I grew up in a family that attended a church of Christ. At the time I was growing up, there were many in the churches of Christ who opposed the celebration of Christmas, though I don’t remember actually hearing this teaching when I was young.
I know the arguments: The Bible never mentions Christmas. The Bible condemns the observance of special days. Jesus wasn’t born in December. The date comes from that of a pagan feast. Many of the symbols are pagan. And I’m sure there are more.
Now, it seems, the fashion is to get upset about “the war on Christmas.” If you want to be trendy, you need to complain when someone says “Happy Holidays,” cringe when someone writes “Xmas,” and howl about the need for public nativity scenes. Maybe these people aren’t the same ones that used to oppose the celebration of Christmas, but I can’t help but see some irony in the whole situation.
I like Christmas as a family holiday. I see it a lot like Thanksgiving, sort of an arbitrary season to spend time with family. I’m glad that it makes some people think of the coming of Jesus; that has to be a good thing.
I don’t think the pagan aspects hold meaning any more. Unless the Christmas tree guy was making a sacrifice to his goddess when he cut the tree, there is no connection. And throughout history, God has taken things that were once used for pagan worship and sanctified them for his people. When there was a danger of confusion, God forbade such things. If there was no danger, God took those things and made them holy.
In Argentina, the greeting is “Felices Fiestas,” pointing to both Christmas and New Year’s (and Epiphany, to some degree). For the religious, both holidays are times to honor God. For those who aren’t, both are times for selfish indulgence. Maybe my fifteen years in Argentina lessened my interest in fighting over “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays.” I’ve seen that whichever one is said, people will continue to be who they are.
The only danger I see is when Christians become hateful and negative at this time of year. Is it worth offending your neighbor by telling him not to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday? Is it worth offending your neighbor by telling him that he has to honor Christmas as a religious holiday? Aren’t we better off living out a Christian spirit and reaching them through love?
So Happy Holidays to you. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And why not? Happy Hanukkah and Joyous Kwanzaa to you. Happy Noodle Ring Day (Dec. 11), Merry Poinsettia Day (12), Happy Cocoa Day (13), Felices Posadas (16), Sticky Maple Syrup Day and Underdog Day (17), Merry Wear A Plunger On Your Head Day (18; no, I didn’t make that up), Happy Oatmeal Muffin Day (19), Merry Games Day (20), Joyous National Flashlight Day (21), Merry Roots Day (23), Happy National Egg Nog Day (24), Happy Boxing Day and National Whiners Day (26), Joyous Visit The Zoo Day (27), and Happy Card Playing Day (28).
Don’t forget Festivus! Let the Airing of Grievances begin and Bring on the Feats of Strength!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus
yeah, Tim, how could you be so insensitive and leave out Festivus?
You know it is funny to be because I hear about this was over the use of religious language during this season. I know it goes on and it does make me sick, more so because I suspect that there are some Christians who believe God really care whether we say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.” But what is funny is that where I live…in the so-called liberal Northeast (New Jersey)…the culture is predominately Roman Catholic and Jewish. As a result, I can walk into almost any store and hear religious songs that celebrate the birth of Jesus and songs that celebrate Hanukkah and I don’t hear anyone throwing a fuss about either songs.
Grace and Peace,
Rex
4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; Romans 14
National Whiners Day on December 26th, huh? Got to work that one into the sermon for the day! ROFL Somebody does indeed have a sense of humor!!
Back in the 30’s, during the Depression, the church of Christ in Dallas, TX where my family attended always had a Christmas tree in the auditorium, and the children from Boles Orphans Home were brought there for a special celebration. They were each given gifts, and every child (me included) was given a red mesh stocking with an apple, orange, banana, nuts and candy cane. My family has always observed the day as a special family time, not because it was supposed to be Christ’s birthday (always was taught He wasn’t born in December because the shepherds would not have been in the fields with their sheep at that time of year). This is the only congregation that I have known in my lifetime that did such. Still, like you, I think if it causes people to recognize that Christ was born, lived on this earth, and died for them, it can be a very good thing.
mmm I’m born on Joyous Visit The Zoo Day (27)! No comments please…
I don’t know if you realize how many stores owned by Jews have made billions on the Christian holidays. In my area there have been, Schottensteins, Beerman, Rike,
Freidmann, Kressegee, Elder, Lazarus, Thals, Goldbergs, Schachnes, and this is just in
Southwest & central Ohio. I am sure you can remember some of the stores in your area as well. Capitalism working for all…..each and every holiday season……..
Seems like a missed opportunity for the church to not preach and emphasize Jesus during a season when so many other people are.
I grew up on the east coast where the church of Christ was thoroughly entrenched in what John Mark Hicks calls the “Texas tradition.” At home and at church we were taught that we celebrated Christmas as an American tradition and NOT as a religious holiday. ( I had a Jewish friend whose family celebrated Christmas as an American tradition too.) We were opposed to all things Roman Catholic – God hated the Pope – and Christmas was Catholic. We used stencils and pray cans of “snow” to decorate the windows with snowmen and Santa Claus but no angels, wise men (we don’t know that there were actually three – that’s also Catholic) or other religious symbols. We sang some Christmas carols at church during December but not on Christmas Sunday and IF we had a Christmas sermon it was why we didn’t celebrate Christmas.
Imagine my amazement when in high school my brother’s Episcopal girlfriend told me her priest said that people celebrated Christmas either as Christians or as pagans. She then asked me which way I celebrated it.
On a slightly different note, About 1985 I had a friend (not CofC – he was strongly in the Reformed/Calvinist tradition) in Dallas that sent out cards to his friends in December. On the front of the card was the question: Name Three things that begin with the letter P that Celebrate Christmas. On the inside of the card was the answer: Pagans, Papists and liberal Protestants.
Today it seems we are thoughtful enough that we really don’t care much one way or the other. The important thing is that we embrace tolerance.
Merry Christmas,
Randall