December First
december
i have a Christmas tree in my classroom. Funny thing that. It's not very big and the decorations are items that past students have given me or made. At the top of the tree is a little 'story teller' ornament. The story teller is a Hopi tradition I think, an old woman with children all over her. On the one on my Christmas tree, in her middle is a Nativity scene. It's "culturual" and no one has ever told me that I can't have those things in my room. Not all teachers are so lucky. Christmas Trees are funny things aren't they? The UN and USA are trying to decide just what to call them. It's harder for the USA, they have to figure out what to call Christmas without doing serious damage to our economy. We have alot of Holidays on the calendar (Happy Holidays!) "black Friday" doesn't come before the Fourth of July or Valentines day.
So the ungodly world argues against calling December 25 Christmas, and against Christmas Trees and Carols (they have all but won the Nativity Scene debate) While some Christians who love to prove that they are more Christian than those other Christians, blog on about Christmas being a pagan holiday (what about it Wanderer?), Christmas Trees being Idols, the Veggie Tale Christmas playset being graven images, and we all know Jesus wasn't real born on December 25 anyway. I've heard it all. I don't care. I love Christmas. And for me, it starts the day after Thanksgiving (I NEVER shop on that day) and goes to my wedding anniversary, 26 years on Dec. 31 - Love Ya Pastor Art! I think this Christmas will be a sort of sad one for me because of some family issues. I probably won't be able to see my grandchildren and my heart is still breaking over that situation. But I start wearing my Christmas Shirts to school today. I've "written" the Christmas pagent our Children's Church is doing on December 23. I'm going to forget that my theology and doctrine is once again under attack here in the blog world., I won't take it personally! I'm going to deck the halls, my lights and my nativity scene collection will be put up this weekend. I will bake cookies, even though my grand daughter won't be here to help this time. I won't spend too much money, I never do. Honest...never have it to spend. It's not about the gifts anyway. But I will go to the Mall in Farmington, just to see and smell and listen. I'll hum Silent Night and Joy to the World as I go from place to place. Regardless of theology, political correctness, or personal disappointment, I will celebrate the Birth of My King - the King of Kings: The people who walk in darkness will see a great light, those who live in a dark land. The Light will shine upon them...for a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us and the government will rest on His shoulders, And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor. Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace! (Isaiah 9)
Shine Jesus, Shine!
3 comments:
You asked, so I have to answer. (You are fortunate that it is late, I work early, and I spent too long talking to your son or this would be longer.)
Is Christmas a Pagan holiday? Yes. Yule (a.k.a. The winter solstice) was observed long before Christmas. In truth, multiple Christian holidays were dated to offset the eight Sabbats. Easter falls awfully close to Eostar. (Spelling similarities coincedental?) I could list the rest of the correlations but I am too tired. Merely ask and I will, but I suspect you already know.
Hanging a bush or small tree on a door was a practice of pagan ancestors on Yule. The Yule log obviously was theirs too. A large log to warm the hearth and allow long celebration with less tending of the fire. Most of the plant decorations were pagan. As was the gift giving. (Generally small tokens indicative of a desire for longevity or a necessity to make use of them. To influence the spirits to allow the people to survive the winter.)
Virtually everything about the rituals of Christmas celebration has Pagan roots (other than the nativity.) However, in the opening provided, I won't go into detail and enumerate, since I will be doing so in a couple of weeks on my blog. Instead I will attack one of the latest protests.
For those of you who don't know, there are Christmas trees being marketed that are narrow below and wide above. (They appear upside down.) These allow more room for presents.
I have heard many complainants state that this was a Pagan practice to invert the trees. (Why do you folks assume we invert everything anyway?) As for the trees, this is untrue. Again, I am not doing the work for you now, but if you are lazy and obnoxious, I can document for you some sources on the history of the Christmas tree. These (as well as any of your own research) will include the fact that originally, Christmas trees (those for the honor of Christ's birth, not our Yule traditions) were hung from the ceiling. They were hung upside down.
Given the fact that so much of this particular holiday is borrowed, I must ask as I did on another blog, why some Christians try to pin the one true Christian tradition on us?
like you said Wanderer, I already know. Between the time I was a devote Roman Catholic, and the time I committed my life and soul to the LORD, Jesus (I enjoyed your discussion of His part in the Trinity on Dawn is Coming), any way, during the time I was a "solipsystic nylaistic neopagan"
(what?) I celebrated Saturnalia.
boy am I butchering spelling this morning or what, no wonder I'm in special ed, no wait I'm the teacher...Pastor Art is doing a study on the Jewish Feasts (Sabbaths) and I rather see correlations between "yours" and those. Ever read C.S.Lewis "That Hideous Strength"? Merlin makes some interesting observations in it concerning the time Christianity came to the Brits. Maybe, I'll read it again over during Christmas break.
MaryEllen - I was fairly confident that you would know. As I said, I was fairly tired when I posted and I meant to indicate that others could come to my blog if they wanted detail, or that I would go into greater detail here if for some odd reason you so desired.
I am not certain why you think you spelled Saturnalia wrong, but I will give you a little moral support in assuring you that you didn't. :)
As for the C.S. Lewis book, no I haven't read it. Now I probably will. I have been somewhat interested in the directions that his mind has taken his writing, and would love to have sat down and had a conversation with him, although I suspect we wouldn't agree on much. I will let you know what I think when I have completed it.
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