RickJ
Dec 1, 2010, 07:57 AM
The below is an edited version of an article that I wrote years ago:
Volumes have been written about the history of Christmas and the way that so many celebrate it, so only an overview can be offered here.
Early Celebration:
Admittedly there was none. In the early Church (1st to 3rd Centuries) there were no celebrations (Feasts, Festivals or "Holy Days") beyond the "celebration" (recollection) of the "Last Supper" as described in the Gospels.
Even what we today call a "birthday celebration" was, to the early Christians, considered "paganism". A Church Father, Origen, in about 230 AD, wrote, “In Scripture, sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthday.”
But opinions changed and Christ's birth was celebrated in most places by about 400 AD, which was before the Church officially recognized the "Feast of the Nativity". By then the celebration took place in most places either December 25th or January 6th.
Why December 25th?:
There are no documents of history that answer this question conclusively. We do know, though, that it was not because they thought it was the actual date of Christ's birth. Many early historians did try to calculate the date but there was not enough good evidence to determine the date of Christ's birth conclusively. Therefore, there were about as many different dates arrived at as there were folks trying to figure it. Furthermore, the Church as a whole was not interested in this figuring: Clement of Alexandria (another Church Father), in about 200 AD, called these calculation attempts “over curious.”
A popular (and probably correct in my opinion) theory is that Christians celebrated on this day because this day was already a "holiday": December 25th was the popular pagan holiday of Natalis Invicti, the birth of the Sun. Christians may have been eager to overshadow this worship of the false god "Sun" by celebrating the birth of true God "Son".
Celebration Traditions:
Despite that some claim that Christian traditions and celebrations are not truly Christian (Christian means "of Christ"), we Christians can use and explain many of our traditions and activities as another way to remain focused on the true meaning of what we celebrate: The birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are the some examples:
Candles in Windows:
After King Henry II invaded Ireland in 1171, persecution of Catholic Christians was so strong that they were unable to practice their faith publicly. Placing candles in windows (often in groups of 3 to symbolize Jesus, Mary and Joseph) became the common practice to signal Priests
That they were welcomed and would be safe in that home.
The Christmas Tree:
Saint Boniface, on a Christmas-Eve about 722, was in the area of Bavaria
Evangelizing and came across a crowd of “heathen people of the forest” gathered about an oak tree (their altar) to worship their god, Thor, and sacrifice a young boy. Saint Boniface, in protest, began to chop down the
Tree but a wind blew it down before he could and revealed behind it “a young fir tree, pointing like a cathedral spire toward heaven.” Saint Boniface spoke to the crowd: “This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree tonight. It is the wood of peace, for your houses are built of the fir. It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are ever green. See how it points upward to heaven. Let this be called the tree of the Christchild; gather about it, not in the wild wood, but in your own homes; there it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and rites of
Kindness.”
Other Decorations:
It is true that some come from pagan origins. That is OK. We take something common and use it for our own and with our own meaning. In Father William Saunders' words: they are “'baptized' giving them a new
Christian meaning. Mistletoe, holly, ivy and laurel are good examples.
The pagans used them in their celebrations as symbols of eternity, everlasting life, healing and good wishes. Christians have for centuries used these evergreens to remind us that our Lord is eternal and offers us everlasting life.
Santa Claus:
Saint Nicholas lived from 280-343 and was the Bishop of Myrna, which was located in modern Turkey. He was a real person that was known for
His holiness, sanctity, unselfish generosity and love of both his neighbor and God. Many legends about him were spread after his death. One is the story of the time he dropped three bags of gold down the chimney of a poor man who could not afford the dowry for his three daughters.
These bags landed in the socks (stockings) that were hanging in the fireplace to dry. Today Santa Claus continues the tradition of giving “in secret” and without any expectation of receiving anything in return.
The Twelve Days of Christmas:
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, which began in 1558, was another period of severe persecution of Catholics. The practice of the Christian faith was outlawed. The penalty for being caught teaching the faith was death. The song was written in apparently secular terms as a Catechism (a "teaching").
Here is a very brief explanation;
My True Love: Almighty God. The repetition: God's unending love and bestowal of gifts upon us.
A Partridge in a pear tree: Christ in the Tree of Salvation.
Two turtle doves: the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens: the gifts of the Magi and the three virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
Four calling birds: the four evangelists, their Gospels and the four Major
Prophets.
Five golden rings: Gods eternal love for us and the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament).
Six geese a-laying: the six days of creation.
Seven swans-a-swimming: the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, seven corporal works of mercy, seven spiritual works of mercy and seven deadly
Sins.
Eight maids a-milking: the eight beatitudes and, at that time in our Church, the eight times during the year prescribed to receive Holy Communion.
Nine ladies dancing: the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit and the nine choirs of angels.
Ten Lords-a-leaping: The Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers piping: the eleven faithful apostles.
Twelve drummers drumming: the twelve Minor Prophets, the twelve precepts of the Apostles Creed, the twelve Apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel.
I hope these stories, can help you and your family more greatly appreciate and explain the Christian faith and its traditions.
For more reading on the subject of Christmas traditions, see the following links:
1. From the Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm). This is long and sometimes pretty deep, but well worth the read. This article also has many good links within it.
2. The Christmas Tree (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0239.html) by Fr. William Saunders
3. Santa Claus (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/facts/fm0003.html) from Zenit Catholic News Agency
4. St. Nicholas (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11063b.htm) from the Catholic Encyclopedia
5. Candles (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0055.html)by Fr. William Saunders
6. Silent Night (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0130.html) by Fr. William Saunders
7. The Twelve Days of Christmas (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0131.html) by Fr. William Saunders
8. St. Francis and the Nativity Scene (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0238.html) by Fr. William Saunders
9. Mistletoe, Holly and other decorations (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0371.html) by Fr. William Saunders
Merry and Blessed Christmas, to all of you: May the Peace of Christ be with you all in this Advent and Christmas season.
Sincerely,
Rick.
Volumes have been written about the history of Christmas and the way that so many celebrate it, so only an overview can be offered here.
Early Celebration:
Admittedly there was none. In the early Church (1st to 3rd Centuries) there were no celebrations (Feasts, Festivals or "Holy Days") beyond the "celebration" (recollection) of the "Last Supper" as described in the Gospels.
Even what we today call a "birthday celebration" was, to the early Christians, considered "paganism". A Church Father, Origen, in about 230 AD, wrote, “In Scripture, sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthday.”
But opinions changed and Christ's birth was celebrated in most places by about 400 AD, which was before the Church officially recognized the "Feast of the Nativity". By then the celebration took place in most places either December 25th or January 6th.
Why December 25th?:
There are no documents of history that answer this question conclusively. We do know, though, that it was not because they thought it was the actual date of Christ's birth. Many early historians did try to calculate the date but there was not enough good evidence to determine the date of Christ's birth conclusively. Therefore, there were about as many different dates arrived at as there were folks trying to figure it. Furthermore, the Church as a whole was not interested in this figuring: Clement of Alexandria (another Church Father), in about 200 AD, called these calculation attempts “over curious.”
A popular (and probably correct in my opinion) theory is that Christians celebrated on this day because this day was already a "holiday": December 25th was the popular pagan holiday of Natalis Invicti, the birth of the Sun. Christians may have been eager to overshadow this worship of the false god "Sun" by celebrating the birth of true God "Son".
Celebration Traditions:
Despite that some claim that Christian traditions and celebrations are not truly Christian (Christian means "of Christ"), we Christians can use and explain many of our traditions and activities as another way to remain focused on the true meaning of what we celebrate: The birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are the some examples:
Candles in Windows:
After King Henry II invaded Ireland in 1171, persecution of Catholic Christians was so strong that they were unable to practice their faith publicly. Placing candles in windows (often in groups of 3 to symbolize Jesus, Mary and Joseph) became the common practice to signal Priests
That they were welcomed and would be safe in that home.
The Christmas Tree:
Saint Boniface, on a Christmas-Eve about 722, was in the area of Bavaria
Evangelizing and came across a crowd of “heathen people of the forest” gathered about an oak tree (their altar) to worship their god, Thor, and sacrifice a young boy. Saint Boniface, in protest, began to chop down the
Tree but a wind blew it down before he could and revealed behind it “a young fir tree, pointing like a cathedral spire toward heaven.” Saint Boniface spoke to the crowd: “This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree tonight. It is the wood of peace, for your houses are built of the fir. It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are ever green. See how it points upward to heaven. Let this be called the tree of the Christchild; gather about it, not in the wild wood, but in your own homes; there it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and rites of
Kindness.”
Other Decorations:
It is true that some come from pagan origins. That is OK. We take something common and use it for our own and with our own meaning. In Father William Saunders' words: they are “'baptized' giving them a new
Christian meaning. Mistletoe, holly, ivy and laurel are good examples.
The pagans used them in their celebrations as symbols of eternity, everlasting life, healing and good wishes. Christians have for centuries used these evergreens to remind us that our Lord is eternal and offers us everlasting life.
Santa Claus:
Saint Nicholas lived from 280-343 and was the Bishop of Myrna, which was located in modern Turkey. He was a real person that was known for
His holiness, sanctity, unselfish generosity and love of both his neighbor and God. Many legends about him were spread after his death. One is the story of the time he dropped three bags of gold down the chimney of a poor man who could not afford the dowry for his three daughters.
These bags landed in the socks (stockings) that were hanging in the fireplace to dry. Today Santa Claus continues the tradition of giving “in secret” and without any expectation of receiving anything in return.
The Twelve Days of Christmas:
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, which began in 1558, was another period of severe persecution of Catholics. The practice of the Christian faith was outlawed. The penalty for being caught teaching the faith was death. The song was written in apparently secular terms as a Catechism (a "teaching").
Here is a very brief explanation;
My True Love: Almighty God. The repetition: God's unending love and bestowal of gifts upon us.
A Partridge in a pear tree: Christ in the Tree of Salvation.
Two turtle doves: the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens: the gifts of the Magi and the three virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
Four calling birds: the four evangelists, their Gospels and the four Major
Prophets.
Five golden rings: Gods eternal love for us and the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament).
Six geese a-laying: the six days of creation.
Seven swans-a-swimming: the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, seven corporal works of mercy, seven spiritual works of mercy and seven deadly
Sins.
Eight maids a-milking: the eight beatitudes and, at that time in our Church, the eight times during the year prescribed to receive Holy Communion.
Nine ladies dancing: the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit and the nine choirs of angels.
Ten Lords-a-leaping: The Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers piping: the eleven faithful apostles.
Twelve drummers drumming: the twelve Minor Prophets, the twelve precepts of the Apostles Creed, the twelve Apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel.
I hope these stories, can help you and your family more greatly appreciate and explain the Christian faith and its traditions.
For more reading on the subject of Christmas traditions, see the following links:
1. From the Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm). This is long and sometimes pretty deep, but well worth the read. This article also has many good links within it.
2. The Christmas Tree (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0239.html) by Fr. William Saunders
3. Santa Claus (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/facts/fm0003.html) from Zenit Catholic News Agency
4. St. Nicholas (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11063b.htm) from the Catholic Encyclopedia
5. Candles (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0055.html)by Fr. William Saunders
6. Silent Night (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0130.html) by Fr. William Saunders
7. The Twelve Days of Christmas (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0131.html) by Fr. William Saunders
8. St. Francis and the Nativity Scene (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0238.html) by Fr. William Saunders
9. Mistletoe, Holly and other decorations (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0371.html) by Fr. William Saunders
Merry and Blessed Christmas, to all of you: May the Peace of Christ be with you all in this Advent and Christmas season.
Sincerely,
Rick.