Festivals - Christmas

About two thousand years ago God gave his one and only son, Jesus, to the world. He chose a young woman named Mary to bear this unblemished male child: "And she gave birth to a son" (Lk 2:6 NEB). The Redeemer was presented in the humble setting of a shepherd's cave and was laid in a manger, where animals went to be fed. It was the perfect place for the Savior to appear.

Everyone loves a new baby. This infant was no exception. With relatives in town for the census, many from the village of Bethlehem would have gone to see Jesus, but the Bible, for a significant
purpose, mentions only two groups of visitors: humble shepherds and foreign kings. The prophecies concerning the Messiah focused on his dual mission, redeeming us from our sin and returning to reign in glory.

From the very moment Adam and Eve stepped out of perfection and walked into the darkness of the world, they needed to be redeemed. Israel lived with God's promise that he would send a savior. The period of waiting must have seemed endless. People of faith continued to assure the Israelites that one day the Messiah would come. Certainly there was enough evidence that God always keeps a promise!

Advent

The word Advent is derived from a Latin root meaning "to come." Early Christian leaders recognized the need to set apart a special time to remember those long years of waiting and to provide time for people to prepare spiritually for the coming of Christmas. They acknowledged that getting ready for Jesus' coming has more than one meaning. Not only is it an annual celebration of an event that took place many years ago; it is a celebration of his coming to us each day as well as each year during the holy season. It is also a time to remember Jesus' promise to come again. True preparation for the coming of Christmas includes all of these elements.

The celebration is to begin on the fourth Sunday prior to Christmas Day, allowing four weeks for spiritual preparation. This decision was in keeping with Old Testament festivals, which often included a number of days of preparation prior to the holy day. In the tenth century the beginning of the Christian year was advanced to the first Sunday in Advent.

The Festival of Christmas

No one knows the exact day when Jesus was born. December 25, the date assigned to remember the birth, was introduced to counter the pagan feast of the sun god—the popular winter solstice festival held in Rome—the birthday of the Invincible Sun. This was a significant celebration in the cult of Mithras, the Persian god of light who was often identified with the sun. Long before the birth of Christ ancient people living in the Northern Hemisphere, observing the disappearance of the sun, expressed their fears in annual superstitious rituals.

The Christian celebration was intended to be a theological corrective. The season was chosen to recognize and proclaim that Christ was born into a dark world and that he is the true source of
light. Christians wanted to mark the birth of the Son of God, who is the Light of the World, at a time when others were celebrating the mystery of the physical light coming back into the dark sky. The observance was intended to draw people away from superstition and myth and to help them focus on the deeper truth.

The theological corrective and observance of the birth of Jesus did not happen immediately after his birth and death. For three hundred years after the ascension of Jesus to heaven, people remembered his death and resurrection. It was not until the early part of the fourth century that Christians felt a need to honor the birth of the Savior. In keeping with Old Testament festivals, it was designated a feast day, called the Feast of the Nativity. The celebration featured a special mass in honor of the remembrance of his coming. It was thus called Christ's Mass and became known later as simply Christmas. This in itself is significant, for it was Christ who was being celebrated, not Christmas.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Who celebrates a birth before the child arrives? What family stops celebrating the day after the birth? In the sixth century Christian leaders declared Christmas a twelve-day festival. December 25 to January 5 were designated feast days to remember the birth of Immanuel, which means "God is with us."The incarnation, God's becoming human in order to be at one with us, is a worthy reason to continue the celebration beyond December 25.

Epiphany

The focus of Christmas is on Jesus, the Lamb of God. Epiphany celebrates Christ the King! The word Epiphany comes from the Greek and means "appearance," "manifestation" or "showing
forth." Epiphany, January 6, remembers the arrival of the kings who journeyed a long distance, guided by a special star, to honor the birth of the Christ Child. They said, "For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him" (Mt 2:2 NASB). The adoration of the Magi represents
the manifestation of Christ's glory to the Gentiles. The wise men clearly recognized who he was and worshiped him.

Celebrating Christmas

If you had never practiced any tradition in relation to Christmas, how might you celebrate the good news of the birth of the Savior? What might you do to show your appreciation for God's gift? An old Hebrew proverb is helpful as you contemplate your answer: "Put something where you can see it so your eye will remind your heart." The Christmas season is filled with myriad visual opportunities. Carefully choose the images you want your heart to remember.

References and Resources

G. M. Nelson, To Dance with God (New York: Paulist, 1986) 59-126; R. E. Webber, ed., The Services of the Christian Year, vol. 5 of The Complete Library of Christian Worship (Nashville: Star
Song, 1994) 157-222; M. Zimmerman, Celebrating the Christian Year (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1993) 19-91.

— Martha Zimmerman