By Jonathon VAN MAREN

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The carols, the Nativity displays, the special services—all of it is a reminder of the Story that still has the power to transform.

Grand-Place in Brussels during the Christmas season is breathtaking. The facades of the ornate Baroque guildhalls, the King’s House, and the Gothic Town Hall are lit up in red, blue, and green, bathing the square in light. My children gaped in awe when they saw it: the towering Christmas tree in the centre, the larger-than-life Nativity scene, the music from the nearby Christmas market, the carved figures of the medieval city centre coming alive in a kaleidoscope of light.

Christmas markets have become a grim focal point in Europe’s clash of civilizations. In Berlin and Strasbourg, they have been targeted by violent Islamists; at least ten planned attacks have been foiled by counter-terrorism efforts. Many now feature concrete barriers, bag checks, and knife bans. The opening of the Brussels Christmas market this year featured an anti-Israel protest by Muslim activists wielding smoke bombs and accompanying their warlike chants with drums and torches.

In many countries, Christmas traditions have been voluntarily surrendered so as not to offend Muslim newcomers. Christmas celebrations and songs have been cancelled at schools in England, Denmark, and France, where major cities have also replaced public Christmas events with “Winter Journey” (Nantes), “Winter Suns” (Angers), and “Destination Beautiful Winter” (St. Denis). As Itxu Díaz observed at The Tablet last December, Christmas is being quietly erased in many places across Europe.

Conservatives  have understandably focused on terrorism and voluntary surrender as evidence of the Islamization of Europe. But native Europeans had, for the most part, already taken Christ out of Christmas. Churches are being sold off or repurposed because congregations have died off or walked away. Religious illiteracy is staggeringly high. For many Europeans, public Christmas celebrations of the winter season are an echo of what was rather than an assertion of active faith.

In 2018, for example, a survey revealed that 38% of Britons between the ages of 21 and 28 (about two out of five) did not know the identity of the Child in Nativity scenes, and 37% could not name either Joseph or Mary. Fewer than 10% could name the gifts given to the Lord Jesus by the wise men (gold, frankincense, and myrrh); some even believed that Santa Claus somehow played a role. An earlier poll found that 55% did not believe in the Virgin birth, and 18% did not believe Christ had actually lived at all.

The “long, withdrawing roar” of Christianity can be heard across the continent. Pew’s 2025 report noted that between 2010 and 2020, Europe’s Christian population share dropped from 75% to 67%, with those identifying as “unaffiliated” rising to 25%. Most self-identified Christians do not actually attend any form of worship regularly. In the same decade, France and the United Kingdom lost their Christian majorities, and the Netherlands became an “unaffiliated” majority country. The population share of Muslims, meanwhile, went up by 16% in Europe (for a total of 6%), while those identifying as Christian dropped by 9%.

Millions of Europeans are simply no longer familiar with the actual Christmas story. The ‘Christmas culture wars’ have been a theme of the conservative commentariat for decades, but the primary reason Christ is being taken out of Christmas is not grinchy atheists or even Muslims seeking to strike a blow against what they see as a potent symbol of Europe’s heritage; it is mass, ongoing apostasy on a civilizational scale.

Some, however,  are using Advent celebrations as an opportunity for evangelization. A 2022 story in EuroNews noted that although the Czech Republic is the most secular country in Europe—only around a third of Czechs believe in God—for historical reasons, their Christmas traditions “remain wrapped up in religiosity.” During the four decades of communist rule, attempts to replace Baby Jesus with Grandfather Frost failed miserably.

“It may sound a bit strange, but despite the low religiosity level, Christmas is the most important holiday for Czechs,” said David Václavík, an associate professor at Masaryk University. “But they see it much more as a family and traditional holiday. The religious meaning is tucked away in the back.” He noted that although traditional Christmas scenes are common, he has had to explain to people who the figures in these scenes are.

Despite that, many Czechs—around two-fifths—return to church during Advent, even many of those who do not believe in God. “Many people don’t want to stop to talk about Jesus Christ; they prefer to drink punč at the market,” a Czech Christian named Miloslav explained as he stood near a Christmas market, attempting to engage people in conversation. “But more people are a little more willing to talk around Christmas time.”

“I believe, and experience tells me, that people are more open to listening to biblical stories and biblical messages [over the Christmas period]. That they are more open to receiving spiritual things,” said Jan Dymáček, of the Christian NGO Maranatha. “Whether people’s ideas about religion change just around Christmas I can’t say, but certainly, people are more sensitive and willing to talk about religious issues.”

When Christmas comes to Europe, it brings with it the opportunity to put Christ back into Christmas. The carols, the Nativity displays, the special services—all of it is a reminder of the Story that still has the power to transform. The statues and biblical scenes that mark almost every city centre in Europe, from the Grand-Place of Brussels to Old Town Square in Prague, bring the words of Christ in Luke 19 to mind: “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” The stones still speak across Europe. This Christmas, perhaps, some will be willing to listen.

Original article:  europeanconservative.com