Truth To Wonder: conversation for christ

For those who celebrate Christmas, many are commenting about how the ‘magic’ of Christmas has been lost. The anticipation of the big day is what gave us excited energy to wait long into the night of Christmas Eve. Then when Christmas morning came, an explosion of excitement, joy and gratitude filled the air like the sweet scent of Christmas cake. That feeling doesn’t feel abundant like it once did years ago. 

Christmas has been surrendered to materialism and paganism, with many Christians being told the holiday is a pagan observance. As a result, many have pulled away from keeping it as a Christian celebration. Yet is such a move, correct? 

Well, there has been a clear and hostile attempt to rewrite history regarding Christmas. Many TV shows, podcasts, and the like contend that Christmas was just a repackaging of pagan celebrations such as Saturnalia or the worship of Mithras. This is incorrect historically however, as neither of these pagan celebrations occurred on December 25th. Saturnalia for example occurred in mid-December, and was popularised by Rome as a celebration in the 3rd century A.D. This was done by the Caesars to counteract the growing Christian influence in the empire, as greater numbers of Christians publicly observed December 25th as the birth of Jesus. For example, the early Church father Irenaeus, was one of those who put forward the date as a possible date for the birth of Jesus. In short, paganism tried to overwrite Christianity, not the other way around like it is publicised.

Many modern scholars contend that the birth of Jesus was more likely to have been around late September to coincide with the Feast of Tabernacles (a fitting day symbolically as the Son of God came to ‘tabernacle’ or dwell amongst us in the flesh). This would place His conception by the Holy Spirit back in late December, again placing us at Christmas time. This again would fit neatly as in the darkest part of the year, the Light of the World came to us, a good and worthy cause of celebration and thanksgiving nonetheless.

Another bone of contention is that of Christmas trees. Many believe the notion that this was a druidic and pagan practice. However, there are no concrete records of any such act being commonly done until the 1500’s in central Europe, placing it far away from the idea that it is an ancient pagan rite. One of the most popular folktales in Germany (where Christmas trees first became popular) of the origins of Christmas trees, comes from the life of the Reformer Martin Luther. It is said that Luther went for a walk in the forest one night and was struck by the beauty of God’s Creation seen in the twinkling stars against the snow tipped trees. In his attempt to recreate the moment for his family, he cut down a tree, placed it in his home and decorated it with candles to replicate the stars he had gazed upon not long before. Given Luther’s popularity and influence in Germany, this practice quickly caught on and became a beloved Germanic tradition which found its way to our shores through Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert.

There are many more points that can be raised to calmly answer the objections of those who claim that Christmas is a pagan festival. For instance, some will object and say that the title means ‘Christ’s Mass’ and therefore is a Catholic/pagan festival. Christmas simply means ‘Christ sent’, a testimony of how the Son of God was sent to be the Saviour of the world. It doesn’t bear affiliation to any Catholic mystic practice.

In many ways, secularists have been successful in reshaping people’s views on Christmas. Christ Jesus has been systemically removed from Christmas, and the message of peace on earth and good will toward men has been significantly quietened as a result. Therein lies the loss of the ‘magic’ of Christmas. It’s no longer a season that speaks of Heaven and the good news of a Saviour given to redeem us from sin, death and Hell everlasting. It’s just become another consumer event filled with stress and strain. The anticipation of a rescue from sin and death has been quietly robbed from us and we wonder why the occasion no longer stirs the heart like it once did.

So, let’s refuse to let this wonderful time of year be sidelined. Let’s stand joyfully and happily for this mighty opportunity to emulate the shepherds when they saw the newborn King. They went out and told all the world of the birth of the Redeemer! He who would bear the sins of the world, so that all who repent of their sins and believe on Him, will rise again and live in eternal glory with Christ Jesus!