What is Christmas? What is Christmas?

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS?

In our modern times when we think about Christmas, the first thing that comes to our mind is buying gifts for our loved ones. Stores are filled with decorations, gifts and much more. But we have to understand what Christmas is all about. What is Christmas and why do we actually celebrate Christmas. In order for us to really enjoy our holidays we have to have some kind of knowledge of why we celebrate it.

Clip art collection

Fundamentally, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son of God who saved all of the people on earth. The winter season is about Christians that around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We celebrate by thanking God for the birth of his son, Jesus Christ. This celebration phase begins on December 25. The commemoration should last about twelve days. Starts on December 25 and ends in January 6^th. It is the Church’s commemoration of the Incarnation, the ultimate secrecy to the holy and almighty God that took on human flesh and was born in this world of the Virgin Mary. God sacrificed his life for the entire population of the earth to save us from sin, death and the power of the devil. The reason the church does go silent during Advent it’s because they preparing for the God’s approaching.

Some of the Christmas symbol celebrations are things like shepherds in the snow, and the fierce cold of a winter night when Jesus was born.

THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS

We normally, commemorate Christmas on the 25^th of December but there are documented fact’s that Jesus could have been bon in the spring. Many Christians date Christ’s birth as the end of the "Before Christ" or BC era, most consider Christ’s birth can actually be dated to 4 BC. This evidence could be paradoxical, since the Christian era is thought to embark on with the birth of Christ, but actually begins later. Ancient documents reveal that Christians in Rome began to celebrate ‘Lord’s Nativity on December during the beginning year A.D 336. No one is sure and knows why the early Roman Christians chose December 25.

The most logical explanation is written that they appropriated the already existing winter solstice festival honoring the pagan sun god, Mihras. This accepted celebration was recognized as Natalis Solis Invicti or "Birth of the Unconquered Sun."

Clip art collection

The records also present that Christian leaders in Rome chose December 25 to turn people away from the pagan Unconquered Sun and toward Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2). This connection to the Roman sun cult has led some contemporary Christians to reject the celebration of Christian as pagan and sinful. On the other hand, there is some evidence to suggest that the choice of December 25 was based on attempts by early theologians to calculate the date of Christ's birth. (Malachi 4:2).

EARLY CHRISTMAS ARGUMENTS

Some minority Christian groups like the Jehovah’s Witness and some other argue that based on the divine nature of the Christ, Christmas should not be celebrated as a feast day.

Some apply the theory of early Christmas as not a peaceful celebration. Christmas in the middle ages was considered feasting, drinking, riotous behavior and caroling for money. Religious puritans did not approve this type of behavior and at one point canceled Christmas. All the decorations were banned and soldiers patrolled to look for celebrants cooking meat. Puritans in the American colonies took a correspondingly severe view of Christmas: Yuletide festivities were outlawed in Boston from 1659 though 1681.

Clip Art collection

Some view the Jolly Old England as the main source for many modern Christmas traditions, England actually banned celebration from 1647 - 1660 in an attempt to free the holiday of what was viewed as its pagan trappings and the excess and corruption of the Roman Catholic Church. This, however, was not a popular decision. England reinstated Christmas as a celebratory holiday, though tensions still ran high between the Anglican and the Roman Catholic Church.

WHAT DOES THE WORD "CHRISTMAS" MEAN?

The modern English word Christmas comes from the Old English Christes Maesse (Christ Mass), the name of the service of Holy Communion that commemorates Christ's birth. Familiar names for Christmas in other languages -- Navidad (Spanish), Natale (Italian), Natal (Portuguese), and Noël (French) -- are derived from Dies Natalis, Latin for "Day of the Birth."

Clip art collection

SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

Afrikaans - 'n Geseende Kersfees en 'n voorspoedige Nuwejaar
Afrikaans - Een Plesierige Kerfees
Albanian -- Gezuar Krishtlindje
Arabic - I'd Miilad Said Oua Sana Saida
Armenian - Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri - Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Basque - Zorionstsu Eguberri. Zoriontsu Urte Berri On

WHAT ARE THE COLORS OF CHRISTMAS?

The color of white during Christmas resembles joy, holiness, and light. It is one of the most proper colors for the wonderful Christmas season. The color Red resembles of martyrdom. It is mainly used for the festivals of St. Stephen and the Holy Innocents.

WHY DO WE HAVE SANTA CLAUS

Saint Nicholas of Myra was a Greek Christian bishop of the fourth century who had the generous personality of helping the poor. The American version of Santa clause according to the history originated from a Dutch legend about Sinter Klaas, which settlers brought to America in the seventeenth century. Americans took the idea of Santa Claus, who was said to bring gifts to good boys and girls on Christmas Eve. It is the spirit of giving not only to their families but also donate time and money to charities.

Clip art collection

WHY DO WE HAVE CHRISTMAS TREE?

According to the history, Christmas trees have originated in medieval Germany. For more information please visit http://www.christmasarchives.com/trees.html.

POPULAR AUTHORS FOR CHRISTMAS

New Yorker Washington Irving wrote popular stories about Christmas

_____________________________________________________

Queen Victoria's German husband, Prince Albert, introduced a Christmas tree to Windsor Castle in 1846. An engraving of the couple with their children in front of the tree popularized the custom throughout England and the United States.