Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.

Chase’s line reframes Christmas away from the calendar and toward an inward disposition. The “date” stands for external observance—shopping, schedules, and ritual obligation—while the “state of mind” points to an attitude of generosity, wonder, and attentiveness to others that can outlast December 25. Read this way, the quote participates in a long moral tradition of treating holidays as tests of character rather than mere occasions: the celebration is authentic only insofar as it changes how one sees and treats people. It also implicitly democratizes the holiday, suggesting its meaning is available wherever the spirit of goodwill is practiced.