Our gift to you: another great year of important reporting

͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­

	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more 🎁 Happy holidays from Religion Unplugged! Our gift to you: another great year of important reporting Religion Unplugged Dec 24   READ IN APP   Hi Religion Unplugged readers, At Religion Unplugged we’re committed to bringing you an ad-free experience with thoughtful, well-reported and global stories on faith and spirituality. The world is already saturated with sound bites and headlines that often miss the heart of the matter. For just a few more days, we have a unique chance to make your support go even further through the NewsMatch program, a matching-gift campaign powered by the Institute for Nonprofit News, and generosity of The Media Project board. Only through Dec. 31, every donation will be doubled, up to $35,000. That means your gift has twice the power to support independent, high-quality journalism and keep Religion Unplugged free for all! Please help us reach our full matching goal! Donate We will be off for the holiday season from Dec. 25 through Jan. 1. The newsletter returns on Jan. 7. Happy Holidays from all of us at Religion Unplugged! Why It’s OK To Say Both ‘Happy Holidays’ And ‘Merry Christmas’ (ANALYSIS) Employees at large retail chains were instructed to avoid “Merry Christmas,” a greeting now deemed too specific and too religious. What emerged was designed to include everyone by addressing no one, to give a greeting that was universal because it had been smoothed of meaning. “Happy Holidays,” once an innocuous phrase, became a symbol in a newly branded American cultural war. by Clemente Lisi The Christmas Story Is Bigger Than A Virgin Birth Or A Star Over Bethlehem (ANALYSIS) In a few days we’ll arrive again at Christmas. Christmases come around faster now than they used to. When I was young it seemed as if the next one would never get here, and now they zoom past at such warp speed I have to set an alarm to even notice them. by Paul Prather This Christmas, How Should Jesus’s Mother Mary Be Honored? (ANALYSIS) How should Christians honor the Virgin Mary’s unique status as the mother of Jesus Christ? How speak of her? What believe about her? by Richard Ostling From Manger To Miracle: Medieval Legends Of The Child Jesus (ANALYSIS) Manger scenes displayed at Christmas usually feature an ox and an ass beside the infant Jesus. According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary placed her child in a manger “because there was no room for them in the inn.” No mere babysitters, the ox and ass harken back to the Book of Isaiah 1:3, which early Christians interpreted as a prophecy of the birth of Christ. by Mary Dzon Peasants Once Had More Christmas Fun Than You — And More PTO (ANALYSIS) They drank more, slept more and had more than six weeks of celebrations. by Bobbi Sutherland On Religion: How Appalachian ‘Old Christmas’ Lit The Way Home (ANALYSIS) Most of all, people in the valleys between the ridges wanted to find ways to be together — somehow. The traditional 12-day season, ending on Jan. 6, gave them more time for travel and simple festivities. by Terry Mattingly Religion Unplugged Podcast Understanding The Role Of Ancestors In Christianity Christians have many terms for those who came before them. They are called saints, heroes of the faith and church fathers. But rarely are they referred to simply as ancestors. William H. Lamar IV serves as pastor of one of the oldest Black churches in Washington, D.C. In the last podcast of the year, he speaks with Matthew Peterson about his recent book, “Ancestors: Those Who Bless Us, Curse Us, and Hold Us.” He also talks about why it is important for Christians to be aware of the influence of their ancestors and how believers can be co-creators with God. Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Episode Catalog → 🏆 Weekend Plug-In Year In Review: The Best Religion Journalism Of 2025 🔌 It’s the best of the Godbeat, 2025 version. Many of the nation’s top religion journalists pick their top piece of the year. by Bobby Ross Jr. Don’t forget! You can subscribe to receive Bobby’s column directly in your inbox on Friday mornings! Subscribe to Weekend Plug-In Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.   Share     Like Comment Restack   © 2025 Religion Unplugged 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe