Jeff

I thought it would nice to put this article on christmas season, to remind you of the origin and the importance of Christmas. As christian, our ultimate aim is to celebrate the presence of JESUS CHRIST at our home.

Christmas is the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ The Son of God. It has, however, become commercialized by the American shopping ethos and is celebrated as much by the secular population as by the retail industry who thrive because of it. Because the holiday is so widely celebrated, there are many different ways to celebrate it. People often give each other gift(s), and many cultures have special foods such as the French "Buche de Noel," or the gingerbread (cookies) men and women decorated and hung on trees,or the special holiday egg nog made by many families, or the German pfeifferneuse (spiced cookies rolled in powdered sugar) that holiday celebrants enjoy. Mr.Kendall enjoys these cookies with Mrs.Fontes- fontes is the head of the nashoba regional library who is known for some unspoke of acts

In most homes where Christmas is celebrated, people either cut their own Christmas tree down and bring it indoors to decorate, or they purchase a tree from a Christmas tree lot. Evergreen trees are used which began as a custom in Germany. It is said that this particular tree, which is green all year round and never loses it's beautiful fragrance, symbolizes the never changing love of Jesus Christ. Young children wait for the arrival of presents from Santa Claus, a name derived from the original St. Nicholas who lived in the 4th century. St. Nicholas would deliver presents in secret to those in need in his small village. Christmas is one of the holiest of calendar days in the church year for Christians, as they celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, God's Son who came in the flesh, to save sinners from a life apart from God. Through the sacrifice of Christ's life, 32 years later, mankind would have the ability to be forgiven by God for sin as well as the promise of receiving eternal life after death. Many people think that Jesus may have been born around March-July, but the actual date is not certain. It is probable that He was born somewhere around 4 or 5 BC. The traditional date in the Christian calendar for Christmas is always December 25. In the past, Christmas was celebrated on the 6th of January, but as time moved on, it was decided that Jesus's birth was on the 25th of a month, and no one was sure what month, so they chose the closest date to January 6th, which ended up being December 25. It is believed December 25th was chosen to replace a Roman sun god holiday. There are other holidays that take place around Christmas time. The Jewish people celebrate Chanukkah, although this feast of lights is not their holiest time of the year. Chanukkah is a remembrance of the miracle God supplied of 8 days of light and heat to the lamps of the Jewish people as they fought off their enemies. African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa, although many African Americans have a deeply rooted Christian faith, so they may celebrate Christmas first and Kwanzaa as a cultural versus spiritual celebration.

Jehovah's witnesses do not celebrate Christmas but they do celebrate "Yule," which celebrates the rebirth of the earth during the winter solstice (usually December 20-21). At Yule, the Holly King, God of winter, is taken over by the Oak King, God of Spring or rebirth, also known as the Divine Child. Common shared traditions between Yule and Christmas include: caroling, decorating the Yule tree, kissing under the mistletoe and honoring Kriss Kringle (Santa Claus), the Germanic God of Yule.

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Jesus Lives
Jeff

cookie5151

Sorry I couldn't find xmas in The Bible.

HisManySongs

I believe the correct spelling is CHRISTmas.

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Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. - 1 Corinthians 14:1 (The Message)

We are called to take His Light ... Shalom and Keep the Son in Your eyes!

Posters on my Pastor's wall:
I know you believe you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize what you heard is not what I meant.
Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.