Many have asked, "What is the origin of Christmas?" There are some who are set in the fact that there is no reason for the season. No Baby in a manger, or shepherds and wise men.
While others believe that since the beginning of time when man first sinned God had a perfect plan, and that plan was to be carried out by his son...... Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
That leaves us with the people in the middle. They have looked at both sides of the argument and honestly are just as confused,if not more so, than before.
In an effort to clear up this matter, let's look at the facts and traditions that we carry out at home this time of the year.
Christmas Wreaths - our first tradition/ decoration is this festive piece of garland used to decorate the house. Long ago a Christmas wreath was used as a symbol to remind the people when hung, of the promise of eternal life. It also reminds us that God is eternal, like the Christmas wreath He has no beginning and no end.
Our next topic is Christmas trees. What is a Christmas tree good for? It is good for decorating or putting gifts under the tree most would say. Though most don't probe beneath the surface to look for a deeper meaning. Like the wreath, the Christmas tree is a symbol that points to the reason for the season. The practice of cutting it down and standing it up again is symbolizing the death and resurrection of Jesus. This special tree commonly known as the evergreen also points to the unchanging nature of God. Like this tree that doesn't change its color, or lose its leaves all year long God never changes. He is always loving and always kind, and he will always reign as king.
Coming up next is the tradition of Gift giving. Now this is one of the most glorified traditions of them all. While children shake the boxes and try to guess whats inside it is rare that they think of the first Christmas gift that was given over 2,000 years ago. Luke 2:10 - 12 says, "But the angel said do not be afraid for I bring you good news of great joy that will be to all people. This day in the city of David a savior will be born to you, He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign unto you, you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." So God wrapped His Christmas Gift to kick off the tradition of gift giving, but He wasn't the only one doing the gift giving that first Christmas. Wise men from the east saw a star that marked the arrival of a great king, the long awaited promised savior. They quickly packed their bags, gathered their gifts and went after the star. On their arrival they went and worshiped the king, bowing before him they gave him gifts of gold, frankincense myrrh.
The next tradition we will talk about is Saint Nick. Not long after Christ's crucifixion, resurrection,
and assencion, a priest in Greece spoke out loudly against the pagans in the church. December 25th is now known to the world as Christmas. Then, it was known as the celebration of the sun god. That day the people of greece worshiped the sun god. When they listened to this priest, now known as St. Nick, they realized what they were doing was wrong and decided to replace this day of festivities dedicated to idols with the celebration of Jesus Christ, their new savior. St Nick also went around the country of greece giving to those less fortunate. Some may ask what happened to this story of sacrifice and repentance? As the story carried down through the centuries people started turning away from God and as they turned, so did the stories, and traditions. What is the result? Santa Claus.
Now that you have seen the origin of our traditions, and Christmas itself, you have to face the fact that everything in Christmas points to the reason for the season, God's perfect gift that was given so long ago.... Jesus Christ.
Written by Riley Henderson
Hi there! Thank you so much for visiting my blog! My name is Riley Rose, I am currently a senior in high school, and one of my biggest dreams is that my writing would impact the world for Jesus! I hope that you enjoy!
