Meaning of Christmas

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. In Western Europe, is the first Christmas Day on December 25 and Boxing Day on 26 December. Many Eastern churches celebrate it later because they hold the Julian calendar.

Origin

That Christmas is celebrated on December 25 has several causes. In the fourth century would emperor Constantine the Great and his bishops have determined that it needed to be celebrated on December 25th. This was because on the 25th of December in the countries around the Mediterranean, the sun gods were worshiped.

In addition, this date also arise because Jesus was also called “the Light of the World ‘, Constantine I then decided that this day should be celebrated the birth of Christ. Moreover, the days around December 25 “free holidays of Saturnalia.

The word Christmas comes from the word Christmas Ones, this means making Christian. Christmas actually means “Christ-Mass.” The party is in fact the sign of the birth of Jesus. Jesus was called Christ. Christ means “the anointed one.” It is unlikely that Jesus actually born on December 25th. The exact date of birth, no one knows, and studies show that Jesus was probably born sometime in the autumn.

Christmas customs

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to find in many places night services in churches instead. This night services are very well attended and it is therefore often the busiest times for a church. Also held by many heads of state on Christmas Day Christmas speeches. These speeches will be broadcast on radio or television.

Through nativity is depicted the Christmas story each year. The cribs are quite different in size and material. There are also live nativity scenes. Remarkable is the presence of the ox and the donkey in the nativity scene. They both have no biblical origin. In other countries, the tradition of a house is replaced by a cave.

Christmas tree strikes back at a fertility symbol. The tree symbolizes the birth of Jesus. First the tree is left standing in churches, later people took him home. According to Luther, the tree reminds the Christians to the tree in paradise. Christmas tree balls symbolize the fruit that Adam and Eve ate. The peak in the tree should represent the star that caused the Three Wise Men from the East found their way to Jesus.

Santa Claus comes from Saint Nicholas. People who moved to America took the tradition of Sinterklaas with them. Nicholas quickly turned into Santa Claus. By advertisements of Coca Cola Santa Claus went around the world. In Germany and Austria does not Santa Claus, but the Christ child along with presents, this happens on December 24th.

The Christmas story

The Christmas story is told of the birth of Jesus.

Long ago, many people thought that God had forgotten them. Jerusalem was the evil King Herod in charge, which was not a fun time for the Jews. One day an angel came to Mary. He told her that she would be the mother of the Son of God.

The former emperor in Judea (Jerusalem) demanded that everyone counted and registered to be had. That is why Mary and Joseph headed to Bethlehem to register in their hometown. They went from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Bethlehem in Judea. Finally arrived in Bethlehem, they were looking for a place to rest. The inn was no place which Mary and Joseph had to sleep in the stable with animals. In this stable, Jesus is born. She wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger, a feeding trough for animals.

In the same night appeared in the East, the bright, unknown star in the sky to announce his arrival. Suddenly an angel appeared and told the great news to the shepherds who were keeping watch over their flock of sheep just outside of town on a field. These shepherds also saw the bright star and then straight to the center of Bethlehem went there and found Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus in the manger to. They kneel before Jesus and tell Mary and Joseph Angel. She then told everyone what had happened. The people were very happy because they knew that God still had not abandoned them.

Besides the true shepherds, the three wise men from the east in search of the baby Jesus. They had heard that Jesus would later become king of the Jews. The three wise men found the stable in Bethlehem by following the bright star that came to the manger in the stable with Jesus. The three wise men gave Jesus three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The evil King Herod had meanwhile learned of the birth of Jesus and was looking for Joseph, Mary and Jesus. Luckily Joseph was at night warned by an angel and he could flee to Egypt in time with Mary and Jesus. Only when the evil King Herod was dead, they went back to Nazareth.