Christmas Quiz

Test your knowledges on the origins and traditions of Christmas. This quiz is based on the information presented in the 12 Days of Christmas series on this blog. If you're looking for more information that what is provided by the quiz, check the series.

Below is a quiz based on the 12 Days of Christmas series.

Day 12: The Meaning of Christmas

What is the meaning of Christmas? That's the ultimate goal we need to be asking ourselves.

On the 12^th Day of Christmas, the Meaning of Christmas was Revealed

For the last post in the 12 Days of Christmas Series, I wanted to talk about the meaning of Christmas, because that seems to be so clear, and yet so hazy for people. What am I talking about? As I said at the beginning, most Christians argue that Christmas is about Jesus—Jesus is the reason for the season. If you ask a Christian what the meaning of Christmas is, though, they don't always say Jesus.

I've heard Christians say that the meaning of Christmas was family; that it was about relaxing. I've heard them say "a good Christmas" and refer to "doing" Christmas or "putting on Christmas" for a child. Now don't get me wrong, spending time with family and relaxing are both great things, but they don't really have anything to do with Jesus' birth. Like the message in A Christmas Carol, people associate kindness and giving with the holiday, but when it really boils down to it, they forget all about Jesus. As I may have mentioned earlier, not a single person I spoke to on Christmas day mentioned Jesus. People said "Merry Christmas, did you get everything you wanted?" or "Merry Christmas, how's your family?" One person said "Merry Christmas, let's see what Santa brought." No one said "Merry Christmas, isn't it awesome that Jesus was born?" or "Merry Christmas, the Messiah is born!" If Jesus is the reason for the season, why is it that even those claiming this phrase are neglecting Jesus on this day?

The church I grew up in used to have the Christmas play on Christmas Eve. After I left home, they moved it to the Sunday before Christmas (which also places the celebration closer to those pagan holidays we discussed earlier). When I found out, I asked why they move it and was given reasons such as "some people have to work" or "some people want to be with family." Well, some people work on Sunday (not to mention 90% of that church is retired)... Those traveling to family could go to church with their family... You see, the holy days that were actually mandated by God in the Old Testament, before Jesus fulfilled them, were also declared Sabbaths by God. The Israelites were not allowed to do work on those days, nor were they allowed to require others to do work. If Christmas were a holy day dictated by God, He'd expect you to be looking for a job that gave you Christmas Day off and the Christmas play would happen on Christmas Day. Yet, most of the people at my church hate the idea of the play on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve because they want to be home to wrap presents, make cookies for Santa, and place the hidden presents under the tree. They want to wake up and kneel under the tree to retrieve gifts rather than kneel at the altar to pray, to spend the day relishing in their gifts and feasting instead of relishing in Jesus and worshipping God. The meaning of Christmas is evident in their actions and it has nothing to with Jesus.

Day 11: Christmas Was Un-American Once

Did you know Christmas wasn't always a thing in America? In fact, celebrating Christmas use to be illegal in some places... The grandiose tradition we see to day is actually a very modern trend for the United States. Your grandparents and may even parents wouldn't have celebrated it with such pomp and grandeur with they were small children.

On the 11^th Day of Christmas, Christmas Came to America

Christmas Banned in America?

Christmas is without a doubt the most popular holiday in the United States. Not only is it a federal holiday, but almost everything in the country is closed for the holiday—even Walmart, the definition of a 24 hour store, is closed on Christmas day. Christmas decorations fill the stores and companies utilize holiday themes in their commercials. Interestingly, in the first days of colonization, Christmas didn't exist in America. It was actually banned—as in against the law—in Boston from 1659-1681.^[1]

When America separated from England, it also distanced itself from England's traditions (like Christmas), also many of America's settlers were protestants who wished to separate themselves from the Catholic church's pagan traditions. Christmas wasn't made a federal holiday until 1870 (that's 7 years after slavery was abolished). During the 1800's the upper class worked to reinvent the rowdy Saturnalia like festivities of England to the more peaceful, family-oriented, holiday of today. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol helped to promote that image.^[1]
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A Christmas Carol

Of all the tales around Christmas, A Christmas Carol, is definitely the most popular. I can think of an episode or movie borrowing the plot from Dickens' novel for almost every children's character I think of. There are a few re-imaginings for adults, but most are for children. The overall message of the story is not to take life for granted, to give when you can (particularly on Christmas day), and to confront your past. Despite the fact the main character is brought to justice by three ghosts, this is a good message. Perhaps this is what led people back toward the holiday (which kinda reminds me of the wolf in sheep's clothing or the passage in Daniel which says that the enemy will come by peace). I'm sure Dickens just wanted people to be better people, and hopefully some people have become better people, but let's not fall down the slippery slop of believing generous behavior is only necessary during Christmas. The fact that God and the birth of Jesus is not central to the story, but rather the giving of gifts, spending time with one's family, and greed, is an indicator that it was probably the devil that cajoled Dickens into writing the novel. What he needed was a good surface message (which A Christmas Carol definitely has, to entice Americans to forget the debauchery of the European Christmas festivals and lure people back to celebrated the pagan holiday. Instead of seeing a blatant show of drunkenness and pagan tradition, this brought about the age of the "harmless" Christmas that is about family and giving—two things God would want us to appreciate and take part in, right? Suddenly Americans were not eschewing the pagan traditions, but like the Catholic church, trying to retrofit Christian beliefs and concepts to a tamer version of the holiday. In the final post I'll talk about how this view has made it so easy for the pagan traditions to infiltrate the hearts of Christians and pass themselves off as "no big deal."
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References

1. A&E Television Networks. "History of Christmas". History.com. 2015

Day 10: Frosty the Snowman & Co.

Snowmen, Jack Frost, and Myths, oh my! Jesus doesn't just share His supposed birthday with Santa Claus, there's a whole cast of fictional characters swarming through the season. Let's look at where they come from and how they fit it to the holiday.

On the 10^th Day of Christmas, A Heap of Other Characters Joined the Party

Introduction

We talked about the pagan origins of Santa, which indirectly touches on elves and Rudolph, but what about other wintry characters like Frosty the Snowman and Jack Frost? While neither is as popular as Santa and would still come to mind after both Jesus and Santa, they are icons of the holidays.
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Frosty the Snowman

Photocredit: Shutterstock.com/Anneka

Technically, Frosty the Snowman has nothing to do with Christmas; he has to do with winter, specifically snow. Yet, even as a person who has experienced 80°F Christmases, but has never seen snow on Christmas, Frosty the Snowman seems "Christmas-y" to me. They don't continue to play Frosty the Snowman (the movie) or "Frosty the Snowman" (the song) after Christmas has passed, so I think its safe to assume most others also lump Frosty in with the Christmas holiday as opposed to the general winter season.

Who is he, though? Is he ok to plaster on your kid's notebooks, sing about, and watch movies about? Unlike Santa, Frosty doesn't try to be Jesus; there really are no comparisons there, I mean Frosty isn't even human-like. No kid ever thinks Frosty is real, nor do they expect a snowman they build to suddenly come alive (do they?).

Like Rudolph, Frosty's origin story is a song by Gene Autry. Following the hit record, a children's books and movie were made. The combination of these things boosted Frosty's status as a winter icon. Unlike Rudolph, Frosty isn't attached to Santa, but that doesn't mean he isn't a distraction meant to lure God's people into celebrating a pagan holiday. Why not promote Frosty all winter? Many conservative Christians might also lambaste the magic aspect of the story. The Bible does not look too kindly on practicing magic, and God is not attributed as the creator of the snowman (though a believer would still assume He created the snow). I think, however, the most problematic aspect of Frosty the Snowman, is not that he's a "magical" snowman or the question of his creator, but the fact that it seems to be a yet another way for companies to shift attention from Jesus and make money. Whether you understand the true origin of Christmas as pagan, or attempt to keep Jesus as the reason for the season, Frosty is one of those many hooks that pulls you towards the pagan. I think it's possible that God has no qualms with Frosty as a character, but I do think He may see Him as a lure and tempter for His people, thus putting Frosty in the hot box.
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Jack Frost

Well what about Jack Frost? The first time I heard of Jack Frost was in "The Christmas Song" ( Jack Frost nipping at your nose... ), and again, though theoretically he should be a winter icon and not a Christmas icon, he too is associated with Christmas. Where I grew up, the winter season (at least the cold of winter) doesn't start until late November to mid-December, and ends sometime in March. So why are these wintry characters stuffed into the first few days of winter then totally forgotten about? If people can stomach Christmas decorations in stores starting in October, why can't Jack Frost (or Frosty the Snowman) appear from December to February? Instead they culminate with Christmas, and disappear shortly after.

Unlike Frosty, Jack Frost does have ties to paganism. As the personification of winter and a possible double for "Old Man Winter" or "Father Frost," Jack Frost is deeply connected to the winter solstice (and thus the pagan holidays surrounding it).^[2] Jack Frost might also be an elf, of course not the same type of elf known for working with Santa—more of a sprite. Likely, Jack Frost is the son of a Norse god of the wind.^[3] Luckily, Jack Frost doesn't have his own song to get stuck in your head, though he is a character Guardians of the Galaxy. Overall, I'd say God probably dislikes Jack Frost much more than Frosty.
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References

1. Eckstein, Bob. "Way Past Frosty: An Uncensored History of the Snowman". NPR. December 2007
2. Tuthill, Samantha-Rae."Winter Tales and Myths: Where Did Old Man Winter, Jack Frost Come From?". Accu Weather. December 2014
3. Roy, Alyssa. "The Amazingness of Jack Frost throughout History". Rotoscopers. June 2013

Day 9: Why Red & Green?

When you think of Christmas, you think red and green. When you see red and green, you think Christmas. Do you know why those are the colors most often associated with the holiday or the history behind their popularity?

On the 9^th Day of Christmas, Someone Chose the Color Scheme

The first colors you think of when someone mentions Christmas, are red and green. If you think long enough you may come to gold and silver, maybe even to blue. Where did these color come from though? Frankincense, gold, and myrrh are all yellowish or gold. We aren't told what color clothing Jesus is wrapped in, but purple is the color associated with royalty (in Europe at least) and Jesus is King of Kings. The star would have appeared silver or gold-ish. Bethlehem isn't a forest or jungle where we would imagine a lot of greenery... I can't even fathom where the red would come from.

One scholar traces the red and green combination past Catholic paintings of saints to a Celtic legend in which a tree was said to be half green and half red.^[1] Another source assumes green became associated with the holiday through the pagan Saturnalia's tradition of exchanging greenery (like holly or ivy) and the red originates from Jesus' sacrifice.^[2] Yet, another theory is that the red and green come from a play, showcased on Christmas eve, about the fall of man. In this play, Adam and Eve's forbidden fruit is a red apple tied to a pine tree (we won't get into the fact that the Bible does not say they ate an apple).^[3]

This made me wonder what the Bible says about these colors. When God tells the Israelites how to build the tabernacle, we get a glimpse of the colors He prefers. What were those colors? Scarlet, gold, blue, and purple. Green is generally mentioned Biblically in reference to food, though interestingly both green and red are mentioned in connection to identifying a "plague of leprosy" in a house (likely in reference to mold). Green is also the color mentioned in reference to binding Samson,^[4] the fresh, undried (and green) rope renders him weak. In short associating color with the holiday is not Biblical and is purely a man made tradition.

References

1. "Who Colour-Coded Christmas?". University of Cambridge. October 2011
2. "The Importance of Christmas Colors". Color Combos. 2015
3. Cooper, James. "The Colors of Christmas". Why Christmas. 2015
4. Judges 16

Day 8: Depression and Christmas?

The holidays are supposed to be joyous, but depression may be stalking the holidays as well! Countless people experience "holiday blues" due to the pressure and anxiety of the holiday season. From financial strain to family drama, a lot of people experience a great deal of stress trying to cope with this season.

On the 8^th Day of Christmas, People Lost Their Joy

Introduction

I've seen and heard the idea that suicide and depression are more common during the winter holidays. On Day 5 I discussed Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which could be the culprit behind some holiday blues, but for this post I wanted to focus on the question of whether suicide and depression are directly linked to the holidays. The primary need for an answer this question is to clear up all myths about the holiday. An increased risk of suicide and/or depression is often used by those against the holiday. While it is evident from my previous post that I am not "for" the holiday, I believe it is important to stick with arguments that can be proven.
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Does Christmas Cause Depression?

If it could be proven that there was a link between depression and Christmas, one could make the claim that Christmas and its pagan origins were obviously bad and not part of God's plan. Some people have, in fact, made this claim despite evidence showing that suicide rates actually decline around the Christmas holiday. Their claim is based on two widespread beliefs that are false: 1) suicide rates and severe depression increase during the holidays and 2) following God never causes suffering. We're going to talk about each, followed by a look at the actual mood of the holidays.
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Suicide Rates & Depression During the Holidays

Photocredit: Shutterstock.com/Anneka

According to almost every source I've found, suicide rates and depression do not increase during the holidays (though they do increase after the new year).^{[4][5][6][7][8]} Many experience slight lows, SAD, and extra stress during the holidays which probably makes it appear that depression increases during the holidays. Parents become stressed about providing their children with an "adequate Christmas" (which does show that God has been taken out of the equation). Some may spend more than they should, hence the slump after new years. Extra drinking may cause some to make poor decisions (another possibility for increasing suicide rates in the time frame directly after). Some conclude that the decline in suicide rates during the holidays is the fact that people are surrounded by their family and are supported. Of course, it is possible that families and friends encourage people to spend or drink more than they should, causing the slump at the new year. It is also possible that judgments from family and friends during the holidays could cause people to make new years' resolutions they can't keep and then fall in to depression. Regardless, there isn't a study to show that those who participate in holiday traditions do or do not experience an increase in suicide or depression after the new year, thus no conclusions can be made. While the causes of stress during the holiday season points to the ungodly nature of the traditions, increased suicide/depression is not an argument people should be trying to use.
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Following God Can Still Cause Pain

Many preachers today preach prosperity. Their sermons focus on what you gain by following Christ and only mention peace, prosperity, and success. The danger in this is that they omit much of what we are shown in the Bible as well as the fact that prosperity on Earth was for the old covenant. The time Jesus was crucified, we stepped into the end of days, an era of persecution for all of those who truly believe and follow Jesus Christ. In the future, I will do studies on the end times that goes into more detail and explains misconceptions of naysayers, but for now I want to focus on the top of pain and suffering for God's people. As the final day approaches, Jesus warn us that those who truly believe in Him will be killed and on several occasions He references those who are killed for His namesake. This does not sound like we should expect prosperity here on Earth...

In the Old Testament, notable favorites of God are Abel, Noah, Job, and Moses.

Abel

Note that Abel's favor in God's eye sight sparks wrath in his brother and subsequently causes Abel's death. The only success we know of Abel's is that His offering pleased God. Hebrews 11:4 tells us that it was Abel's faith that caused God to be pleased with His offering; we don't know if Abel had a large flock, how old Abel lived to be, or whether he married. Assumably he didn't have children as none are mentioned and Eve wants a son to replace both Abel and Cain, which implies she had no grandchildren to adopt. Abel may not have felt any suffering, but it is also possible that Abel knew for quite some time that his brother was jealous of him. Abel had favor with God, not with man.

Noah

Noah survived the flood; he and his family were spared God's wrath thanks to Noah's righteousness. Genesis 6-10 tells us all about Noah building the ark, gathering the animals, and waiting out the flood. Yet, how many of the people Noah left behind where his friends? Noah's father Lamech dies just before the flood, but Noah's grandfather Methuselah likely died in the flood. Methuselah has Lamech when he is 187 years old and Lamech has Noah at the age of 182, thus Methuselah is 369 years old when Noah is born. The flood comes when Noah is 600 years old, and Methuselah dies at 969 years old. Since 969-369 is exactly 600, Methuselah either died during the flood or just before the flood began. Regardless, Noah's neighbors would have ostracized him and wrote him off as crazy for building a massive boat in the desert. Also, since Noah was righteous and man was so sinful God had to destroy the world with a flood, it is unlikely Noah was welcome in society. Even though Noah ultimately survives the flood, the psychological ramifications of being the only family to survive, as well as, the pressure to complete the boat on time were probably exceedingly high.

Job

Job was another favored by God; he was greatly blessed with a large supply of livestock, a large family, and wealth. To prove a point to the devil (and possibly to us, as well), God allowed the devil to take everything from Job, including his health. Does this sound prosperous? Naturally God rewarded Job in the end when he did not succumb to Satan's attempt, but do you think Job experienced no stress, pain, or even slight depression?

Moses

Moses is chosen by God, though he does a lot to anger God during his time on Earth. We talk about Moses' great victory and how he was able to communicate with God, but what about the fear of Pharaoh killing him on the spot? What about the guilt of killing one of Pharaoh's men? The guilt of watching the Hebrews suffer for so long? What about fighting through all the Israelite fought through only to end up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and never getting to enter the promised land? Do you think that Moses was never stressed? He was responsible for all of the Israelites, and not just their physical well-being on the journey he incited, but their spiritual well-being with the God he introduced them to. Moses' life during those 40 years was likely not rainbows and unicorns.

New Testament

Many ignore the Old Testament, something I would advise against, but in an effort to provoke their curiosity as well (and to be balanced), I'm going to talk about some of the New Testament men who followed Jesus. Judas, who betrayed Jesus, committed suicide. James is executed by Herod. John is exiled to Patmos and Paul is thrown is jail. Based upon non-Biblical texts, similar fates are thought to have befallen the other disciples as well.^[2][3]

Because we have faith, we should never get so low as to commit suicide, but that doesn't mean there won't be periods of adversary we must strive through. Our modern society allows us to develops habits that upon receiving Christ and trying to abandon sin, we likely will feel some level of stress, strain, and perhaps even sadness. For example, when I began only eating Kosher food (food that meets the dietary restrictions given by God), I found myself unable to eat at many of my usual restaurants, at odds with family who didn't understand why I wouldn't eat their cooking, and having to put more thought into food than I ever have before. This didn't make me want to go out an commit suicide, but it definitely put a heavy amount of strain on me the first week or so (and during the holidays, since I couldn't find Kosher food at my parents' house). Now, I know God didn't sanction Christmas, but to argue that because it causes stress and strain it is automatically ungodly is a bit of a stretch.
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References

1. Curtis, Ken. "Everything you need to know: December solstice 2015". Christianity.com. 2016
2. "When and how did the Twelve Apostles die?". Amazing Bible Timeline with World History. 2013
3. Kiger, Patrick J. "How Did the Apostles Die?". National Geographic Channel. February 2015
4. Wein, Harrison et al. "Beat the Winter Blues: Shedding Light on Seasonal Sadness". News In Health. National Institutes of Health . January 2013
5. Carley, Simon. "Suicide at Christmas". Emergency Medicine Journal 2004;21:716-717 doi:10.1136/emj.2004.019703
   
6. Burton, Neel. "Is Suicide More Common at Christmas Time?: The Seven Greatest Myths About Suicide". Psychology Today. December 2012
7. "11 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Depression Triggers". Health.com. 2015
8. Mann, Denise. "Emotional Survival Guide for the Holidays". WebMD. 2016

Day 7: Carol of the Bells

I love Christmas songs; I was the kid who played Christmas music all year round. However, have you ever stopped to listen to the songs we sing or think about the fact that there are distinctly religious Christmas songs and distinctly secular Christmas songs? Let's look at some of these songs and the tradition of caroling.

On the 7^th Day of Christmas, the Carolers Started Caroling

Introduction

I'm one of those people that listened to Christmas carols all year long. They're probably the only songs I learned to play by ear, and in trivia contests on carols, I almost always win. My Christmas playlist not only has almost every traditional Christmas song you can think of (along with some modern ones), but duplicates of these songs in various genres. Jazz, Hip-Hop, R&B, Country, Classical, even Reggae, can be found in my Christmas collection. My favorite Christmas carols are Patapan, What Child is This, and Carol of the Bells. We already talked about caroling being a remnant of Saturnalia, thus pagan, but there have always been secular songs and religious songs and God OK'd singing His praise throughout the Bible. Does this mean Christmas carols are ok despite their association to a pagan holiday?

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.Psalm 95:1 KJV

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Lyrics

Lyrics are the important part, it the lyrics reflect God and His Word, then it should be acceptable to sing as praise to God. Some songs are obviously pagan (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town), but let's look at the lyrics to a few popular and traditional Christmas songs.

Silent Night

The lyrics of "Silent Night" are consistent with the Biblical story. I wouldn't save the song for the Christmas holidays as though December 25 is actually Jesus' birthday, but I don't see anything to suggest God would disapprove of the lyrics. (Note: in each of these paragraphs there is a link to the lyrics of the song so that you may examine them for yourself).
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The First Noel

One of the first songs I learned to play on the piano was "The First Noel." As I look back on the lyrics I see a few problems, all of which deal with "adding to" the story. As mentioned earlier in the series, we don't know when Jesus' birthday is so we don't know that the shepherds were out "on a cold winter's night"—even if Jesus was born in December, Bethlehem's latitude, there is a chance it may have been warm. Further, the song refers to "the wise men three." There were wise men, and they gave three gifts, but the Bible doesn't tell us how many wise men were there.^[1] It could have easily been three gifts from a group of men, or a gift from each man. Why does it matter? God tells us not to add or subtract to His word in Revelation 22:18 and He commands us not to bear false witness. To sing of shepherds in cold weather and three wise; men when in fact it could have been scorching hot and there could have been 10 wise men is bearing false witness and adding to the word. We can only say that more than one wise man showed up and the shepherds were in the field; we shouldn't be adding in numbers and weather conditions.
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Deck the Halls

"Deck the Halls" definitely leans to the pagan origins of the holiday—the whole point of the song is merry making and the decorating of your house with garland which was a tradition of both Yule and Saturnalia. It also has the word "Yule" in the lyrics, further proving it errs toward the pagan.
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We Three Kings of Orient Are

Like "The First Noel," the problem with "We Three Kings of Orient Are," is that the tittle and first line of the song makes the idea of three wise men sound like fact. Another weird thing i see is the morbidity of one of the later verses:

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb
We Three Kings of Orient Are

Wait why is there "gathering gloom" when Jesus is born? Per the gospels Jesus didn't seem bothered by His fate until they entered the city for the Passover. How do we jump from His birth and joy so sorrow and a tomb? Even so, He wasn't sealed in the tomb because He was resurrected! When the women arrive the stone was rolled away. The next verse talks about Him arising, but I think its odd that they didn't stick to the topic. Why mix the joy of His birth with the bittersweetness of His crucifixion and resurrection?
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O Little Town of Bethlehem

O Little Town of Bethlehem is a beautiful song, probably landing somewhere in my top 5, yet even it has a questionable lyric. The lyric in question is the reference to Christmas. If the negative origin and etymology of Christmas (see the post "The Etymology of Christmas") is true, this is definitely a verse you'd want to leave out.
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Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

I've heard a many renditions of this song, and of course off the bat (from the Day 1 post) we know there may be a problem with the word Christmas which would pose a problem with this song's lyrics. In addition, the song uses the word "Yule," a reference to the pagan origins of Christmas, and never mentions Jesus or God. Obviously not a song God would approve.
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The Christmas Song

The lyrics to "The Christmas Song" not only mentions Yule and pagan traditions, it also mentions Santa and Jack Frost. There is nothing about Jesus or God in this song.
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Carol of the Bells

Carol of the Bells, though great in melody is not so great in lyrics. This is one of those Christmas songs that has nothing to do with Jesus, which is why He'd probably not approve. You'd be praising a pagan holiday and not praising Jesus. Also this song ends with the repetition of the phrase Merry Christmas, which is under question. Guess I'll not be counting this as my favorite carol anymore.
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God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

The lyrics of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" are fairly straight forward. The only questionable lyrics in the song contain the usage of Christmas.
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Patapan

I've always listen to only the instrumental of this song so I never knew the lyrics, but now I can see that its another favorite of mine that doesn't stack up when it comes to the lyrics, Patapan is a bit nonsensical, with references to Christmas day but no mentioning of Jesus and a reference to God that doesn't make much sense in the grand scheme of the song.
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Away in a Manger

When I think of "Away in a Manger," I think of a calming lullaby. It's a very sweet song with simple lyrics. The questionable part of this song is the "no crying He makes"—nothing in the Bible suggests Jesus didn't cry. This is another case of bearing false witness. It may seem harmless but the subliminal message may lead to bigger issues.
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God Christian Men Rejoice

Good Christian Men Rejoice is a declaration of Christ's birth. The lyrics do say "Christ was born today!" and we don't know what day He was born, but if you are singing the song year round and not committing to memory that He was born on a particular day it may be OK. This is one of those things I would suggest praying about and getting an answer directly from God.
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What Child Is This?

I would have placed "What Child Is This?" under songs with God-praising lyrics, but I wanted to mention why I was ok with this song jumping to Jesus' resurrection but was hard on "We Three Kings of Orient Are." To me, the flow of "What Child Is This?" makes sense, it is very obvious that the lyrics are telling you what will happen to Jesus in the future. However the switch seems very abrupt with "We Three Kings of Orient Are" and the chorus breaks up the thought getting to the fact that He rose for us. Also, this is only portion of the lyrics that looked questionable in "What Child Is This?" while "We Three Kings of Orient Are" also has the issue of declaring 3 kings, when actually there were an unknown amount of wise men (which may or may not have been kings).
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Songs With God-Praising Lyrics

The following songs have lyrics that praise Jesus, do not mention pagan traditions/holidays, and do not add extra details to the narrative.

• Silent Night
• Hark the Herald Angels Sing
• Joy to the World
• O Holy Night
• O Come All Ye Faithful
• O Come O Come Emmanuel

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References

1. Matthew 2

Day 6: The War on Christmas

In the recent years, there's been a push for the use of "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas." Many people are threatened by this and staunchly against the change. If you're not chipper and wishing people a "Merry Christmas," you'd better be prepared to be called a scrooge and a grinch. But why?

On the 6^th Day of Christmas, the War Began

Introduction

The fact that people want other holidays recognized (like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa) or the fact that some don't celebrate the holiday at all rubs many the wrong way. They have dubbed this and other "grinch"-like behavior as part of the "War of Christmas." If you've read the other posts, you know why this is funny. People are fighting to "preserve" a holiday that is already tainted. In fact, this is what makes the devil's treachery all the more obvious.
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Trying Not to Looking Rude

As a child I never gave much thought to how those who didn't celebrate Christmas must feel... It wasn't my problem. However, as my wariness about the Christmas season grew from suspicion to confirmation, I started to see what Jesus was talking about when He said believers would be persecuted for His name sake.

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.Matthew 10:22 KJV

Religious or not, stores decorate their show rooms and aisles for Christmas as early as November 1^st. TV stations play holiday specials—whether it be "The Nativity" or "Frosty the Snowman," they play up the holiday spirit. ABC Family has the "25 Days of Christmas;" Disney has "Fa La La Lidays." When you go to the stores, people will say Merry Christmas; almost everyone who calls says Merry Christmas. I even received random text messages from people I haven't spoken to all year that said nothing but Merry Christmas. If you don't return the gesture, people call you a grinch and declare that you are rude.

Before I researched the origin of the word Christmas and the phrase "Merry Christmas," I didn't understand the drama of Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays. I was of the mindset that people should be happy you said anything at all and get over it. There are other holidays so I understood why people were generic. I also understand that if I'm a Christian or Jewish or atheist, I may not want to indorse something I don't believe in. As a Christian who knows the true origins of the Christmas holiday I now see just how complex this issue is.

As the holidays rolled around, my newfound awareness of the etymology of the word Christmas (and the possibility that it may mean something more sinister) led me to strike the phrase out out of my vocabulary. Yet, everywhere I turned were people with no clue about the pagan origins of the holiday or the possible negative origin of the word. Those people were being nice—at least they thought they were. That's the interesting thing about prophecy and the way the devil works.

And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
Daniel 11:21 KJV

I didn't want to be rude, after all, in their mind they were being friendly. Furthermore it is quite the long story to explain to someone that yes you are a Christian but no you don't celebrate Christmas. Many will consider you a heathen (or Jehovah's Witness). People will not comprehend your point in a few measly sentences and likely, they don't care. They didn't come to you for information on the holiday and are not seeking information because the Spirit has not moved them to do so. Salesclerks are merely doing their jobs and don't want a sermon when there are 50 other customers behind you. Your distant relatives, who are probably much older than you and thus assume themselves wiser, will believe you've lost your grounding. They will be upset that they bought you gifts but you do not buy them gifts. In my case, my mother was upset that I would not help her set up my grandfather's Christmas tree.

Do you see how easy it is for the devil to spin these things to make the masses hate Bible following Christians (remember Jesus is the Word)? Imagine, my mother telling people that all my grandfather wanted for Christmas was for me to help him put up a tree and I wouldn't even do that. How cruel would I sound? But I had just left my grandfather's house when my mother suggested we go back (i.e. I was still spending time with him), and that Christmas tree is contrary to what Jesus wants from us. The devil will sweep those details under the rug and focus attention on me refusing to help my grandfather (who ironically, didn't want the tree anyway). When we don't return the "Merry Christmas" cashiers offer, we appear grumpy and rude. Yet, if we stop to explain it to them, we are holding up the line and irritating. I've found that many people don't want to know the truth, they're content with life the way it is and they don't want to give up anything or work any harder, not even for God.
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The Christmas Season

So, now that you've done your best not to agitate anyone (though you've probably ruffled a few feathers) and made it home to your private sanctuary, you kick your feet back and try to relax by watching TV but everything that is on is Christmas themed. Every show and character ever created seems to have a version of A Christmas Carol and every channel is playing one of these variations. I remember looking at the TV this year thinking sarcastically, "yes, let us combine pagan traditions with forbidden communication with the dead and proclaim this the "true meaning of Christmas" then go back to trying to convince people that Jesus is the reason for the season..." You cannot get away from it! Even if you turn the TV off, people call and people text. Family members become angry that you don't celebrate the way they do and that you don't want to go to their celebration. Officemates will be upset that you won't participate in secret Santa or attend the Christmas party. The fact that you won't turn your beliefs on and off for them will get you labeled everything from intolerant to stiff and from rude to crazy. This is one way to know that prophecy is fulfilling itself—if you are not following the masses and wondering after the beast, you will be ostracized.

⁹When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. ¹⁰There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. ¹¹Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. ¹²For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. ¹³Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.Deuteronomy 18:9-13 KJV

A Ray of Hope?

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.Matthew 10:37 KJV

God already knows that we might have to ruffle a few feathers to worship Him. The Bible warns of familial ties leading us astray in many passages (men of God were not to marry daughters of pagans, and everyone was to be equally yoked). In Matthew 10:37, Jesus reminds us of the people who have the most power to influence us. While my parents may not understand everything I say, and my mom seems completely uninteresting in following along, they are generally supportive (for the first time in my life, my mom didn't fuss at me to do work on Saturday when I visited). Not everyone will be so lucky. Some will be forced to severe ties to those closest to them.

Jesus' quote sounds harsh without context, but even on first reading, I understood what He meant. Your parents, spouse, and family can easily suck you down the hole of paganism. They will quickly have you carving the ham and passing out presents, because they will taunt or persecute you doing otherwise. Are you willing to walk away from Jesus to satisfy these people? If so, you love them more than you love Him, yet we are supposed to love God most.
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Day 5: Lights of the Season

No one can deny that everything looks better decorated and lit up. With early sunsets and long, dark nights, Christmas lights seem like the perfect way to spruce up the evenings. How did this trend get started though?

On the 5^th Day of Christmas, People Decided To Make Their Own Light

Introduction

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/liensca

The Christmas holiday is known for decorations. Lights adorn trees, garland adorns fences, and other types of decoration fill yards. My family used to drive around the week of Christmas to see everyone's decorations. Half of the excitement was deciding what decorations to put up and convincing my mom to let us string more lights. The sight of otherwise bare trees dolled up in lights was something I looked forward to as the days got shorter and the land starts to look barren... As I dove deeper into my faith and delve deeper into the traditions of Christmas, I realized why this lull is so dangerous spiritually.
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The Links To Pagan Sun Worship

The winter is depressing. So many people are depressed during the winter that scientists have named a disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder, that explains a sensitivity to the lack of light that occurs during the season.

Now, with this in consideration, it's not shocking that people would worship the sun—the warm sunny days of the summer are bright, while the dark dreary days of the winter are more morbid. As such, a celebration of the winter solstice was bound to develop. The winter solstice signifies the shortest day of the year, thus marking the lengthening of the days and the shortening of the darkness (at least in the Northern Hemisphere).^[1] As such, this was celebrated with candles and light (obviously they didn't have light bulbs or electricity). The sight of these lights reminded sun-worshipers of the coming sunlight—a rebirth of the sun, if you will—and made them content. They countered the dreariness of the season with feasts and festivities. Today, we still do the same.

As a person who is undiagnosed, but likely suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder, I completely see the connection of the lights and decorations lifting your mood. The devil knows our weaknesses, and he wants to exploit them for his war against God. He sees that we get a little anxious and down doing the winter, so he dangles false glimmers of hope before us to distract us from the real Light of our world.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.John 8:12

Christmas trees, decorations, and lights are all distractions that remain from the pagan holidays like Saturnalia and Yule.

Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.Jeremiah 10:2 KJV

The evidence of our participation in the pagan sun festivities instead of the birth of Jesus as we claim, is that we put up lights and begin decorating before December 25—note that the winter solstice is usually between December 21-23. We take the decorations down right after December 25. Doesn't this seem backwards? A true celebration of Jesus would begin on His birthday and continue a few days after (like the 12 days of Christmas, from the alleged date of His birth to the alleged date of the wise men's arrival). Why would we celebrate His birth before He's born and stop as soon as He's born? Our actions are culminating around the winter solstice, even though our words may be circling Jesus.

As I've mentioned throughout the blog, you have to study to understand God's word and understand His voice, but when you see and hear it, you know that none of the decadence of the season is promoted in the Bible. Not to mention, while you are spending your free time hanging lights and blowing up snowman or spending you extra money on additional electricity usage, you could be doing something for your fellow man, or you could be doing something to strengthen you relationship with God. This is how the devil tricks us. He gets us to think we're doing some thing in the name of God and being good Christians, but really, we're following the devil.
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References

1. Byrd, Deborah. "Everything you need to know: December solstice 2015". EarthSky. December 2015
2. Garrard, Cathy. "Surprising Causes of Winter Depression". CNN. December 2013

Day 4: Giving Gifts

We love getting gifts, and some of us might even love giving gifts. Many will cite this to be the best part of the holiday, but have you ever asked yourself why we're giving each other gifts? Who started that trend and why is one gift not enough?

On the 4^th Day of Christmas, Corporations Convinced Us We Needed Lots of Gifts

Introduction

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Bill Davenport

The gifts we give are connected to the fact that the wise men brought gifts to God, or at least that's what every preacher or Sunday school teacher I asked as a child claimed. If we are mimicking the fact that the magi gave gifts to Jesus, why are we giving gifts to each other? Well, I've had people use the "Jesus lives inside of us" to justify the gift giving. So are we giving gifts to God each year when buy presents for our friends and family?
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Birthdays

I touched on birthdays in Day 2: The Origin of December 25. By studying the word, it is obvious that birthday celebrations were considered of pagan origin. Giving gifts to someone for their birthday is not a tradition mandated by God. The wise men brought gifts to Jesus, though we are not told how old He is when they arrive. Many assume they arrive right after He is born, but after learning the wise men are seeking Him, King Herod has all males under 2 years old killed. This suggests that a great deal of time may have passed between Jesus' birth and the wise men's arrival. Regardless, they brought Jesus gifts because He is the Messiah! It says nothing about them bring Mary and Joseph gifts. There is no documentation that the disciples started exchanging gifts in honor of Jesus—it is contrary to His teachings. This tradition is man made, pagan, rooted in Santa Claus, and serves to make companies rich. Wouldn't it make more sense to give something to God that day?
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Gifts For God

³⁴Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ³⁵For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ³⁶Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. ³⁷Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? ³⁸When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? ³⁹Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? ⁴⁰And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.Matthew 25:34-40 KJV

Jesus does say that when we do for His followers ("brethren") that we are doing for Him. Yet, if you look at the examples Jesus gives, none of this suggests the gift giving nature of Christmas. The list of "gifts" Jesus proclaims His saints gave deal with helping someone in need. He was hungry—which only occurs when you don't have food—and we gave Him food; He was thirsty—again implying He didn't have something to drink—and we gave Him something to drink. Most of the gifts given at Christmas are thinks we want not things we need. How many people use the holiday season to buy food for the homeless people in their community? Pay the electric bill for the needy so they don't freeze (most companies offer this option, you simply check a box and add the amount you want to donate to your bill)? People put themselves in debt trying to impress their spouse or "give their child a good Christmas." That doesn't seem to be what Jesus is suggesting we do...

There are passages in the Bible in which God mentions giving gifts (such as a dowry or when Jacob sends gifts to seek mercy and forgiveness from Esau), but there are also warning about gifts. In Exodus 23:8, we are told not to take gifts that would cloud our judgment when we are in decision making positions. More relevantly, pertaining to the end times (the age we live in), we are told that when the 2 witnesses are killed, people will rejoice and send gifts to each other.^[1] When gifts are mentioned positively, they almost always involve us giving gifts directly to God or receiving gifts from God.

In general, I see nothing wrong with getting things for people. The issue is motive and tradition. Are you giving a gift to help this person? Are you thinking about God? Are you able to give? Or are you doing this out of habit? Are you giving because you want to receive, because you think they will expect a gift? Are you following pagan and man made traditions? This changes everything. We are not to worry about metarial things because our rewards are in heaven, which means we shouldn't be asking for things we don't need, let alone a mountain of presents.

¹⁹Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: ²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: ²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.Matthew 6:19-21 KJV

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References

1. Revelation 11:10

Day 3: The History of Santa Claus

Have you ever noticed how much more attention that guy in the red suit gets? Shouldn't we talk about who he is and the history of his character, plus the origin story and rationale for creating such a myth? Is he an idol?

On the 3^rd Day of Christmas, Santa Stole The Show

Introduction

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Bill Davenport

Santa Claus is definitely more popular than Jesus. Whether people want to admit it or not, he's just as much the face of Christmas as Jesus, if not more-so. From cartoons to songs to the type of decorations people place in their yards, Santa dominates the scene. People who don't even believe in Jesus still celebrate Christmas and play Santa for their kids. There are no alternative names to differentiate between Santa's holiday and Jesus' birth. Santa and Christmas are completely intertwined to the point that people say things like "the kids missed Christmas" or they have to "do Christmas for the kids." It seems to me that during this season Santa has replaces Jesus. So, lets talk about the man in red, where he came from, and the problems that arise from believing in him.
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Who Is Santa?

Most people know that the character of Santa Claus is based on Saint Nicholas. The Catholic Church canonizes people it thinks show exemplary character and thence forth they are referred to as Saint Whomever, which means the man snatching the spotlight, was created by the same church that is supposed to be worshiping and proclaiming Jesus as most high. Santa Claus, also known as St. Nicholas, is named after a man who was, in fact, exalted by the Catholic Church. St. Nicholas is the Catholic Church's patron saint of bakers and pawnbrokers (which sounds a lot like the greek gods being over a particular area of life, but that's a post for another day). The feast meant to venerate this saint occurs on December 6^th (please note that worship is listed as a synonym for venerate).^[1][2] While this may be the reason many Christians see no harm in teaching their children to write wish lists to and leave out cookies for Santa Claus, it actually makes the truth more disheartening because you're venerating (i.e. worshiping) someone other than God at the bidding of the Church meant to steer you toward Him.
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Names of Santa

One of the points I make in my post Is Santa Replacing Jesus? is that like God, Santa has an abundance of names and aliases. God is also I AM, Jehovah, YHWH, Elohim, Immanuel, and many more. Whether coincidental or deliberate, Santa Claus also has many names: Kris Kringle, St. Nick, Father Christmas. How did he get all those names?
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St. Nicholas/St. Nick

St. Nicholas was probably the first name attached to the myth, and as I've already mentioned, it is the name of the person the persona of Santa Claus is based upon. The real St. Nicholas was born in Turkey around 280ad and grew up to be a Christian bishop in a city called Myra (now known as Demre). It is said that he was very active in helping the poor. He died on December 6, 343ad and was subsequently declared a saint by the Catholic church. His death was commemorated by the annual feast of St. Nicholas, which took place on his death date. On this day, children would leave out their shoes in anticipation of receiving gifts from St. Nicholas. Though many Protestants reject the idea of honoring saints (rightly so, as the Bible never shows God's people exalting the dead, or you know, anyone other than God), the Dutch continued the tradition and brought it to America.^[4]
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Santa Claus

The Dutch name for St. Nicholas was Sint Nikolass, which was shorted to Sinter Klaas. This eventually morphed into the name Santa Claus.^[4] Interestingly in Spanish, the word "saint" is translated as san (masculine) or santa (feminine). For instance, St. John becomes San John and St. Teresa becomes Santa Teresa.^[5] One person uses this to accuse Santa Claus of being a cross-dresser.^[6] As much evidence as there is for Santa being a attempt to replace Jesus and sway believers away from God, I think this may be a bit far fetched. I can see how Sinter may be pronounced Sinta and transform into Santa. Also Klass or Klaus is a common nickname for people named Nicholas. A modern example of this can be seen in the TV show "The Originals" in which the main character, Niklaus, is often called both Nick and Klaus. Santa Claus, or the shortened Santa, is probably the most common name in the United States.
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Kris Kringle

The name Kris Kringle, which comes from the Swiss and German, translates to Christ child (suspicious, right?) and was actually attached to a separate entity originally. This name was used to identify a sidekick (described as angel-like) that accompanied Santa Claus on his rounds.^[7]
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Father Christmas

Father Christmas, another name for Santa Claus, though a little less common—at least in the area I'm from. This name comes to us from England; "Father Christmas" was said to fill stockings with gifts on Christmas Eve.^[7] Of all the names, I think this one bothers me most. Yes, calling someone who is not Christ "Christ child," as is the case with Kris Kringle, is erring on the side of blasphemy, but most people, I would wager, don't know what they are saying. While I'm sure God is still less than amused, at least it is not a deliberate snub to God. Using the term "Father Christmas" to refer to Santa Claus means you are deliberately and willfully denying and mocking the one true God.

And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.Matthew 23:9 KJV

We are told to call no man father but the Father in heaven. On top of being explicitly forbidden to call this man father, it is illogical. If Christmas is about Christ, the father of the holiday would either be Christ, the reason for the holiday, or God, the Father of all and Father of Christ who we would be honoring. How can a fictional man in a red suit be the father of holiday meant for Jesus? Either the holiday was never meant for Jesus or Santa is not the father of Christmas.
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Inspiration from a Witch?

As you can probably guess, the myth of Santa we have today is a conglomeration of many myths, legends, and fables. One such example in Italy, is likely how we came to believe Santa enters homes via a chimney. La Befana, per the Italian legend, was a good witch who flew down the chimney to deliver gifts.^[7] In addition, La Befana's backstory suggests the reason for her doing this is that she is seeking the baby Jesus. She is said to make her rounds on the night before the Epiphany.^[8] Epiphany takes place on January 6, and is a holiday still observed in Italy (schools, government agencies, etc. are all closed on this day). The holiday is meant to commemorate the divinity of Christ with respect to wise men visiting Him and bestowing upon Him gifts. La Befana is just as popular as Santa Claus in Italy.^[9]

If you're an avid reader of your Bible, then you know that in Exodus 22:18, God tells the Israelites that they are not to allow witches to live. In Galatians 5:19-21 witchcraft is listed as an abomination and we are told those practicing such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. So, we've gone from teaching the children to stay away from witchcraft, to exalting and celebrating something God clearly didn't approve of.
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Popularization

The legend and tradition of Santa Claus gained popularity through a poem and the story of Rudolph. In 1822, Clement Clark Moore wrote the ever popular poem, "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" which is more commonly known as "Twas the Night Before Christmas." After publishing the poem, Thomas Nast put a face the man in the rhyme. Mr. Nast is credited with inventing the red coat, elves, and Mrs. Claus. In 1939, another poet invented Rudolph to gain business. Shortly after a song was written and recorded by Gene Autry, which only garnered more popularity for the myth.^[7]
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A Harmless Lie?

Most people think Santa is just a harmless tale meant to bring children fun and joy during the holidays. Well, Eve thought it was harmless to eat the forbidden fruit and look where we are. I once was a child, I grew up with parents who played Santa, and I got excited about Christmas every year. My excitement had nothing to do with Jesus; despite the words that came out of my parents mouthes, my church families' mouthes, and my own mouth, the reason I couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve was because I was excited about the gifts I would find under the tree. The reason I woke up at 5 or 6am ready to go was because I wanted to open those gifts. In fact, it probably wasn't until the newness of said gifts wore off that I thought about Jesus again.

On the once popular show "7^th Heaven," there is an episode that follows the youngest member of the family's discovery that Santa isn't real. Upon realizing her parents lied to her about Santa, she doubts that God exists as well. While I never went through this phase, many children do in fact doubt God's existence after learning Santa isn't real. Further, parents are lying (bearing false witness, and thus breaking a commandment) and inadvertently teaching their children that lying is ok. After all, our parents lied and it worked, why shouldn't we?

Then there is the message we internalized: "be good to receive." Sure, Jesus promises us our reward for being obedient believers, but this reward will be in Heaven waiting on us. We aren't to be obedient Christians because we want the latest iPhone, we are to be obedient Christians because we love God. Furthermore, after being rewarded with mountains of gifts for behaving as a child (which is significantly easier than once puberty's hormones and teenage peer pressure kick in), having no physical reward for your obedience to God may be disheartening. As a child with "Santa," you managed to not show off in the store and keep your room clean, so you wake up on Christmas day with the all these wonderful toys you asked for and a brand new bicycle. However, as a teenager, you listen to God (and probably your parents) and abstain from sex and drugs, but you won't be rewarded with popularity. Now that you have no use for toys the best your parents can do is buy you a car, but then you have no friends to hang out with so it doesn't turn out the way you thought it would. While I firmly believe that throughout life you are rewarded for the good you do, rewards don't pay out in a clockwork fashion like a paycheck. You may be rewarded instantaneously, or ten years laters, so why form the habit of reaping the benefits on a set day?

As I said, I was a child, I remember the excitement, but there are many alternatives that don't involve turning our backs on Jesus. Just as God rewards us at what seems to us like sporadic and spontaneous intervals, why can't we do that to our children? Instead of giving a child a mountain of gifts once a year, why not do spontaneous gift giving. Perhaps one week your child ate all of his vegetables, cleaned his room, and aced a test. Maybe one night at the end of the week you buy him the video game he's been dying for, tip toe into his room and leave it on his nightstand for him to find when he wakes up the next morning. With these gifts, you would leave a note confirming the behavior you are rewarding so that the child knows what he is being rewarded for. Can you imagine knowing that at any given time, simply being good could mean you wake up to a surprise? Wouldn't that be exciting too? It wouldn't always need to be monetary and it wouldn't always need to be wrapped. Maybe the reward is letting him choose what you watch on TV or a trip to the park/zoo/etc. Just like people do coupon books for gifts, maybe the surprise is a "get out of washing dishes free" coupon or something of the sort. My point is, you don't need a fat man in a red suit to encourage children to be good or to make them happy.
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References

1. "St. Nicholas". Catholic Online. 2015
2. "Venerate". Merriam Webster. 2015
3. Moody, Steve. "Names of God". Life, Hope, and Truth. 2015
4. A&E Television Networks. "St. Nicholas Biography". Biography.com Website. 2015
5. "Saint in Spanish". SpanishDict.com. 2015
6. "Is Christmas Christian?". Presents of God Ministries. 2015
7. "History of Santa Claus". History. 2015
8. "The Legend of ‘La Befana’". John D Calandra Italian American Institute. 2000
9. "Epiphany". Time and Date. 2015

Day 2: The Origin of December 25

It took me until high school to understand what my friend meant about "Christmas" not being in the Bible (since she couldn't explain it in middle school, I don't think she understood either). Once I understood her point, my question became "is it possible to celebrate the pagan holiday from the celebration of Jesus?" That's what the heart of this series is about.

On the 2nd Day of Christmas, Someone Picked a Date

Introduction

Why December 25^th? God is explicit in the Old Testament about when the Feast Days should occur, but no where in the New Testament are we ever given a date for Jesus' birth (a possible hint that it was never meant to be celebrated). So, how did people come up with December 25^th? Is that really Jesus' birthday and does it even matter?
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The Date of His Birth

The first place one should think to look for the date of Jesus' Birthday is the Bible—it is after all a believer's trusted source of information on our Savior. No explicit date is given for the birth of Jesus, and the only references to time we have are that He was born 6 months after John the Baptist and during the time that people were required to travel to register. We are also told that during the time Jesus was born, shepherds were in the field watching their flocks. It seems unlikely that in an era where the common cold was life threatening, people were traveling and sleeping in fields in the middle of winter. While the Middle East may be desert-like, in the winter Bethlehem's average low is approximately 40°F, and it's average high is in the upper 50's.^[1] That doesn't sound like good travel or sleep outside in a field weather—possible, but definitely not ideal. Without any Biblical evidence to assume this date, we have no reason to defend flock tending during this time of the year. This leaves us with 2 questions: why didn't the Bible tell us the date (or at least the month) and how did people calculate December 25^th?
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The Bible on Birthdays

The word birthday is found only 3 times in the Bible, once in reference to Pharaoh (a pagan—Genesis 40:20) and twice in reference to King Herod (also a pagan—Mark 6:21 and Matthew 14:6), but never in reference to one of God's people. We are often told of God's hand in miraculous births (such as Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Mary) but God never says what time of year He performs these miracles. When the Israelites departed Egypt, He thought it was important enough to document the 14^th of Nisan and require future generations, but nowhere are we shown God stating a date of birth as though it is important to remember and commemorate. In fact Ecclesiastes both confirms and explains why birthdays are not important.

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.Ecclesiastes 7:1 KJV

This is why we are never given exact dates or even estimates for the birth of His people, but in a few cases (e.g. Miriam in Numbers 20:1) we are given approximate dates of their death. Even with Jesus, we know that He died as the perfect Passover Lamb and thus died around the 14^th of Nisan. If God wanted us to celebrate Jesus' birthday, don't you think he would have at least recorded the month of Jesus' birth?

Christian theologian Origen, who lived from 185 to 254ad, wrote the following as it pertains to Christians and birthday celebrations^[3][4]:

...not one from all the saints is found to have celebrated a festive day or great feast on the day of his birth. No one is found to have had joy on the day of the birth of his son or daughter. Only sinners rejoice over this kind of birthday.

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December 25^th vs. January 6^th

We know that during Jesus' ministry and after Jesus' crucifixion, Christians were not celebrating His birthday.The first record of attempting to pinpoint the date of Jesus' birth appears to 200ad. The estimates provided at this point in Christian history all point to the thought that Jesus was born in the Spring. Yet by 300ad, Christians were celebrating Jesus' birth either on December 25^th (in the West) or January 6^th (in the East and Egypt).^[2] How did we get these dates?

Pagan Holidays?

A popular theory is that Christmas is actually modeled after and a substitute for one or more of the pagan holidays meant to honor the winter solstice. The 3 holidays most commonly accused of being the blueprint for Christmas are Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, and Yule.

Saturnalia

Named for the Roman god Saturn, Saturnalia was a Roman holiday that consisted of a week long party coinciding with the winter solstice. Google's dictionary describes it as "the predecessor to Christmas."^[5] There were large public celebrations, but there were private parties and festivities honoring Saturn as well—much like the public plays/productions and private parties for Christmas. Another similarity, is a red hat, known as the freedman's hat, which was worn during the Saturnalia during the switching of roles. During the role switch, slaves were granted many freedman privileges and were served (to an extent) by their masters. Government offices were closed during Saturnalia and small gifts were exchanged at feasts and banquets. The phrase "deck the halls" likely stems from the tradition of adorning the halls of ones home with green boughs during this holiday. Caroling—nude caroling to be specific—was also part of the festivities.^[6][7]

Sol Invictus

Another ancient holiday that takes place during the Christmas season is Sol Invictus. Sol Invictus actually takes place on December 25th just like Christmas. There is debate as to whether Sol Invictus was created to suppress Christianity, or if Christmas was created to suppress Sol Invictus.^[8] Sol Invictus was a sun worshiping holiday for Sol, a Latin cult. One writer tries to defend Christmas against accusations of paganism and copycat tendencies, by citing the uncertainty of whether Sol Invictus or the celebration of Jesus' birth came first and listing quotes from the early church where leaders wished to distance themselves from paganism.^[9] Interestingly, the author doesn't mention the traditions of Saturnalia and Yule that the church (specifically the Roman Catholic Church, as it was the only "official" church for quite some time) adopted. Actions speak much louder than words, even today we have so-called Christian who spew hate and venom that is not of God. If the early Christians were so set on distancing themselves, why did they adopt the traditions of Saturnalia and Yule? Why is it that in Old English, the holiday was still called Yule and not reflective of Jesus (the first version of the word Christmas didn't occur until the latter days of old English approximately 900 years later)?^[10][11] Similarly, today, many preachers will condemn actions such as premarital sex and drinking, but members of the church commonly partake in these practices anyway. While I wouldn't say there is definitive evidence that Sol Invictus inspired Christmas, I also don't agree with this poster's reasoning and attempt at "proving" the two have no connection (I don't think this is definitive either).

Yule

Yule also took place in accordance with the winter solstice (around December 21st)^[12] and is the namesake for the word "Yuletide."^[13][14] Yule or Yuletide was the popular name for the holiday before Christmas came into fashion and is still referenced in many Christmas carols.^[15] As a celebration to honor the sun, the primary traditions of the holiday included light (such as candles). The pagan Yule also included the decorating of a tree, wassailing (caroling), and the Yule log. After converting to Christianity, many didn't want to give up their pagan holidays so they incorporated the pagan traditions with their new faith. It is thought that the original Yule festivities celebrated the battle between the Oak and Holly Kings. The Oak King was said to be symbolic of the new year and light, with the Holly King representing darkness.^[12] In addition to the poinsettia, holly is also closely associated with the Christmas holiday today. This version of Yule is still celebrated by Wiccans today.
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A Non-Pagan Reason?

Some argue that the date of Christmas is not due to pagan influence, though I think the above section proves that many Christmas traditions are in fact pagan. One argument is the lack of discussion on co-opting the pagan holidays for Christianity in documents from the early church. I find this to be a flimsy argument. Not only could this matter easily be discussed verbally, the hijacking of a popular pagan holiday by a persecuted faith seems like a stealth mission. I imagine the reaction of the Romans upon learning Christians were going to be over Saturnalia would be akin to fans of Fifty Shades of Grey learning Disney was going to make the movie adaptation.

The alternate hypothesis lies is the dating of Jesus' death. As the Passover Lamb, we know that Jesus died on Nisan 14 (possibly Nisan 15—but that's a discussion for another post) and according to Tertullian of Carthage, the Roman equivalent of Nisan 14 in the year Jesus died would have been March 25. This is interesting since scholars still can't agree on the exact year Jesus died. The same author who dismisses one theory because no one recorded an intent, suggests that even though these same people never recorded a year of death, they were able to calculate and convert the day of the Passover sacrifice during the year of Jesus' birth. He goes on to hypothesize that per the belief Jesus died and was conceived on the same day, March 25th must be His conception date and exactly 9 months later would be December 25. Quotes from 4^th century Christians prove that at least some of them believed Jesus was conceived on the day He died, His death date was March 25th, and that identified His birthday on December 25th. The date of January 6th was supposedly determined in the same fashion, because in the East Christians converted the 14th of Nisan to April 6th.^[2]

Maybe this theory would make sense, if I could figure out why the early Christians believed Jesus died on the day of His conception... Every explanation of this idea quotes the same source and suggests "it just feels right." To me that is synonymous with "I don't want to give up this pagan holiday, this sounds good enough so I'm going to roll with it." I don't remember anything in the Bible suggesting this connection. If I find anything explaining this concept I'll update this section with the information.
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A Biblical Date?

Many suggestions have been made for the birthday of Christ, but during my research, I only came across one that seemed to have Biblical origins. Luke 1 begins with the foretelling of John the Baptist's birth, to his father Zacharias. Zacharias was married to Elisabeth, Mary's cousin. We are told that in the sixth month of Elisabeth's pregnancy, the angel appeared to Mary to announce her miraculous pregnancy. Thus, we know that John the Baptist was approximately six months older than Jesus. If we could pinpoint the date of John the Baptist's birth, we could also approximate Jesus' birth. Many work backwards, stating that since Jesus was born on December 25th, John the Baptist was born around June 25th.

However one researcher suggests using 1 Chronicles 24 to determine when the angel announced the coming of John the Baptist.^[16] 1 Chronicles 24 tells us about the division of priests by familial line as it relates to their service of the sanctuary. Each male Levite descendant was given a time, based on this division that they were responsible for the sanctuary. Since Zacharias was a priest preforming his duty at the sanctuary, we know that the angel appeared to him during his assigned time. Luke 1:15 tells us that Zacharias was of the lineage of Abia. In 1 Chronicles 24:10, Abia (or Abijah) is given the 8^th lot.

A commentary on the Jewish Torah called the Mishnah is cited to suggest each lot served one week at the temple, in order, starting with the first Sabbath of Nisan. Since Nisan was the first month of the year, this makes sense. The author of this theory also provides commentary on how the feast days of the Passover, Feast of Weeks, and Feast of Tabernacles, in which everyone was required to journey to the temple, would require all of the priestly lineage for help. This also discusses the fact that in a 51 week year (per Hebrew tradition) the each of the 24 divisions could serve twice, totaling 48 weeks and leaving 3 "extra" weeks, the weeks of the previously mentioned feasts. Leap year would have 55 weeks, adding 4 more "extra" weeks. The author suggests that for each of the extra four weeks, one sixth of the divisions were responsible for the tabernacle; this would give each division equal time to serve.^[16][17]

Based on this school of thought and the assumption of Jesus' birth in 6bc (which is debatable), the author calculates that Zacharias would have been at the temple to receive the angel's message between June 4^th and June 11^th. Elisabeth would have conceived sometime in June after he returned home, thus the sixth month of her pregnancy would have been in December, and John the Baptist would have been born sometime in March. This would place Jesus' birthday in September. The author guesses at dates to show that perhaps Jesus was born around the Feast of Tabernacles in 6bc.^[16]

I think this is an interesting theory, though not without it's flaws. One problem is that we don't know for a fact that Jesus was born in 6bc. Most scholars estimate that He could have been born anywhere from 7bc to 4bc . Since the first Sabbath would not fall on the same day each year, the dates shift slightly within the Jewish calendar over the range of plausible years. Further, when we try to convert these dates to our current Georgian calendar, we have to account for even more shifts in time (particularly the leap years). Then of course, there is the fact that we cannot be sure how soon after Zacharias returned Elisabeth became pregnant—that night, that week, a month later? In addition, Mary might not have carried Jesus for exactly 9 months, He may have come a day early. Also, if each family served twice a year, it is possible the angel visited Zacharias during his second term. If we assumed there were roughly six months between terms (if each family served twice, they would start over around half way point of the year). This would place the beginning of Elisabeth's pregnancy in December, and Mary's 6 months later in June. That would lead us back to a spring birthday for Jesus. Interestingly, this would place Jesus' death date close to His actual birthdate (vs. conception) per the speculation in the section above.
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Discussion

In short, it's impossible to say when Jesus was born. Without bias (based on whether you're trying to defend Christmas), there is a 1 in 365 chance that Jesus was born on December 25^th (1 in 366 if He was born on a leap year). That means there's roughly a .3% chance December 25^th is actually Jesus' birthday.

Again, people often say "so what?" and posit that it doesn't matter because it's the thought that counts. This is interesting because in Leviticus God only discusses forgiveness for sins the Israelites unknowingly committed (committing a sin on purpose meant you deliberately disobeyed God which was punishable by death or exile). A sin is a sin whether you think you're doing good or not. So, I'm not sure that logic holds up. Further, there's still the question of whether Jesus actually wants His birthday celebrated. Biblical passages concerning birthdays and patterns revolving around births suggests He does not.

It took me until high school to understand what my friend meant about "Christmas" not being in the Bible (since she couldn't explain it in middle school, I don't think she understood either). Once I understood her point, my question became "is it possible to differentiate the pagan holiday from the celebration of Jesus?" That's what the heart of this series is about.
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References

1. Monthly Average/Record Temperatures: Beit Lahm. Weather.com. 2015
   a. Beit Lahm is currently the official name of Bethlehem, Israel
2. McGowan, Andrew. "How December 25 Became Christmas". BIBLE REVIEW-WASHINGTON-. 18.6: pg. 46-48. 2002
3. Moore, Edward. Origen of Alexandria. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2015
4. Origen. The Fathers of the Church: Homilies on Leviticus 1-15. Translated by Gary Wayne Barkley. 1990
5. Saturnalia. Google.com. 2015
6. Wigington, Patti. Saturnalia. About.com. 2015
7. "In Reference to Saturnalia". Encylopædia Brittancia. 2015
8. Veith, Gene. "Christmas is NOT Based on the Feast of Sol Invictus". Patheos. December 2012
9. Sorensen, Jon. "Why December 25?". Catholic Answers. December 2013
10. Harper, Douglass. "Christmas". Online Etymology Dictionary. 2015
11. "Old English". Dictionary.com. 2015
12. Wigington, Patti. "History of Yule". About.com. 2015
13. Harper, Douglass. Yuletide. Online Etymology Dictionary. 2015
14. Harper, Douglass. Yule. Online Etymology Dictionary. 2015
15. Hillerbrand, Hans J. "Christmas". Encyclopæpedia Britannica. 2015
16. Turner, Gary. "When was John the Baptist born?". Christmas in September?. 2015
17. Turner, Gary. "Notes". Christmas in September?. 2015