We noted recently that Christmas is not a Biblical holiday – it neither appears in the Bible nor are we instructed to observe a day honoring these events. As such, there is no right or wrong way to celebrate it. With that in mind, let's take a look at our traditions.
When did it first show up?
A few have speculated that the very early church may have recognized a day in early fall coinciding with Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles. (John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.)
During the first several centuries after Christ, during the reign of the pagan emperors of Rome, there was a celebration in December for Saturn. It was then mixed with the celebration for Mithrae (god of light/dark) and the solstice. In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine appeared to embrace Christianity and he made December 25 a fixed date holiday honoring the birth of Christ. This overshadowed, and then replaced, the pagan holiday in December. But it still had many of the pagan associations and was not widely celebrated by the early church.
Through the centuries Christmas was intermittently observed, both as a religious observance and as a secular holiday. Over time spiritual meaning was added to it, but revelry increased as well. As a response to that, laws were passed in the 17th century making it a solemn holiday with no festivities.
Christmas was popularized in the 19th century after a book by Washington Irving and then “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. In the U.S., Alabama was the first state to recognize it as a legal holiday in 1837 and Oklahoma the last in 1907.
What is Christmas today?
Christmas has become a collection of traditions that we have gathered throughout the centuries. Some with pagan origins and some with Christian or unknown origins. The traditions themselves are neither good nor bad other than the meaning we have assigned to them. As Christians, it is a time we have chosen to set aside to celebrate the incarnation of Jesus, His sacrifice and love for us. And an opportunity for us to display this to the world around us.
God has called us to love Him and love our neighbor. What better time to come together and reach out in His love to our neighbors near and far.
What are some traditions you've embraced that further God's call?
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