Custom and Tradition
Christmas is a time when Christians celebrate Jesus Christ birthday. The word “Christmas” exactly comes from early English saying, “Christes Masse” that means ‘Mass of Christ’. As the genuine date of the Jesus’ birth remains mystery, the Christians in several countries celebrate it on 25 th December. The Jesus birth is explained in first two chapters of Gospels of Matthew and Luke in new testimony.
Why 25th December?
There were rival groups of early Christian believers; they felt that birth of Jesus and Jesus dominance into spirituality may have been on 2 diverse occasions.
Earlier than the 4th century, Jesus early followers didn’t have the festival for Jesus birth, scaring that, this might be taken to place him in front of King Pharaoh. About the 3rd century, lots of people understood that Jesus’ divine and the birth happened on same day, 6th January which is Epiphany feast.
Finally, 25th December was selected when Jerusalem St. Cyril asked for that Pope Julius I resolve the subject definitively. However that date, was selected to match with the existing holidays of pagan. It made changing the pagans into Christianity much easier.
In pagan holidays, three are note worthy. In very old Egypt, Feast of Horus (god of the sky) was held on 25 th December with a large amount of drinking, eating, gift-giving and dancing. In very old Rome , Romans celebrated the December festive, Saturnalia, in respect of God of harvest /agriculture, Saturn. In the northern Europe, mainly in areas of present Germany , Gauls held the sun God Mithras rebirth in winter solstice. The Druids and Celts of the pre-Christian Britain also held winter solstice, worship ascension of Oak King and return of the daylight.
Xmas or Christmas?
Several people sense that ‘Xmas’ is the secular alternate for the Christmas. Some consider that this takes “Christ” out of the Christmas. Nothing can be extra from truth. Actually, Greek letter X stands for the 1st letter of Christ’s name (Ch). Consequently, X was taken to symbolize word “Christ” in early Christian Churches.
Also read about Christmas Around The World
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