--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Instead of being a time of unusual…" description: "\"Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/francis-c-farley-237900_christmas_instead-of-being-a-time-of-unusual-behav_525154.jpg" --- # Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is… ![“Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself.” quote by Francis C Farley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/francis-c-farley-237900_christmas_instead-of-being-a-time-of-unusual-behav_525154.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/francis-c-farley-237900_christmas_instead-of-being-a-time-of-unusual-behav_525154.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/francis-c-farley-237900_christmas_instead-of-being-a-time-of-unusual-behav_525154.jpg) > “Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself.” Francis C Farley ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Christmas temporarily frees people to act on genuine feelings, shedding self‑consciousness and pretenses. **In simple terms:** Holiday lets people be authentic. Key Takeaway Allow true emotions to surface. Themes authenticity holiday self‑expression Mood joyful reflective Type christmas:1 christmas time:1 emotions:1 expression:1 feelings:1 habits:1 love:1 self:1 sentimentality:1 spiritual christmas:1 time:1 behavior christmas:1 foolish christmas:1 christmas short:1 When to use this quote - personal reflection - celebration Key Concepts social gatherings family traditions Questions to Reflect On - How does holiday affect honesty? - What prevents true expression? A Different Perspective Social expectations may still limit openness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Christmas time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas-time/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Sentimentality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentimentality/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Somehow, not only for Christmas but all the long year through, The joy that you give to others Is the joy that comes back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/somehow-not-only-for-christmas-but-all-the-long-year-through-the-joy/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [The giving of gifts is not something man invented. God started the giving spree when he gave a gift beyond words, the unspeakable gift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-flatt/the-giving-of-gifts-is-not-something-man-invented-god-started-the/) Robert Flatt > [Christ traded the comfort of the manger for the cruelty of the Cross.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/christ-traded-the-comfort-of-the-manger-for-the-cruelty-of-the-cross/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How many observe Christ's birthday! How few his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep holidays than commandments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-many-observe-christ-s-birthday-how-few-his-precepts-o-tis-easier/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [God sent a star to light the night for The Way, The Truth, The Life...His Son. He sent the Light of Life to prove…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-fdowd/god-sent-a-star-to-light-the-night-for-the-way-the-truth-the-life-his/) Pamela FDowd > [This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mckibben/this-is-christmas-not-the-tinsel-not-the-giving-and-receiving-not/) Frank McKibben > [The Son of God became a man to enable men to become the sons of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cs-lewis/the-son-of-god-became-a-man-to-enable-men-to-become-the-sons-of-god/) [CS Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cs-lewis/) > [Christmas is the time for celebration, so I'm not against decorating, putting on lights, buying gifts. In fact, the whole reason we give gifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/christmas-is-the-time-for-celebration-so-i-m-not-against-decorating/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I love the fact that everybody slightly changes during the holidays. Most people are a little bit brighter and have a little bit more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordin-sparks/i-love-the-fact-that-everybody-slightly-changes-during-the-holidays/) [Jordin Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordin-sparks/) > [Feed the world. Let them know it's Christmas time again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-geldof/feed-the-world-let-them-know-it-s-christmas-time-again/) [Bob Geldof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-geldof/) > [The theater business is very much about "Hey, if you want our big blockbuster at Christmas time, you'll play our piece of crap in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/the-theater-business-is-very-much-about-hey-if-you-want-our-big/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [“Christmas is the time of silent waiting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/christmas-is-the-time-of-silent-waiting/) sir Kristian Goldmund Aumann > [Let us keep Christmas beautiful without a thought of greed, that it might live forevermore to fill our every need, that it shall not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-schultz/let-us-keep-christmas-beautiful-without-a-thought-of-greed-that-it/) Ann Schultz > [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Christmas is the only time of year where you get to experience a truly, truly indulgent potato.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cmat/christmas-is-the-only-time-of-year-where-you-get-to-experience-a/) [CMAT](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cmat/) ## More Christmas quotes > [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-manning/i-once-bought-my-kids-a-set-of-batteries-for-christmas-with-a-note-on/) [Bernard Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-manning/) > [May you have the spirit of Christmas which is Peace, the gladness of Christmas which is Hope, and the Heart of Christmas which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-you-have-the-spirit-of-christmas-which-is-peace-the-gladness-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To my future children; you will know the true meaning of Christmas just not you get gifts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-my-future-children-you-will-know-the-true-meaning-of-christmas/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No sane local official who has hung up an empty stocking over the municipal fireplace is going to shoot Santa Claus just before a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-smith/no-sane-local-official-who-has-hung-up-an-empty-stocking-over-the/) [Al Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-smith/) > [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Santa Claus has nothing to do with it," the latke said. "Christmas and Hanukah are completely different things." "But different things can often blend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/santa-claus-has-nothing-to-do-with-it-the-latke-said-christmas-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For Christmas one year I bought my son a BB gun. He bought me a t-shirt with a bulls eye on the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/for-christmas-one-year-i-bought-my-son-a-bb-gun-he-bought-me-a-t/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [“Why did he hesitate? He finally admitted to himself that he was like an American child who was almost completely certain about Santa Claus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/why-did-he-hesitate-he-finally-admitted-to-himself-that-he-was-like/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Heaven? Floating about with everyone you ever knew for eternity? Me family does me 'ed in after one day at xmas, I'd rather be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/heaven-floating-about-with-everyone-you-ever-knew-for-eternity-me/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Like everyone in his right mind, I feared Santa Claus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/like-everyone-in-his-right-mind-i-feared-santa-claus/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“I stopped keeping an eye out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve because, when I was five, my mother told me that Santa was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/i-stopped-keeping-an-eye-out-for-santa-claus-on-christmas-eve-because/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [On Hanukkah, the first dark night, Light yourself a candle bright. I'll you, if you will me invite To dance within that gentle light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-gordon/on-hanukkah-the-first-dark-night-light-yourself-a-candle-bright-i-ll/) [Nick Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-gordon/) [Browse all 5,100 Christmas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. 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