News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Dick Hotchkin, pastor of the First Congregational Church in Alpena, looks at a Bible that is surrounded by Christmas poinsettias inside the church on Monday.

ALPENA — Local religious leaders in Alpena say the true meaning of Christmas has been lost and the birth of Jesus Christ resides in the shadow of Santa, Christmas decorations, presents, and the holiday’s commercialism.

Christians celebrate Christmas to honor the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and how he lived on Earth before he was sacrificed on the cross to forgive the sins of mankind and resurrected three days later.

For generations, families celebrated by attending church either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and although services see a slight bump during the Christmas season, fewer people are showing up to worship in person.

Tom Orth, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Alpena, said today, many people think about Christmas for all of its glitz and Jesus’ birth is an afterthought. He said that has happened because pews are emptier in churches on a regular basis.

“Christmas is big and commercial and it is more about sales than Jesus,” he said. “This happened because not as many people go to church as generations past.”

Dick Hotchkin, pastor of the First Congregational Church in Alpena, agreed with Orth that the meaning of Christmas and the way people celebrate it has changed over time. He said fewer people practice religion of any sort and they don’t know what Christmas really is meant for.

“I think we find ourselves in a less biblically literate world and a lot of people just don’t know the story and the narrative of it,” Hotchkin said. “If a parent doesn’t know, then it’s not likely a child is going to hear it. Santa Claus has a huge following. I think every child knows Santa, but I think there are not a lot of kids exposed to the story of Jesus’s birth.”

Like other churches in the area, Hotchkin said services during the holiday season are more full than during the balance of the year. He said during Christmastime, there are a lot of people who go to church because it is tradition. Hotchkin said the same thing happens during the Easter holiday season.

Both Hotchkin and Orth said although they believe Christmas celebrations should revolve around Jesus’ birth, they said including the other aspects, such as Santa, is acceptable and even encouraged, as long as it doesn’t take away from the holiday’s true meaning.

“In at least with respect to my own family, we reared our children in a Christian tradition but we also had all of the other accouterments and traditions that are there, like Santa Claus and gift exchange,” Hotchkin said. “The get-togethers and the party type of celebrations. But, the story of Jesus was still very much a part of our children’s upbringing.”