For Mormon historians and Church members, Christmas is not uniquely a "Mormon" holiday. While modern Latter-day Saints around the world take part in various traditions to celebrate the holiday, there isn't a significant body of distinctively Mormon customs tied to the day set aside for honoring the birth of Jesus Christ. Mormons celebrate Christmas similarly to other Christians—by reading the nativity story from Luke, giving gifts, and spending time with loved ones. Common aspects of the holiday for Mormons in the U.S. include Santa Claus, decorated Christmas trees, and the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Some Church members express concern that Christmas has become overly commercialized, focusing more on material goods than on the meaningful remembrance of Christ's birth. These critics aim to restore the significance of "Christ" in "Christmas" and yearn for a return to a time when the holiday was about more than just gifts and shopping.
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To Mormon historians and members of the Church generally, Christmas is not a particularly "Mormon" holiday. Though contemporary Latter-day Saints throughout the world embrace a variety of traditions that commemorate the holiday, no major body of distinctively Mormon tradition surrounds the day in December traditionally reserved for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Mormons celebrate the holiday like most other Christians—reading from the nativity account in Luke, exchanging presents, and spending time with family and friends. Santa Claus, decorated trees, and the redemptive story of Ebenezer Scrooge all are staples of the winter holiday for Mormons in the United States. Some members of the Church lament that Christmas celebrations have devolved into a commercialized ritual focused on the acquisition of goods rather than on a solemn remembrance of the Savior's birth. Such critics seek to put "Christ" back into "Christmas" and return to the days of old, when the holiday meant more than toys and shopping trips.
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