Christ in order to change their hearts. Of course we do need Christ to change our hearts in any meaningful way. So what happens is that people are deceived into thinking that the manufactured emotion that is dredged up in them is something real and permanent. And when it fades then disappointment and cynicism set in once again.
Now if you have no REAL deep seated desire to change your nature...i.e. to go from bad Scrooge to good Scrooge...then the point is moot. Go ahead and get all the emotional fulfillment you need through what are ultimately empty activities. But if someone wants to really change then TRUE worship of God through Christ is the only way.