December 22, 2011
Symbol of Christmas:
The 25th
I don't know if you could really call this a symbol, but I wanted to do a post about it because a lot of people don't know why we celebrate Christmas on the 25th. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, though even though we know he wasn't actually born on December 25th, this is the day we celebrate it. But why was the 25th of December chosen over any other date? This site offers a good explanation in a nutshell:
The decision to celebrate Christmas on December 25 was made sometime during the fourth century by church bishops in Rome. They had a specific reason for doing so.
Having turned long ago from worshiping the one true God and creator of all things, many early cultures in the Roman empire had fallen into sun worship. Recognizing their dependence on the sun's yearly course in the heavens, they held feasts around the winter solstice in December when the days are shortest. As part of their festivals, they built bonfires to give the sun god strength and bring him back to life again. When it became apparent that the days were growing longer, there would be great rejoicing.
The church leaders in Rome decided to celebrate Christ's birth during the winter solstice in an attempt to Christianize these popular pagan celebrations. For the most part their efforts failed to make the people conform, and the heathen festivities continued. Today we find ourselves left with a bizarre marriage of pagan and Christian elements that characterizes our modern celebration of Christmas.
I don't think it matters that the traditions at Christmas have evolved so much. I for one, enjoy everything about Christmas. But what matters is why we celebrate. The reason for doing this virtual advent calendar is to help me (and you, if you so choose) to focus my thoughts toward Christ and the reason for celebrating His birth. I figure if everything about Christmas can be connected to Him somehow, it will be the perfect visual reminder for me so that everything I see or do will remind me of Him. I really like what the author of the article from this site says about Christmas:
What other event throughout all time is more significant than the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ? ... His is the most significant birth ever. It is the central event in all of history. Time chronicles backward and forward from this moment. I find myself wanting to ask, how can we fail to remember this day with great joy and reverence? How can we not celebrate Christmas?
I hope we will remember who we are celebrating on the 25th and why we are celebrating. Christ did so much for us. The least we could do is acknowledge Him on His day. I am so grateful for the gift of our Savior, and I am grateful for the love He has for me. And I am grateful for this time of year when we can honor Him.
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