The word Christmas derives from Old English, and means the Mass of Christ. It is the celebration of one of the most important parts of the Christian belief, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary. The date of the birth of Christ is not known, but it has been celebrated on 25th December for centuries, because this date coincided with a Roman festival of the Sun. Christmas is not just a single day though, it is celebrated over a 12 day season, beginning on Christmas Eve, and ending on the Epiphany, the celebration of the coming of the wise men to see the baby Jesus. It is a celebration of the coming of the Saviour that had been longed for in Old Testament times, and is a time of great joy for all Christians. For many, it is the only time of year when Christians go to church, for it is the one festival that almost all Christians understand. The Nativity (the story surrounding the birth of Christ) is a well-known story, and is told as according to the Gospels at this time. Other Scripture readings at Christmas depict the prophecies of the prophets about the coming of Christ, and other events surrounding His coming.
There are many customs surrounding the Christmas season. The most common and well known of these is the giving of presents to loved ones. This is to symbolise the giving of the gifts from the wise men to Jesus on the Epiphany. This has lewd to some division between customs, as some denominations believe gifts should be given on Christmas Day, and others believe that they should be given on Epiphany (6th January).
Christmas carols are songs that tell a part of the Nativity, or tell of the joy and happiness of the season. They are frequently used as a way of raising money for charity, with groups singing in public places such as shopping malls, and this is important both in raising the spirit of Christmas in public society, and also in fulfilling the call of Christ to be charitable and loving one another, which is emphasised at this time (see Section B).
In the 13th Century, St Francis of Assisi began a tradition of displaying a crib at Christmas time. The crib is a small Nativity scene of the stable where Jesus was born, containing all the major characters of the Christmas story, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men etc. It serves as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, which can easily be lost amid the media hysteria surrounding the festival (a feature of Christmas that is explored further in Section C).
Christmas is a joyous celebration in the liturgical year, and is a demonstration of both the power of God, in creating the Immaculate Conception and the Virgin Birth, the fulfilment of Scripture that a Saviour would come, and of the love of God for his people that he sent his only Son to become Incarnate.
Section B
‘Explain how the celebration of major Christian festivals like Advent and Christmas can change people’s lives’.
The preparation for Christmas that people undertake during the season of Advent, can have a major effect on the way they conduct themselves during that period, and also on the lives of people elsewhere in the world, who benefit from the charitable spirit of the Christian community at this time. One of the main Christian practices associated with Advent and Christmas is the belief in charity as part of the spirit of the season. They believe that, by giving to charities, they are fulfilling the command of Jesus to help those in need. Particular Christian charities that are active at this time include Christian Aid, World Relief, Samaritan’s Purse and the Round Table. AT this time, these charities campaign in the spirit of Christmas for help for the poor and homeless in the world, both in Britain and abroad. The Salvation Army is particularly active at Christmas time, providing shelter and food and drinks for the homeless on the UK’s streets. Charities might organise carol-singing events, in public places, or outside people’s houses. Carol singing is one of the most effective ways of putting over the message of Christmas, as they tell either part of the Nativity story, or of the salvation it brought humanity or just project the joy of the season.
The atmosphere at Christmas is different than at any other time of year. Part of the ‘magic’ of Christmas is that wherever you go, people will be happy. On Christmas Day, the streets are almost empty, and the shops are all closed, as every one spends the day with their families. The joy of being with loved ones, giving and receiving gifts in turn, and enjoying their time off work, creates an amazing atmosphere that you will not find at any other time of the year. This atmosphere can change even the most hard-hearted people into people who care, and even they join into the festivities. Just think of the story of Scrooge, told in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. On eof the most cold-hearted people imaginable was softened and humbled by the spirit of the celebration, and was able to join in. It changed his life forever, and it does this to people in real life as well.
It is easy to lose sight of the fact given the hype that Christmas receives from the media and the commercial sector of society, but Christmas is above all a religious celebration of the salvation of humanity by the birth of the Messiah. Although many people are losing sight of this, a vast number still acknowledge this fact. As people join in the custom of exchanging gifts, and therefore cheering up those around them and creating the atmosphere that makes Christmas so special, they are also acknowledging the fact that it is a Christian festival. It is one of the few times of the year in which people feel that they should go to church, if not to join in with what is customary, but also because in modern society, the story of the Nativity is one of the first stories of historical and religious importance taught to children. In this way, it would be safe to say that churches receive higher attendance at Christmas time than at any other time during the year, and personal experience from my own parish church, plus statistical research, prove that Christmas is the greatest factor influencing people’s decision to come to church.
Section C
‘What is your opinion about the importance of Christmas in today’s society? In your answer consider alternative points of view’.
There are many different opinions about the significance of Christmas as a religious festival in today’s society. Still it is a big celebration, and plays an important part in both the liturgical calendar and the regular year, but the commercialisation of the festival and the modernisation of Christian customs associated with Christmas into non-Christian celebratory tools are increasingly undermining its religious significance.
There is no doubt in my mind or any body else’s that Christmas is big business. The exchange of gifts at Christmas has been an important feature of the festival for more than a thousand years, and is an example of the Christian teaching of ‘love your neighbour’. It also represents the gifts given to the Christ–child by the Magi (or the three wise men) at the Epiphany. However, in such circumstances, where 1.9 billion Christians world-wide are searching for presents for their families and friends, it is inevitable that the commercial sector of society will spot the business opportunity, and they will exploit it. Now, businesses are stocked up for Christmas in October and initiating advertising campaigns in an attempt to lure the early business towards them. The commercial interest in Christmas is so high that even non-Christians and heathens join the celebrations and buy gifts for one another. This is not to join in the belief that this is the day the Christ was born to save humanity, because as they are not Christian, they would not do this. It is more to do with the effect of the media, almost forcing them to believe that at the time of Christmas, all people buy each other gifts as an exchange of friendliness.
In this way it would seem that one of Christianity’s most important festivals has been distorted by the media into a commercial forum and a heathen celebration of joy and happiness. In fact, the date of the 25th December originated from the date of a heathen celebration of the return of the Sun, as the exact date of the birth of Christ is unknown. Also, this media distortion of the festival has affected the way the new generations of people see Christmas. Some so-called Christian children do not know anything about the Nativity, or the message of Christmas. They are so caught up in the media hype of the event that the religious meaning of the festival is overshadowed.
A traditional custom of Christmas time, is the singing of carols. Traditionally people, especially children, go around the streets and sing carols in people’s homes, spreading the message of Christmas or the story of the Nativity. Today, carols are also sung to raise money for various charities, especially the poor. However, this custom has been adopted by others, and now Christmas songs such as ‘We wish you a merry Christmas’ are becoming ever more popular in society, undermining the value of the real carols.
However, it is wrong to say that everyone in the world has forgotten the meaning of Christmas and I would be inclined to agree with the first statement. Christmas is still a very important part of British society, and one could say that the commercial interest in the festival simply highlights that. Christians spend the entire month of December preparing for Christmas, during the time of Advent. This is because Christmas is the time when God became man in Jesus Christ. This is known in the Christian world as the Incarnation, when God was made incarnate through the Virgin Mary. This celebrates the salvation of humanity, for Jesus was born to teach us how to follow the Lord, die on the cross to free us from all our sins, and rise from the dead in order that we might conquer sin and death also. Throughout Advent, people remember the way in which the prophets foretold the coming of Jesus the Messiah, and the events leading up to the birth of Christ, the Annunciation for instance. For Catholics in particular, it is a time of penance, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is an important event for them at this time. They use the Advent Wreath or Advent Calendars to check on their progress through Advent towards Christmas. At Christmas itself, there is a special mass on Christmas Eve, to mark the festival of Christmas, and to listen to the story of the incarnation as told in the gospels.
I would say that, in conclusion, Christmas cannot be written off in terms of its religious values. It is a time of national celebration in Britain, and there is a lot of commercial interest in the festival. The festival does however still incorporate a large number of the Christian messages that it should do. The food drink and party side of the festival are part of Christian togetherness, and it promotes the coming together of families, and, through Christmas cards, it also makes people communicate with people over long distances who they normally would not have time for. In this way, some of the key Christian messages – ‘Love your neighbour’ for example – are still very much evident. The birth of Christ is still important to the Christian population, and although many non-Christians join in the celebrations with presents and parties, this in my view does not detract from the religious significance of the festival. Humanities salvation is still celebrated by the birth of Christ at Christmas to those for whom it is important, and for those who don’t celebrate the meaning, they celebrate the importance of family and friends, and the joy of celebration. Both can be equally important.
