By S.Raymond Rajabalan
For unto you are born this day in the city of David a saviour, who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be sign unto you .Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger
- LUKE 2: 11-12
We are in the midst of Christmas, a festive period concerning the birth of a child that altered the courses of history of mankind, the arrival of angels, three wise men –Gasper, Melchior and Balthazar- who came from the east to Jerusalem and the star of Bethlehem that guided them to the place of birth of Jesus, the son of God. No other holiday boast of such a wealth of traditions and customs.
Christmas, the most widely celebrated festival in the world brings joy, hope and light to mankind in the darkest month of the year. The season is marked by an outpouring of good will on the path of making peace and this is also a time of sharing and generosity.
A collection of interesting information relating this global festival that binds a variety of religions and beliefs across the continents is listed below.
1. Origin of the word “Christmas”:
The word Christmas arose from the old English word Christes Masses
2. Christmas Star: It is generally accepted that Christ was born during B.C 5-7
• It is believed that during this period the planets Jupiter and Saturn were on the same orbit and the galaxy of Pisces approached these planets resulting in a blinding light that shone for a brief period .This could have been the Christmas Star (Star of Bethlehem) that guided to the manger where Jesus was born. It was at this time an angel appeared in front of the Shepherds who were guarding their sheep. It was also at this time the first carol was sung by a chorus of angels” Glory to be god in the highest and peace to his people on Earth”
• Another view is that this bright star would have been the comet named Hailley that appeared during B.C 11-12 providing a bright glow.
Generally, stars had an important place in the history of Jewish people
• Jesus was often referred to as the descendant of Abraham.The birth of Abraham is indicated by a rising star.
• According to Old Testament, the galaxy of Pisces, Jupiter and Saturn were associated with the life of prophet Moses
3. Why is Christmas celebrated on Dec 25Th?
The year and date of birth of Christ are uncertain and even the place of birth is open to dispute.
According to the Gospel of Mathew, it is stated that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, during the reign of Emperor Herod, who died in year B.C 4. Based on this and various other information, it is believed that Christ was born in the period B.C 4-5
However, until the 4th century, there was some dispute regarding the actual date of birth of Christ. To settle this conflict, an appeal was made to Pope John 1 by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem in 4th century A.D and as a result it was decided that effective A.D 354 Christmas should be celebrated on Dec 25th.
4 Significance of the colours Red, White and Green
Red: Indicates Charity, Blood and Faith .Out of these three, Blood signifies that throughout the world, mankind is the same.
White: Refers to Purity, Light and Happiness
Green: Symbolizes New Life, Hope and Nature
5. Santa Claus: In 1809 an American writer Washington Irving wrote in an article titled ‘A History of New York ‘describing Saint Nicholas, a fourth century Bishop as a chubby and jovial person who used to travel by a sledge pulled by a herd of rein deer.During his life time Saint Nicholas was said to have performed numerous miraculous deeds and brought gifts to countless needy people.
Based on the description of Washington Irving, in 1822 , Dr.Clement Moore, a professor of Hebrew and Literature at the University of New York wrote a poetry “The night before Christmas “ and read it to his children. In the following year this poem was published in a local magazine Tory Sentinel (New York) on Christmas Day.
In 1863, Thomas Nast , a famous political cartoonist drew a rotund elf dressed in a furry suit and jaunty cap decorated with holly sprigs in a periodical named “Harper’s Weekly”and named the picture as Santa Claus.This picture soon became famous across the continents and today Santa in red robes is one of the most recognizable figures in the world. Santa now colours the language and customs of people every where and wherever he appears he radiates the warmth and good cheer that is Christmas.
6. Origin of the name Santa Claus:
The geographical region presently referred to as Turkey was referred to as Asia Minor in the 4th Century .Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra (a city of Demre located on the south coast of Turkey) lived during this period and because of his helping the needy people, his fame spread northwards towards medieval Europe.
In Holland (present day Netherlands), the name of Saint Nicholas was referred to as “Sinterklass” and in this country Dec 6th is celebrated as a special day of St.Nicholas, the children’s saint.
When a few people from Holland (present day Netherlands) arrived on Christmas day in Manhattan in United States, these Dutch settlers named Saint Nicholas as their patron saint and the first church built by them was dedicated after the saint. As more colonists from Holland began to arrive, they brought their Christmas customs along with them. When British forces gained control of New York in the 17th century, the name Santerklass was anglicized into Santa Claus.
7 .How did Christmas tree became part of Christmas celebrations?
Egyptians celebrated mid winter using palm trees having twelve shoots. The number of shoots indicated the number of the year.
Meanwhile many centuries ago, Romans used to have a lavish mid winter festival called Saturnalia which was held to honour God Saturn, the god of peace and abundance. During this feast held during January, they lighted pine trees with candles. This festival could have been prelude to Christmas trees.
The first Christmas trees were used in Germany in the town of Alsac, then a region of West Germany. Decorating evergreen trees was begun in 1950.When Martin Luther, a religious leader in Germany tied candles to the branches of fir tree. He wanted the children to watch the candles shining through the dark to remind them of the stable in Bethelehem .In Germany Christmas trees were then called Christbaum.
In 1940 , the German born Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria introduced Christmas tree to Britain .Tinsels , garlands, candles and lights were added to these trees as Christmas decorations.In1894 , the prince arranged to have a beautifully decorated tree at Windsor Castle.Since them the Royal family began the practice of taking photographs around the tree each Christmas.A number of people in the country rushed to follow the example set by royals and as a result , the popularity of Christmas trees began to spread throughout the world.
8. Christmas Cards
‘Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”.Millions of people around the world across express this familiar sentiment using a variety of Christmas cards of every imaginable size , shape and colour.Like gifts, these greeting cards are also a token of
friendship and good will. They help to convey the feelings that sometimes are difficult to express.
It is generally believed that the first Christmas Cards were produced by an English businessman Sir Henry Cole.They were designed by Cole’s fiend, an artist named John Calcott Horsley .In 1843 Cole printed 1000 Cards and by 1870 they became popular and now they have become a pleasant part of Christmas festivities.
The central theme of Christmas is: Peace on Earth, Good Will towards men as proclaimed by the angels who announced the birth of infant Jesus on the first Christmas. [www.monsoonjournal.com]