Christmas traditions

Day 14 of Keeping Christ in Christmas – Gift Giving

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The origin of giving gifts during Christmas can be attributed to The Wise Men (Magi) that were said to have followed a bright star from the East to Bethlehem where the baby Jesus was born. The Wise Men are sometimes depicted as kings from the East and three of them are regularly featured in nativity scenes in homes and churches all around the world. They brought three gifts for baby Jesus – gold, frankincense and myrrh. Just how many wise men there were is not known. According to scholars, camel caravans usually traveled in groups of 50 or more for safety reasons. Assumptions have been made that because there were three gifts, there were probably three wise men. As to when they arrived is also in dispute. Some religious scholars believe they came when baby Jesus was 2 years old or older because of the amount of time it would have taken to make the journey from their homeland of Persia. The 12th day of Christmas is know as Three Kings Day.

In many Spanish-speaking countries, the three wise men are bearers of gifts for children instead of Santa Claus. On January 5, the night before the Three Kings Day or El Dia De Reyes, they set their shoes outside filled with straw and the wise men, on their way to visit the baby Jesus, leave gifts for the children in exchange for the straw.

In Mexico, children write letters to the wise men telling which gifts they would like to receive, tie them to a helium balloon, and later release them in Alameda Park, Mexico City. On January 6, children awake finding gifts in their shoes and dreaming they heard camel footsteps in the night and seeing the bright star that guided the wise men.

In Russia, children wait for Baboushka to give them gifts. Baboushka is a woman who supposedly wanders around on January 5, looking into houses and leaving gifts to all children as she tries to find the baby Jesus.

In Italy it is said that La Befana passed up the chance to go with the wise men because she had to clean her house. She goes around on the eve of the Three Kings Day, just as in Russia, trying to find baby Jesus.

The actual tradition of exchanging gifts did not become popular until the early 1900s. Some people have pegged this relatively modern tradition as commercializing Christmas instead of focusing on the actual meaning of the day. Giving gifts during holidays is big business these days. Families, office colleagues, schools, teachers and just about anyone who believes in Christmas (and then some) exchange Christmas gifts.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

Focus on the gifts that the wise men brought to Jesus – Gold was a gift fitting for a king. Frankincense was a gift fitting for a priest. Jesus earned the right to be called King of Kings. He is forever our High Priest…a priest is one who bridges the gap between man and God. But what about myrrh? This is the strangest of gifts. It was used to preserve a dead body. This too was a fitting gift. For Jesus came to die for the sins of all mankind.

We have always told our children that Jesus thinks of others so much that He would rather us give gifts to one another on His Birthday; our showing love to those around us is the best birthday present we could give Him. A great verse to share with your children and grandchildren at this time is Acts 20:35 “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Even though we point to the Magi as the ones who started the trend of gift giving, there is One who started before them. God gave the first gift of Christmas, His only Son – 2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Do we need to say anything more?

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Day 13 of Keeping Christ in Christmas – Holly

In Northern Europe, it was believed that ghosts and demons could be heard howling in the winter winds. Boughs of holly were thought to have magical powers since they remained green through the harsh winter; they were often placed over the doors of homes to drive evil away. Greenery was also brought indoors to freshen the air and brighten the mood during the long, dreary winter.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

When you see the holly, be reminded that Jesus is the one that drives away the Enemy.
1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
The pointed leaves of the holly were said to represent the crown of thorns Christ wore while on the cross.
The red berries are said to symbolize the blood that Christ shed.
Let these remind you of this verse:
Romans 3:25 For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us… 
It was Jesus’ suffering on the cross and shedding His blood that defeated the Enemy then and now, and has secured our forgiveness of sin.
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Day 12 of Keeping Christ in Christmas – The Twelve Days of Christmas

 

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The traditional Advent calendar consisted of 25 days. Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming”) is a season in the Christian church of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, in other words, the period immediately preceding Christmas.

So what was the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ and where did it come from? Celebrated since medieval times, the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ traditionally began the day after Christmas Day and ended with Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night was the day that all decorations were to be removed because it was thought that leaving the decorations up would cause a disaster.

People believed that tree-spirits lived in the greenery (holy, ivy, etc.) they decorated their houses with. The greenery was brought into the house to provide a safe haven for the tree-spirits during the harsh midwinter days. Once this period was over, it was necessary to return the greenery back outside to release the tree-spirits into the countryside once again, or they would cause mischief in the house. Failure to do this would mean that vegetation would not be able to start growing again (spring would not return), leading to an agricultural disaster. Today some people still feel superstitious about leaving the Christmas decorations up after Twelfth Night.

The 12 days of Christmas were filled with merry-making, dancing, and continuous feasting.  These days were a most welcome break for the workers on the land, which long ago was the majority of the people. All work, except for looking after the animals, stopped for those days. The Christmas season used to last much longer than that (until February 2), but people wanted the peasants to get back to work earlier, so the festive season was shortened, ending on Twelfth Night. The first Monday following the 12th day was called Plough Monday, because it was the time the farm workers were expected to return to the fields.

There is great debate as to the meaning of the carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” which became popular at the Twelfth Night parties that took place to end the Christmas season. A popular theory states that the song dates back to the time when Roman Catholics were not permitted to practice their faith openly (1558 until 1829). The song was written as a way of teaching young Catholics and had two levels of meanings: a surface meaning and a hidden meaning known only to their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember:

The ‘true love’ of the song refers to God.
‘A partridge in a pear’ tree was Jesus Christ.
‘Two turtle doves’ were the Old and New Testaments.
‘Three French hens’ stood for faith, hope, and love.
‘Four calling birds’ (actually the birds were colley birds or blackbirds) were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
‘Five golden rings’ recalled the Torah or law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
‘Six geese a laying’ stood for the six days of creation.
‘Seven swans a swimming’ represented the seven gifts of the Spirit which are the motivational gifts of prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, administration, and mercy found in Romans 12:3-8.
‘Eight maids a milking’ were the eight beatitudes of Matthew 5.
‘Nine ladies dancing’ were the nine fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,      goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, and self control found in Galatians.
‘Ten lords a leaping’ were the ten commandments.
‘Eleven pipers piping’ stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
‘Twelve drummers drumming’ symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostle’s Creed.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

Modern day marketing may think they are taking Christ out of Christmas, but He is so woven into the fabric of the season that they are up against an impossible task. Jesus IS the reason for the season, and this is ‘His Story’.  Jesus is in the lights…the candy cane…the carols…the gifts…the trees…the mistletoe…the tinsel… and the seemingly secular song of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”  When you hear or sing the song this season, think of what the Catholics meant with the symbolism and remember Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen

Jesus’ birth is a time for for being merry and celebrating, but it doesn’t need to end after 12 days. Let’s celebrate Jesus’s coming 365 days!!

 

 

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Day 11 of Keeping Christ in Christmas – Christmas Carols

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Christmas carols are an important aspect of Christmas celebrations all over the world. They evoke in us the festive spirit with their simple lyrics and melody. Christmas Carols, whether “O Holy Night”, “Silver Bells”, or “Here Comes Santa Claus”, help to bring people together in harmony like no other music does. It has been said that Christmas songs wrap themselves about you like a shawl. But they warm more than your body. They warm your heart and fill it with a melody that makes you wish it would last forever.

Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these were not Christmas Carols. They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter Solstice celebrations as people danced round stone circles. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, usually taking place around December 22nd. The word Carol actually means dance or a song of praise and joy! Carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons, but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived!

Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave people Christian songs to sing instead of pagan ones. This began in AD 129 when a Roman Bishop said that a song called “Angel’s Hymn” should be sung at a Christmas service in Rome. Soon after this, many composers all over Europe started to write carols. However, not many people liked them as they were all written and sung in Latin, a language that the normal people couldn’t understand.

This was changed by St. Francis of Assisi when, in 1223, he started his Nativity plays in Italy. The people in the plays sang songs that told the story of Christ’s birth. Normally they were all in a language that the people watching the play could understand and join in! The new carols spread to France, Spain, Germany and other European countries.

The earliest carol like this was written in 1410. The carol was about Mary and Jesus meeting different people in Bethlehem. Most Carols from this time were very loosely based on the Christmas story and were seen as entertaining rather than religious songs. They were usually sung in homes rather than in churches! In Europe, a tradition began of groups of people going from door to door in the community and singing outside their houses.
There is a legend that says the term ‘Christmas Carol’ originated because a young girl named Carol went missing in London, one cold winter night. As her friends went from door to door searching for her, in a manner similar to the Christmas singers, the name Christmas Carol began to be used.

Popular songs such as “Jingle Bells” or “White Christmas” are also considered as Christmas carols and are now sung with great gusto around Christmas time. Just hearing the famous Christmas carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” makes us feel happier. New Christmas songs continue to be written that try to put into words the special feeling that we have for family and friends at Christmas time.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

As you listen to all types of Christmas music this year, remember that the Angels may have been the first to sing a Christmas carol, as one star-lit night, they began to declare the message that baby Jesus had been born.

Luke 2:10-12 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Our favorite Christmas song is “Mary’s Boy Child”. We first heard it the Christmas that my dad died. Christmas is a sad time to lose someone you love (we have lost 3 of parents at Christmas time), but this song reminded us that year that ‘man can live forevermore because of Christmas Day’ and one day we will again see all those in Christ who have gone on to heaven!

Here are two of my favorite recordings of Mary’s Boy Child:

http://youtu.be/WY3o4_iIudg

http://youtu.be/t4hJwqlY4i4

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Day 10 of Keeping Christ in Christmas – A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has had a wide appeal for readers of all ages since its publication in 1843. Through the years it has been adapted for television, movie, radio, and stage. Our favorite telling of the story is the 1938 version of the movie.  My husband started a tradition years ago of putting it on every Sunday morning during the Christmas season while we are getting ready for church.   Now some of our grown children carry on that tradition in their own homes.

The main plot centers on Ebenezer Scrooge, who is a rude and callous businessman. All he cares about in life is his own well-being. Christmas has no meaning to him. As the story progresses, we find Scrooge being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past who enables him to visit his innocent childhood; the Ghost of Christmas Present who holds a mirror to the hard-hearted life he is presently leading; and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come who allows him to see the future he will have if he doesn’t change. Scrooge comes to the ultimate realization that the only way to enjoy life is to love others. Thereafter, he vows to keep Christmas by caring for his fellow man. Beneath this simple story lies Dickens’ earnest urge for us all to remember that the essence of the Christmas season is not to spend it fulfilling our individual desires, but to really enjoy it by showing love to others and bringing happiness in their lives.

Here’s a great quote from the movie that our family can almost say word for word by now:

“There are many things that which have made me happy.  Things which have never fattened my purse by even that much.  Christmas is one of these.  I’ve always looked on Christmas as a good time, a kind, charitable, forgiving, pleasant time.  It’s the only time when people open their hearts freely; the only time when men and women seem to realize that all human beings are really members of the same family and that being members of the same family they owe each other some measure of warmth and solace.  Therefore though it’s never put a strap of silver or gold in me pocket, I believe that it has done me good and that it will do me good and I say “God Bless it!” – Scrooge’s nephew Fred, A Christmas Carol (1938 version)


So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

Remember John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God demonstrated the ultimate gift of love by sending His Son, Jesus, into the world. He cares so much for us that He unselfishly allowed His only Son to take the punishment for our sins so that we might have an abundant life.

During this Christmas season, think on the following verses to keep you from being a selfish “Scrooge” yourself. Share them with your children and grandchildren as you seek to lead them to be caring and giving at this season and all year through.

Ephesians. 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Romans 12:10 Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honoring each other.

Acts 20:35 I have given you an example that by working hard like this we should help the weak. We should remember the words that the Lord Jesus said, ‘Giving gifts is more satisfying than receiving them.’ 

Also, think about a “Scrooge” you know, who you feel will never change. The love of Christ can melt that heart, tenderize it, and completely remake that person in God’s own image. Don’t give up caring for and loving them.

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