Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God. The name “Christmas” comes from the Mass of Christ or the Christ Mass. A Mass is a service where Christians remember that Jesus died for us and then came back to life. The Christ Mass took place after sunset and before the sunrise of the next day … so people had it at Midnight.
Christians and non-Christians alike now celebrate Christmas. It’s become a time when family and friends come together and remember the good things they have. It’s also a time to give and receive gifts.
Regarding the holiday being on December 25th, a very early Christian tradition said that the day when Mary was told she would have a very special baby, Jesus was on March 25th. Nine months after the 25th of March is the 25th of December!
Some people also think that December 25th might have also been chosen because the Winter Solstice and the ancient pagan Roman midwinter festivals called 'Saturnalia' and 'Dies Natalis Solis Invicti' took place in December around this date - so it was a time when people already celebrated things. It has also been said that at a time when persecution was high, Christians celebrated the birth of Christ quietly within the Pagan celebrations so as not to raise suspicions of their being followers of Christ.
The Jewish festival of Lights, Hanukkah, starts on the 25th of Kislev (the month in the Jewish calendar that occurs at about the same time as December). Hanukkah celebrates when the Jewish people were able to re-dedicate and worship in their Temple, in Jerusalem, again following many years of not being allowed to practice their religion.
Jesus was a Jew, so this could be another reason that helped the early Church choose December 25th for the date of Christmas! So whenever you celebrate Christmas, remember that you're celebrating a real event that happened roughly 2000 years ago when God sent his Son into the world as a redemptive gift for all mankind.
My dear brothers & sisters, enjoy this holiday season with a renewed sense of knowing what Christmas is and means. Use this time to assess your walk with Christ. If you don’t yet know Him personally, now is as good a time as any to look into it. God loves you and Jesus, His Son came to earth and died FOR YOU! Be at peace my friends and until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!!
In His Name & for His Glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
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