Explain Christmas to a Jewish woman — Page 2

Christmas acquired a lot of non-Christian symbols and rituals from other religions in Europe in the dark ages. The Christmas tree is one of them, as well as mistletoe and holly. The celebration of the winter solstice probably got into it also.

Christmas, like any seminal event in any religious system, is a wonderful, complex metaphor for the potential of spiritual renewal that lies within all of us.

though we don't really "know" there were three...we do know the names of the three men who were supposed magi or wisemen. Gaspar (or Caspar), Melchior, and Balthasar (if you ever wondered where this name came from, now you know)

I was a christian ministry minor in university with an emphasis on teaching youth, so we have gone through this numerous times. I'll see what I can shed light on here as I go.

Start with the word Christmas, this comes from the early English phrase "cristes maesse" or "mass of Christ".

December 25th is Christmas? Well..yes because:

The first mention of December 25 as the birth date of Jesus occurred in A.D. 336 in an early Roman calendar. The celebration of this day as Jesus's birth date was probably influenced by pagan (unchristian) festivals held at that time. The ancient Romans held year-end celebrations to honor Saturn, their harvest god; and Mithras, the god of light. Various peoples in northern Europe held festivals in mid-December to celebrate the end of the harvest season. As part of all these celebrations, the people prepared special foods, decorated their homes with greenery, and joined in singing and gift giving. These customs gradually became part of the Christmas celebration.

In the late 300's, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. By 1100, Christmas had become the most important religious festival in Europe, and Saint Nicholas was a symbol of gift giving in many European countries. During the 1400's and 1500's, many artists painted scenes of the Nativity, the birth of Jesus.
The popularity of Christmas grew until the Reformation, a religious movement of the 1500's. This movement gave birth to Protestantism. During the Reformation, many Christians began to consider Christmas a pagan celebration because it included nonreligious customs. During the 1600's, because of these feelings, Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English colonies in America. The old customs of feasting and decorating, however, soon reappeared and blended with the more Christian aspects of the celebration.

Xmas, why? The word "xmas" is sometimes used in place of Christmas. Most people find it to mean the writer was lazy or that the X symbolizes the cross Jesus was crucified on. Wrong! In Greek, X is the first letter of Jesus' name..thus explaining the x in "xmas". It was, and in some places still is, seen as a religious symbol.

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i know the history of the candy cain

I don't find the religious aspects of Christmas offensive. But I absolutely abhor the "holiday season" (bull****- it's the Christmas season) because nothing can make you feel like a stranger in your own country quite as fast as being surrounded by holiday cheer for a holiday you don't believe in. I know it's not intentional on the part of Gentiles, but it still happens.

And IntheMoney- paganism is all in who you're asking to define it. If the person is a certain kind of Christian, everyone non-Christian and Jewish is probably pagan, for instance.

In France, December 6th is still a holiday...called...I can't remember. Something about Noel or something.

Noel is French for Christmas, and it's still on December 25th. You might be thinking of another holiday.

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Hey Plum, I'm the one who just took my Christian History final. I'm also a religion major. I also grew up in a pretty religious family, and I taught Sunday School throughout high school.

I didn't have the time, (nor the patience) to read the rest of this thread, but I assume by now you've got most of the info, but I'll do a little bit.

December 25 is not a date in the Bible or anything. It actually is the date of one of the main pagan feasts. (I actually think most churches now believe the date was sometime in Spring, although you shouldn't quote me on that.) As with most (major) religions, when trying to spread Christianity, many things were fused with pagan holidays. Hence, even though the holiday is religious, the date on which it's celebrated is not.

I love the religious aspect of Christmas. God sent His only son to Earth to save us (and by us, I mean all of humanity, I do not hold the belief that all who aren't Christian are damned for all eternity or anything. You worship the way you want, I'll do it the way I want, I'll see you in Heaven is my philosophy...) Though I love Christmas, it has definitely become too commercialized for me. I like to give gifts that are meaningful to show someone that I love them, but getting the most expensive, new high tech toy for everyone and their dog really gets to me.

I just want to briefly mention the idea of the Trinity, which is central to Christianity. God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit are one (at least to Catholic and mainstream protestant groups.) They are both one and three (the both/and dynamic is central to Christianity) and of one "substance." Jesus is both human and divine, and is the "Word" or "God" made flesh.

For Christians the most important holiday is (or should be) Easter, not Christmas.

After Christ's death, many different sects were formed apart from traditional Judaism. The split between Judaism and Christianity was a painful one for both sides and didn't officially happen for many years after His death. It's pretty complicated, and since I don't have my notes/book with me right now, I'd prefer not to say anything too specific for fear of being wrong. I do know that there was controversy in early Christianity over whether or not one needed to be Jewish to be Christian.

The Old Testament (Isaiah in particular) tells of the coming of the Messiah. Christians believe that that prophecy (or promise, for most) was fulfilled in Jesus. The idea of the "second coming" came from the fact that the end of days was to follow the coming of the Messiah. Obviously, it didn't come as quickly as expected, which is where we get the "second coming," meaning Jesus will return to Earth and that will be followed by the end of days.

Sorry for my really basic theology, but it's complicated to explain (as I'm sure it would be if someone were to try to explain Islam to me on a message board.) Also, please note that there are tons of strands of Christianity, so all of my comments don't apply to all of them, but it was pretty mainstream theology.

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"Candy cain"---is that how he slew Abel?

"In France, December 6th is still a holiday...called...I can't remember. Something about Noel or something."

It's the feast day of Saint Nicholas. Most people celebrate that here too.

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I came across this item in a book called CHRISTOPHER RADKO'S ORNAMENTS. Text by Olivia Bell Buehl:

"The Christmas tree as we know it today evolved from a complicated tapestry of customs. Rooted in the earth, but with its spire pointing towards the heavens, the evergreen has always inspired fellowship, hope, and renewed life. Early Celts worshiped trees as gods regarded them as symbols of fruitfulness, even in the barreness of winter. Druids in the British Isles believed that the spirts lived in the forest entered the evergreen boughs when winter fell. Cuttings of greens were used in religious rites to ensure vegetation would once again return to the barren earth, to brighten homes, and guard against evil spirits. Connection between the Christmas tree and the Yule tree is more tenuous. Always an evergreen, the Yule tree was planted beside the entrance door or in the forecourt. Later on the Yule tree was brought indoors and kept in a box or tub, where it was watered and nurtured, as reminder that Nature was not dead, but merely sleeping. Yule trees were never decorated."

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SATURNALIA

In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters. Peasants were in command of the city. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could join in the fun.

Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra's birthday was the most sacred day of the year.

In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday.

Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia. Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.

By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today's Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the "lord of misrule" and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined "debt" to society by entertaining less fortunate citizens.

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