The History of Christmas
Source : K-House eNews
December 22, 2003
Christ.mas n. -A Christian feast commemorating the birth of
Jesus. -An annual church festival (December 25) and in some
States a legal holiday, in memory of the birth of Christ,
often celebrated by a particular church service, and also by
special gifts, greetings, and hospitality.
[www.Dictionary.com]
The celebration of Christmas has caused some controversy in
recent years, for a variety of reasons. Many have been
concerned that Christ is too often left out of Christmas;
replaced by trimmings and presents and fudge. Others have
battled over whether we should allow manger scenes on public
property or allow the school choir to sing Christmas carols
that actually contain a message about Jesus Christ. On the
other hand, a growing number of Christians have been arguing
that we should not celebrate Christmas at all because there
is no command to do so in the Bible and because the
celebration is based in pagan roots.
What stand should we take? How should we approach this
all-encompassing holiday in the light of history and in the
light of the Bible?
The Pagan History :
Many pagan religions through the millennia have worshipped
the sun as the source of light and warmth and life. As
darkness deepened in the winter and the shortest day of the
year approached, many pagans of yesteryear feared that the
light might die altogether. Once the winter solstice hit,
however, and the hours of sunlight began to increase once
again, there would be great celebrations over the return of
the sun and the accompanying hope for a future spring. In
the northern hemisphere, these celebrations would occur
toward the end of December.
Tammuz, the son of Nimrod and his queen, Semiramis, was
identified with the Babylonian Sun God and worshipped
following the winter solstice, on about December 22-23.
Tammuz was thought to have died during the winter solstice,
and was memorialized by burning a log in the fireplace. (The
Chaldean word for infant is yule. This is the origin of the
yule log.) His rebirth was celebrated by replacing the log
with a trimmed tree the next morning.
The Roman god Saturn's celebration fell on December 17 and
lasted for seven days. Romans would gaily decorate their
homes in evergreen boughs and candles, and would give gifts
to one another. It was a time of visiting with family and
friends, and of often-rowdy merry-making.
December 25 was also considered to be the birth date of the
Iranian mystery god Mithra, the god of light and contracts.
A once-minor god of the Persian pantheon, Roman soldiers
adopted Mithra as the manly man's hero, a divinity of
fidelity, manliness, and bravery. Women were excluded from
the caves where men worshipped Mithra through secret
rituals.
While quite different in person and mission, there are a few
similarities between the legends of Mithra and the story of
Christ. Mithra was said to have been born in a cave, with
shepherds attending, (although there were no men on earth at
the time (?)). Other legends have him being born from a rock
by a river under a tree. According to Persian mythology,
Mithra was born of a virgin given the title 'Mother of God'.
Mithra was a moral god, upholding the sanctity of the
contract even when the contract was made with one who was
sure to break it. Initiates into Mithraism would be
'baptized' with the trickle of the sacrificial bull's blood
that would flow into a pit. This blood was said to cleanse
the initiates from any impurities.
Tertullian (160-220 A.D.), the early Church writer, noticed
that the pagan religion utilized baptism as well as bread
and wine consecrated by priests. He considered Mithraism to
have been inspired by the devil, who wanted to mock
Christians and lead others to hell.
Mithra came to be identified with the sun-god Helios and
became known as 'The Great God Helios-Mithras.' Several
Roman emperors formally announced their alliance with the
sun, including Commodus who was initiated in public. Emperor
Aurelian (270 to 275 CE) blended a number of Pagan solstice
celebrations of such god-men/saviors as Appolo, Attis, Baal,
Dionysus, Helios, Hercules, Horus, Mithra, Osiris, Perseus,
and Theseus into a single festival called the 'Birthday of
the Unconquered Sun,' celebrated on December 25th.
Because of these pagan beliefs and these historical pagan
celebrations, many Christians believe we should avoid
Christmas as ultimately a pagan holiday. However, does the
celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ itself have
anything to do with pagans? It was, after all, foretold
centuries prior in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the fullness of
time, God sent His Son to redeem mankind. He sent Jesus as a
little baby to become God With Us.
The Hebrew Roots :
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among
the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth
unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth
have been from of old, from everlasting . -Micah 5:2
And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my
servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the
preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to
the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end
of the earth . -Isaiah 49:6
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a
virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel . -Isaiah 7:14
...When at the first he lightly afflicted the land of
Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more
grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan,
in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in
darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the
land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light
shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of
his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth
even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform
this . -Isaiah 9:1-2,6-7
The Christian Roots :
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast
found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in
thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name
JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the
Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of
his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob
for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then
said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know
not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the
Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of
God. - Luke 1:30-35
About 1950 years ago, the well-educated and faithful
physician Luke wrote to one Theophilus, detailing the life
of Jesus Christ. Luke explained that he had done research on
the subject so that Theophilus could know with certainty
that the things he had been told about Jesus were true (Luke
1:4). Luke must have spoken with Mary herself, for he tells
of things that only she would know. 'But Mary kept all these
things, and pondered them in her heart,' (Luke 2:19). He
tells Theophilus of the birth of Jesus; how he was born in
Bethlehem during a time when the entire Roman world was
being taxed. Shepherds out in the field were surprised by a
host of angels that filled the sky, singing, 'Glory to God
in the highest!' and as they were told, went down to find
the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.
Then, those shepherds told everybody they could find about
the incredible things they had seen.
The child grew up and went on to have a short, three-year
ministry that ended in his death on a Roman Cross. Yet, the
man that was born in Bethlehem rose again from the dead, as
witnessed by over 500 men (1 Cor 15:6). And he is still
changing the hearts and lives of people living today.
The early Christians are not known to have celebrated
Christ's birth, and the actual date of his nativity has been
lost in history. The first recorded mention of the December
25 date is in the Calendar of Philocalus (354 A.D.), which
assumed Jesus' birth date to be Friday, December 25, 1
A.D. Pope Julius I officially proclaimed December 25 to be
the anniversary of Christ's birth in 440 A.D. Giving
December 25th Christian significance has been understood to
have been an effort to help the pagan world embrace
Christianity and trade in their worship of pagan gods for
the One True God. Originally called the Feast of the
Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England
by the end of the 6th century. By the end of the 8th
century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way
to the Scandinavian countries. Christmas is celebrated on
January 6 in the Orthodox Church, on what is also called
Epiphany or Three Kings Day, the day that celebrates the
arrival of the wise men who gave the Christ child their
gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Today
Christmas did largely win out over the pagan holidays, but
was still celebrated with rowdy festivities and practical
jokes - more like Mardi Gras than anything resembling the
character of Christ. Puritans in England outlawed Christmas
for years, and the holiday was not popular in early America.
In fact, Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday in the
United States until June 26, 1870.
Then, the holiday underwent a conversion. Christmas
was 'reinvented' into the more moderate holiday we know
today. Writers Washington Irving and Charles Dickens both
wrote tales that presented Christmas as a holiday of caring
for the poor and bringing families together. As the angels
sang above the shepherds that first night, Christmas was
about 'peace on earth, good will toward men.'
Conclusion :
The Season is still a mixture of traditions pulled from a
multitude of sources. While many of them have little to do
with Jesus, most are morally neutral activities. However,
even while Santa Claus ho ho ho's down Main street on a fire
truck, and Hershey makes a killing on aluminum-wrapped
chocolate bells, the reality of Christ's birth does break
through. Nativity scenes in downtown squares and in front of
churches bring to mind the great gift of God - the King of
kings lying in a manger, attended by shepherds. Children who
see them have the chance to ask, 'What is that?' Christmas
carols that cry 'The Lord is come' and 'Come let us adore
him' are sung from door to door, reminding us all of what
God has done. It is a time of year when people can speak
more freely of Jesus the Savior, and when even the faithless
are willing to go to a Christmas Eve church service. It is
truly a precious slot of time God has given us during which
to spread the Good News of His Son. Glory to God in the
highest!
May your celebration of the birth of Christ honor Him who
gave Himself to us as the ultimate sacrifice of love. May
everything we do reflect the love and compassion of our
Savior, and bring glory to His name.