It's important to make Jesus Christ the guest of honor at his own birthday party!

A Piece of Cake

By Ruth McDonald

Julia Childs is credited with saying, “A party without cake is just a meeting.” If you’ve ever experienced a birthday without cake, you probably agree.

It’s hard to believe, but most humans throughout history didn’t share our birthday cake obsession. As a matter of fact, most historians agree birthdays were not commemorated with cake until the Germans came up with the idea in the 1500s. They began celebrating children’s birthdays by baking a cake and adorning it with a candle for each year they had lived—plus an extra for good health in the coming year. (Guys, a note of advice: your wife will not appreciate extra candles on her next special day.)

On December 25, most of the world pauses each year to celebrate the birth of the greatest figure in human history: Jesus, the Son of God. While we don’t know the actual month and date of His birth, the day has become a sacred and treasured part of the Christian calendar.

“It’s Christmas All Over the World” we sing each year as we learn to say “Merry Christmas” in multiple languages. But it’s not actually true in many non-Christian countries. Most Westerners have never thought about it, but why would adherents of other religions celebrate a holiday to mark the birthday of the Christian Savior? Many do not.

Japan, with only a half-percent of its population being Christian, meets the criteria as a non-Christian country. Yet they are big on all things Christmas. Department stores decorate with elaborate displays. Christmas music plays in malls and retail shops. Mickey and Goofy sing “Jingle Bells” at Tokyo Disneyland. When asked about the meaning of Christmas, most mention Santa and love. On Christmas Eve, each child receives “a gift from Santa Claus.” Also on Christmas Eve, many dating couples rent a hotel room and spend a “romantic” night together.

Most families eat a special Christmas cake on the Christmas Eve night after successful marketing by Japanese Confectioner Fujiya, Inc. Fujiya began making and promoting beautiful white Christmas cakes topped with strawberries as early as 1910. The custom exploded after World War II when sugar became available after long war years of deprivation and hunger. The Christmas cake came to symbolize luxury and financial prosperity.

Santa, romance, and financial prosperity—that’s Christmas in Japan.

Imagine for a moment that your birthday becomes a national holiday. Everyone you know gathers to celebrate by decorating lavishly, exchanging gifts, baking and eating an elaborate cake, singing, dancing, even feasting on your special day. But no one invites you to the party.

Do you ever wonder if that is how Jesus feels on Christmas? It’s easy to understand why a nation like Japan, where only a tiny fraction of the population know Christ, celebrate without Him. But what about us? As we celebrate this holy day, do we make a big to-do over the actual guest of honor? Or has our holiday become more like the one celebrated by unbelievers? Do we make it a day of gluttony, materialism, and gratification or a day of worship, service, and gratitude?

My mother-in-law Katherine McDonald was ahead of her time. She used to bake a birthday cake each Christmas, decorate it, and gather her grandchildren to sing happy birthday to Jesus.
Whether we bake Him a cake or not, let’s make sure this year (and every year) we make Jesus the guest of honor at His birthday party.

About the Writer: Ruth McDonald is director of WNAC. She and her husband Donnie spent three decades as missionaries in Hokkaido, Japan. Learn more: wnac.org.