GBB
Moderator
Registered: 05/28/07
Posts: 1,192
|
| | 12/23/09 at 08:18 AM | Reply with quote | #1 |
|
As you celebrate the traditions of the season, drink responsibly. If you do drink, don't drive if you are under the influence. For those of you who celebrate Christmas, have a Merry and Blessed one.
The Origin of Christmas
The holiday of Christmas comes from Christes Maesse, which literally means the Mass of Christ. It is a traditional holiday in the Christian calendar and is also celebrated as a secular holiday throughout the world. The festival of Christmas takes place on 25 December every year to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is believed that the celebration of Christ's birth on December 25 was gradually adopted by most Eastern churches during the 4th century. In early Jerusalem, opposition to Christmas lasted a long time because the exact date of Jesus Christ’s birth is unknown. December 17-24th was the period of Saturnalia, a well-known festival in pagan, Rome. The births of several pagan gods - Osiris, Jupiter, Plutus, and the ancient deified leader Nimrod - were celebrated at that time as well. December 25th was the birthday of Mithra, the Iranian god of light. It is said that December 25 was adopted by the church as Christmas to counteract the effects of these festivals. Also, Jesus was allegedly born during the Jewish Festival of Lights, which falls on 25 December. Though the true origin of Christmas is filled with controversy and compromise, Christmas has turned out to be one of today’s most popular festivals providing joy, happiness and love in people's lives. The festival of Christmas has absorbed various customs and traditions from all over the world. Irrespective of its roots, 25 December has emerged as the accepted and very important day for Christians that reflects the power, glory and salvation of Jesus Christ and his message of hope to the world.
The story of Christmas dates back over 2000 years to the time when Rome was a great Empire ruled by Caesar Augustus and Israel was governed by King Herod. Joseph and Mary lived in a small village of Nazareth, Israel. Joseph was a carpenter and Mary was a young virgin who would soon become his wife. Mary told Joseph of a dream in which she was visited by an angel who told her she had been chosen to bear a Son and his name was to be Jesus. When Mary was pregnant, she and Joseph left Nazareth for Bethlehem. Mary rode on a donkey while Joseph walked beside her. They traveled for many days and only rested at night in order to comply with the emperor’s notice that all persons were to return to the towns of their birth to register for a new tax. When they reached Bethlehem, it was night. They looked for a place to rest but there were no empty rooms when they reached the inn. The innkeeper took pity on them and told them of some caves in the nearby hills where shepherds would stay with their cows and sheep. So Joseph and Mary went up into the hills and found the caves. In one cave was a stable room. Joseph cleaned it and made beds of fresh hay. He found a feeding trough that he cleaned and filled with hay to use as a crib. The next night Mary gave birth to a son and they named him Jesus, as the angel had said. When the child was born, a shining star appeared over Bethlehem that could be seen for many, many miles. In the fields, nearby shepherds were tending their flocks. An angel appeared surrounded by bright light; the shepherds were frightened and tried to run. "Fear not," said the angel, "For I bring you tidings of great joy. For unto you is born this day in Bethlehem - a Savior who is Christ the Lord. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." Suddenly the sky was filled with angels, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men." After the angels departed the shepherds set out for Bethlehem. When they reached the cave they found the stable and inside was the child wrapped in swaddling clothes. As the star shined over Bethlehem, three kings from the east saw it, knew it was a great sign and set off to follow the star. There was Caspar - the young King of Tarsus; Melchior - a bearded old man and leader of Arabia; and Balthazar - the king from Ethiopia. They traveled on camels for many days over mountains, through deserts and across plains following the bright star. When they finally arrived in Bethlehem, they found the child in the manger. The three kings dropped to their knees, bowed and offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They stayed the night in the cave and the next day returned to their lands to spread the news.
The Traditions of Christmas
Most traditions and customs associated with the Christmas festivities have gradually evolved from Roman Pagan rituals, which have been transformed to Christian ceremonials. There are an immense number of customs that surround Christmas and they vary from country to country. Many aspects can be traced back to early times such as the Christmas tree, Christmas lights, the Yule Log, and the exchange of gifts. With the passage of time, Christmas celebrations have undergone tremendous change and every year a new tradition begins. In most Western countries, Christmas celebrations have both religious and secular aspects. Christmas, celebrated to remember and honor the birth of Holy Jesus, has evolved from a staunch religious affair into a merry and often secular event that includes carnivals, decorations and Santa Claus. Some traditional elements of Christmas are discussed below.
Yule Log
The burning of the Yule Log was taken from ancient sun worship rituals. Yule Logs are supposed to be cut from red oak trees and burned from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day. The Yule log symbolizes the victory of light over the darkness of winter, which is then extrapolated as the victory of the “light of the world” over the “darkness” of Satan. The tradition of lighting the Yule log is still observed, especially by Europeans families, who light the log on Christmas Eve and keep it burning until Epiphany (January 6).
Wreath
A circle of evergreen holly is taken as a sign of eternal life because it does not brown or die in the winter. Some religious groups say that the crown of thorns placed on Jesus' head was made of holly. The berries were supposedly white but turned bright red from Jesus' blood.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe comes from the ancient Druid ceremony celebrating the winter solstice. This once pagan tradition started when a girl would stand beneath the hanging plant and a boy would walk up, pick a berry and then kiss her.
Santa Claus
Santa has been around since the 4th century. He was originally known as Saint Nicholas, the patron of children and sailors who was immortalized because of his generous and loving nature towards children.
Lights
The very first person to have Christmas lights on their tree was Edward Johnson who worked for Thomas Edison. The use of decorative light (candle or bulb) has been imperative on Christmas Day – again, representing the victory of the “light of the world” over the “darkness” of Satan.
Christmas Tree
The tradition of the Christmas tree comes from Germany. The very first trees were oak, the same tree used for the Yule Log. Trees have been a symbol of good luck since the Middle Ages.
Caroling
The custom of singing Christmas carols is said to have come from 13th century Italy where a man named St. Francis of Assisi led songs of praise. Reputedly, it is very bad luck to send carolers away empty handed. It is customary to offer food, drink or even a little money.
Exchange Of Gifts
Christians traditionally exchange gifts as a reminder of God's gift of a savior to humankind. The ritual of gift giving also resembles an ancient Roman custom of exchanging gifts to bring good fortune for the new year. In most cultures that celebrate Christmas, a mythical figure delivers gifts to children. Since the 19th century, Santa Claus and other mythical gift givers have become increasingly gentle, generous, and forgiving.
Religious Aspects
In addition to the fun and enjoyment, knowing the religious aspects of Christmas is significant and important. Because of the lack of Biblical instructions, Christmas rituals have been shaped by religious and popular traditions of each culture that celebrates the holiday. Traditionally, the sacred Christmas season starts with Advent, which begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and continues to Christmas Day. The sacred season ends on Epiphany, January 6.
Advent - During the four weeks of Advent, Christians make preparations for the commemoration of Jesus' birth. Each week of Advent symbolizes a different way in which believers perceive Christ: the flesh, the Holy Spirit, death, and Christ's judgment of the dead. The Advent wreath, which traditionally consists of four candles anchored in a circle of evergreen branches, originated with German Lutherans. The tradition has been adopted by many churches and families. At the beginning of each of the four Advent weeks before Christmas, Christians light an Advent candle as they say a prayer. Christmas Eve - On Christmas Eve, churches around the world hold evening services. At midnight, most Catholic and many Protestant churches hold special candlelight services. The Catholic "Midnight Mass" was first introduced by the Roman Catholic Church in the 5th century. Christmas Day - Christmas Masses are sometimes solemn and sometimes buoyant, depending on culture and specific religion. Church services often feature communal processions, candlelight and music. Some also include a dramatization of the Biblical story of Jesus' birth.
The Significance Of Christmas
The Significance of Christmas is known to all around the world. Light has replaced darkness. Though it is true that Christmas is celebrated as the day of Christ’s birth, it also symbolizes a very deeply significant truth of spiritual life. Jesus Christ is the very personification of Divinity. He was born at a time when ignorance, superstition, greed, hatred, and hypocrisy prevailed. Purity and morality were neglected. In the midst of these conditions, Christ transformed the lives of people; He gave them a new and spiritual rebirth. A change came upon the land and a new era “dawned” for the world. Sinful man has no thought of God or higher spiritual life. He lives a life of lust, anger, greed, deluded attachment, pride, and jealousy. If one is to enter into a life of spiritual aspiration, purity and devotion, then the Christ-spirit must take its birth within his or her heart. The real “Christmas” is when the Divine element begins to express itself in the heart of an individual. From then onward, light begins to shine where darkness was before.
A very small, but very beautiful, point of deep significance attached to Christmas is the time and the manner of the Holy birth. Jesus Christ was not born in a grand palace or born to very wealthy or learned parents. Jesus Christ was born in a simple lowly place, a corner of a stable. He was born to humble and poor parents, who had nothing to boast about, except their own spotless character and holiness. This is a point of deep significance - spiritual awakening comes to those who are perfectly humble, "meek" and "poor in spirit." The quality of true humility is one of the indispensable fundamentals of a religious life where one can find simplicity, holiness and the renunciation of all desire for worldly wealth.
|
| Loading... | |
