What Are Christians Celebrating

Christmas is Jesus Christ's birthday. For Christians, Jesus is the most important person who ever lived, so we mark this special occasion every year. Almost everything we know about Jesus' birth comes to us from the Gospel written by Luke. It may seem surprising for any of us who have watched long Christmas pageants, but almost all that we know about the birth of Jesus is contained in just a few short verses. 

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke's Gospel later contains the story of the shepherds who are visited by an angel and told about Jesus, while Matthew's Gospel contains the short account of the three Magi (or Wise Men) from the East (or Orient). Mark and John's Gospels do not speak of Jesus' birth at all.

Born of a Virgin

 From the Gospel of Matthew and Luke, we learn that Mary and Joseph were visited by angels and told that Jesus would be born to Mary even though she was a virgin. Her conception would be through the power of the Holy Spirit. Naturally, this was very shocking, especially for Joseph who would have to endure the stares and accusing eyes of those who knew that the couple were not yet married. However, both Mary and Joseph were trusting and faithful and they did as the angels commanded them.

What about Presents?

This tradition likely started with a single verse from Matthew, which describes the visit of the Magi. "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." So, at Christmas we give gifts to one another in honor of the gifts the Magi gave to Jesus

Santa, Reindeer, Christmas Trees

There are so many customs, traditions and symbols at Christmas, it can be hard to know what they all really mean. The idea of Santa Claus has nothing to do with Jesus. Rather, it's a combination of ideas which blended over the years, starting with the Christian Saint Nicholas, gaining some of it's influence from German legends and culminating in the 1823 poem, "A visit from Saint Nicholas". Similarly, the concept of the Christmas Tree has it's origins in German traditions. 

Is it a Christian Holiday Anymore?

These symbols, especially as we know them today, have almost nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. This upsets some Christians, who see the modern notion of Christmas as having completely eclipsed the real meaning. In recent years, Christians have been forced to completely eliminate the religious elements from schools and other public places.

Christmas will never be about anything other than Jesus in the Christian community, regardless of what others may do. So long as Christians continue to remember and celebrate the real meaning, it can't hurt that others are celebrating the holiday without knowing what it really means. We can use this as our opportunity to let them know the real meaning of Christmas and share the message of Jesus Christ at the same time.