Christians and even non-Christians, all over the world are known to celebrate Christmas on 25th December every year. Usually During Christmas friends and family come together, share gifts to commemorate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It usually involve Social gatherings everywhere, people travel from far beyond to spend time with friends and family, others travel to pitch a tent somewhere far from home with some few friends and family. During Christmas, family go into planning, just to make sure they have fun during the period. Even though Christmas is just a day, which is 25th December, the holidays are stretch to 2nd of the new year or even more.
Origin of Christmas
Those who advocate that it is wrong for us to celebrate Christmas often point to Christmas’ connection with an ancient pagan holiday called Saturnalia. I am not an expert on this, nor do I want to be an expert on this, because I don’t see any need to be an expert on this!. There are many theories about Christmas but the most loudly touted theory about the origins of the Christmas date(s) is that it was borrowed from pagan celebrations. The Romans had their mid-winter Saturnalia festival in late December; barbarian peoples of northern and western Europe kept holidays at similar times. To top it off, in 274 C.E., the Roman emperor Aurelian established a feast of the birth of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun), on December 25. Christmas, the argument goes, is really a spin-off from these pagan solar festivals. According to this theory, early Christians deliberately chose these dates to encourage the spread of Christmas and Christianity throughout the Roman world: If Christmas looked like a pagan holiday, more pagans would be open to both the holiday and the God whose birth it celebrated.
There are Alot of misconception on celebration of Christmas, How did December 25 become Christmas? We cannot be entirely sure. Elements of the festival that developed from the fourth century until modern times may well derive from pagan traditions. Yet the actual date might really derive more from Judaism—from Jesus’ death at Passover, and from the rabbinic notion that great things might be expected, again and again, at the same time of the year—than from paganism. Then again, in this notion of cycles and the return of God’s redemption, we may perhaps also be touching upon something that the pagan Romans who celebrated Sol Invictus, and many other peoples since, would have understood and claimed for their own, too.
https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/how-december-25-became-christmas/True Essence of Christmas
On December 25, Christians around the world will gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is a period for Joyful carols, special liturgies, brightly wrapped gifts, festive foods—these all characterize the feast today, at least in the northern hemisphere. It is a season of joy, of peace, of great tidings. A season when we celebrate the birth of Christ the King, the redeemer of mankind! Jesus is the reason for the season.
According to J. C Penney, ‘Christmas is not just a time for festivity and merry making. It is more than that. It is a time for the contemplation of eternal things. The Christmas spirit is a spirit of giving and forgiving.’ To George F. McDougall ‘Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God.
Man had sinned against God and God had to give His son in form of flesh, He had to become a man to save man from his sins, John 3vs16 says For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him.... ' Christmas is not only a time for merry making but also a time for reflections of God's love. When we ponder on God's love, we are also motivated to show love to our fellow man. The birth of Jesus has being prophesied long time ago.
This should therefore be a period of gratitude to God for sparing our lives and counting us among the living. It should equally be an opportunity for us to mend our ways with God so that we will not be found wanting.
The spirit behind Christmas is that of giving and sharing.
The three wise men when heard about the birth of Jesus, took 3 wonder gifts to visit Jesus gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. The Christmas heart is a giving heart, God first gave us, so why can't we give back to Him?
How is Christmas usually celebrated?
There is no one way to celebrate Christmas but one thing is certain, it is a period of celebration. Traditionally, people decorate their homes with bright, colourful lights and a Christmas tree.Feasts are prepared and many people also ring in the occasion weeks in advance and Christmas carols are sung for the occasion. Children are given importance in Christmas, as they receive gifts from their parents and the famous Santa Claus. Christmas every year involves social gatherings around the world.
Christmas celebration in this pandemic
The Corona Virus (covid - 19) has being a problem affecting the world in 2020 and almost everything is being affected. Most countries recently are facing a new phase of this deadly virus. According to international health organizations, one way to aviod contacting this virus is social distancing, avoiding social gatherings. One would ask, how can Christmas be celebrated in closed doors, quarantined in your home.
You may feel disappointed, too. There may be a lot of expectation-bound disappointment going around this year but then we reminded of a scripture in:
Rom.5.3 - And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Rom.5.4 - And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Rom.5.5 - And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
God will use even our holiday-event-related disappointment to build endurance, character and hope in us. In this Christmas celebration, we should remember that one important thing is to connect with people. At special times, people want to be together with those they love – in small groups, like family units, and in large groups, like the church, if you must do large gathering, remember to use your nose masks.
We need remember also the people need Jesus, we should share Jesus in this period of sharing. A nice event that doesn’t include experiencing Jesus will leave people feeling that something is missing. Send them out with hearts full of God and they will be fulfilled.
Don't lose sight!!!!!!!!!
It's just 4 days to Christmas and it is easy to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. Amidst the delicious meals, sweet drinks, lovely songs & dances, beautiful friends & family members we would come across this season, let’s try not to forget about the child, born on a winter night so cold, whose bed was made only of hay & animal food; our lord Jesus Christ, who taught us all what real, genuine & unconditional love is.
Merry Xmas
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2012/12/the-true-essence-of-christmas/amp/