A Concise and Fascinating Historical Overview of Christmas

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Christmas is by far the most popular and most widely celebrated festival in the 21st century. It is a Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. The word Christmas is a derivative of the old English words Cristes maesse - “Christ’s Mass”. The present spelling of Christmas probably came into use circa the 16th century.

The celebration of Christmas on December 25th annually is traceable to approximately the 3rd century. It is however unknown exactly when the celebration of Christmas began. Reasons for establishing December 25th as Christmas is fairly obscure but it is held by some church historians that the birth of Christ as “Light of the world” was made akin to the rebirth of the sun to make Christianity more meaningful to pagan converts.

Christendom does not claim that Jesus Christ was born on December 25th. The exact date of Christ’s birth is unknown. In the scheme of things, this is inconsequential. Pastor Rick Warren, famed author of ‘The Purpose-Driven Life” asserts: “We need to celebrate this Christmas. Jesus’ birth was – and is – good news of great joy.” In the solemn words of the venerable pastor and Calvinistic theologian, Dr. R. C. Sproul: “I can’t think of anything more pleasing to Christ than the church celebrating His birth every year”.

While Christmas is widely celebrated on December 25th, some Orthodox Christians in countries such as Ethiopia, Egypt, and Russia celebrate Christmas on the 6th and 7th of January, annually – approximately two weeks apart. The evident disparities in the dates for the commemoration of the birth of Christ is largely a consequence of the use of separate calendars by Catholic and Orthodox Christians.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XII introduced what is commonly termed the Gregorian calendar. This calendar constitutes the world’s most widely used calendar, and the one that most Christians across the globe (Protestants and Catholics alike) use in their celebration of Christmas on December 25th. Some Orthodox Christians however, use the Julian calendar. This has been so for centuries. The Gregorian calendar is 13 whole days behind the Julian calendar, hence the disparities in the dates for Christmas festivities.

From Rome, Christmas spread to other churches of the West and East, the last to adopt it being the church of Jerusalem during the Bishopric of Juvenal - from 424 to 458AD. Admittedly, down through the centuries, a minority in Christendom have shunned Christmas, notable amongst them being the Puritans (16th and 17th centuries).

During the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, the significant majority of Protestants commemorated the birth of Christ annually. The 16th-century preacher and professor of theology, Martin Luther - widely acknowledged as the most influential reformer, loved Christmas in earnest. Annually, he celebrated Christmas with his family, friends, and congregants, and is credited with composing (and singing) some Christmas hymns, which are sung in many churches, even in contemporary times.

John Calvin, widely considered the second most influential reformer, was not averse to the celebration of Christmas, and permitted his followers to celebrate Christmas, even though he was not dogmatic about it. Bruce Gordon, a professor of Ecclesiastical History notes, “Calvin’s attachment to Christmas ran deeper than mere preservation of tradition.... Some of Calvin’s most moving words from the pulpit flowed from his preaching at Christmas”.

In the 18th century, notable preachers and leading revivalists of that era such as George Whitefield, John Wesley, and his brother Charles Wesley celebrated Christmas with their followers. Charles Wesley composed some Christmas hymns found in Methodist hymnbooks and sung in many churches across the globe.

In contemporary times, more than a billion Christians across the globe still celebrate Christmas. In celebrating Christmas, amidst the merry-making, pastor, prolific author, and theologian, Dr. John MacArthur Jr. admonishes, “We should be focused on the Christ of the Christmas and giving all diligence to remembering the real reason for the season.”  Best-selling author and clergyman, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale adds, “I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world.”

Written by Daniel Dela Dunoo

(Theologian / Author)

Email: danieldeladunoo@gmail.com

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