As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is.

Sevareid’s line treats Christmas less as a date on the calendar than as a moral and imaginative state sustained by memory, conscience, and shared ideals. The “ought to be” implies a normative vision—generosity, peace, humility, attention to others—that can be obscured by commercialism or personal hardship. By insisting that Christmas “is” as long as it is held “in our hearts,” the quote relocates the holiday’s reality from external trappings (gifts, décor, perfect gatherings) to inward conviction and ethical practice. It suggests continuity: even when circumstances are bleak, the meaning of Christmas can persist through deliberate remembrance and enactment of its values.