The peace, goodwill, and love of Christmas aren’t confined to December—there’s an opportunity to see the sacred in everyday moments, all year round.
At my office, there’s a competition this year to decorate each section in a Christmas theme. Snowflakes and tinsel have appeared, and the collective excitement is contagious. But my first reaction was a bit bah humbug. I’ve always struggled with the excesses of Christmas—the over-commercialisation and the grand rituals that can feel at odds with the Quaker testimony to simplicity.
It’s a fine balance between holding to your principles and avoiding being needlessly churlish. Quakers aim to treat every day as sacred, so Christmas isn’t something we elevate above the rest of the year. But I also get that traditions and celebrations matter to people, even when they aren’t universally shared.
Sacred in the everyday
The spirit of Christmas—peace, goodwill, and love—is something to live out every day. It’s not about rejecting the holiday but expanding its essence beyond the season. A foundation of Quakerism is the belief that the divine isn’t confined to one day, one place, or one ritual. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote in Aurora Leigh: “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God.”
This belief shapes how Quakers view the world. There are no priests in our practice because everyone is seen as capable of connecting with the divine. There are no consecrated spaces because sacred potential exists everywhere. Christmas, too, is not confined to one day. The joy and generosity it inspires shouldn’t be locked into December but carried throughout the year.
That’s easier said than done, of course. The energy and focus of the holiday season are hard to replicate on a wet Wednesday in July. But what would it mean to carry the spirit of goodwill and community throughout the year?
Living Christmas every day
What if we practised kindness and gratitude daily, not just when prompted by the calendar? What if gifts became thoughtful gestures rather than extravagant purchases? What if the testimonies of simplicity, peace, and integrity guided us to avoid excess while still making space for joy and connection?
In my office, the decorations are about more than Christmas itself—they’re a way to bond, share a laugh, and brighten the sometimes-mundane rhythm of daily work. And maybe that’s enough. The spirit of Christmas isn’t really about the garlands and glitter; it’s about the connections we build through them.
A quiet challenge
For my decorations, I’ve put up a picture of Hobart’s infamous Salamanca Square Christmas tree– underwhelming, ironic, and so maybe a bit churlish after all, but alongside it, I’ve displayed Baptist World Aid’s annual ethical Christmas gift guide, which I still consider the best of its kind. These small gestures feel more ‘on brand’ for me than tinsel and baubles.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s words remind me to notice the sacred everywhere. Whether it’s in a quirky tree, a colleague’s kindness, or the laughter shared in an office competition, the extraordinary is always present. And that, I think, is worth celebrating—no matter the season.
David O’Halloran is an occupational therapist with nearly 40 years’ experience and lectures in Work and Labour Market Theory at Monash University. He is also the President of the Tasmanian Council of Churches.
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