The Meaning of Christmas for Christians
The Meaning of Christmas for Christians
One of the largest Christian festivals in the world is Christmas. Christians and non-Christians alike celebrate it, but it is especially important to Christians for many reasons. At this time, Christians celebrate an important part of their religion, that Jesus was the Son of God and the Virgin Mary, 'I believe...in Jesus Christ, his only Son, Our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary...' Westhill.
The whole idea of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was the prophesised messiah, and his birth made the foundations of the Christian faith. His birth is very important because he was the Son of God and the saviour of the world. His mother was the Virgin Mary, so called because of the Immaculate Conception, in which Jesus was conceived without an earthly father. Jesus was the Light of the World because he brought love, peace and salvation to the world. He showed people the way to God through worship and kindness, and this is celebrated at Christmas time.
Christians believe that Jesus was the Son of God, and that he was the Incarnation. This means that God came to earth as a human. 'Christians believe that by coming into the human situation God was revealing himself and his purpose for mankind,' Westhill.
At Christmas, people see their families and have fun. Jesus showed people that they should love their neighbour, and Christians make sure that they are kind to all people at Christmas. They also remember how Jesus taught people to help one another, and they think about the disadvantaged people in the world and pray for them. It is the season of goodwill and forgiveness for sins.
The most important way for Christians to celebrate at Christmas is through worshipping God. During Advent and on Christmas Day, Christians traditionally worship in various ways.
Advent, meaning "the Coming" is the name of the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day. Christians go to church and use certain items to prepare for Jesus' birthday. In church services, they hear parts of the Bible that are linked to Jesus' coming and the time leading up to his birth. The message of these stories is to watch and pray. Christians pray that God will forgive their sins from the year that is ending, 'Christians think back over the past year, and pray for God's forgiveness for all they have said or done wrong,' Skills in RS Book One by J. Fageant and SC Mercier. Christians also look forward to Jesus' Second Coming, when Christ will judge mankind, at this time as they prepare their hearts and minds. They also hear lessons in church that teach them about preparing for Jesus, and about His Second Coming.
Christians often use candles during advent. They might use an Advent Wreath, which is a wreath of evergreen with four (or sometimes five) candles placed on it. Traditionally, one of these candles is pink and three are purple. Purple traditionally represents preparation, and pink represents joy. On each of the Sundays on Advent, a candle is lit, and if there is five, then the fifth is lit on Christmas Day. This wreath is symbolic of two things. The evergreen wreath represents God's promise of eternal life and the candle flames remember Jesus as the Light of the World. ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
Christians often use candles during advent. They might use an Advent Wreath, which is a wreath of evergreen with four (or sometimes five) candles placed on it. Traditionally, one of these candles is pink and three are purple. Purple traditionally represents preparation, and pink represents joy. On each of the Sundays on Advent, a candle is lit, and if there is five, then the fifth is lit on Christmas Day. This wreath is symbolic of two things. The evergreen wreath represents God's promise of eternal life and the candle flames remember Jesus as the Light of the World. ''The candle flame is a symbol of Christ - the Light of the World,' Westhill.
Another custom involving candles is the Christingle. It is an orange with a small candle placed into it. A red ribbon is tied around the middle and cocktail sticks are stuck in, holding fruits and nuts. Each part of the Christingle represents something. The orange represents the world, the candle symbolises Jesus as Light of the World, the ribbon is red like the blood Jesus gave and the fruits and nuts represent the fruits of the earth that God gave us.
Sometimes, Christians might have an Advent Candle. It is a pure white candle with 24 markings on it, and each day the candle burns down to the next marking, until Christmas Day. Often, the candle has an image of Mary and Jesus on it to show it's true meaning about the wait until the messiah's birth.
Also counting down the days till Christmas is the Advent Calendar. It is a calendar with little doors on it, 24 to be opened on every day of Advent. Traditionally, there is a picture of something to do with Christmas behind each one, and in recent times, chocolates are put behind the doors so people, especially children, can taste just a little of the excitement of Christmas Day. 'On these calendars children mark off the days of Advent as they pass,' Celebrations by Celia Collinson and Campbell Miller. These objects all help Christians to mentally prepare for the special time of Christmas.
At Christmas, many children take part in nativities. These are plays that tell the Christmas story, and help children learn about Jesus' birth. Carols are often sung at these plays, also to spread the message of Christmas and help children learn about their saviour.
When Christmas arrives, Christians worship at church. The vicar reads the Christmas story, and a nativity play may be performed. This teaches people about what and who they are worshipping, and celebrates Jesus. Carols are sung to praise and rejoice God and goodwill is spread throughout the congregation.
At Christmas, people are meant to spread goodwill. This is because Jesus always tried to be kind to people, and Christians follow his example. They have lots of ways to do this.
Cards are often sent at Christmas to friends and family. They feature images of things to do with Christmas such as a nativity scene or a star. They spread the message of Jesus and show the receiver that somebody is thinking of them at this special time. '...Christmas cards are sent with suitable greetings,' Celebrations by Celia Collinson and Campbell Miller.
Like cards, gifts are often given to spread goodwill. They also remind Christians of the gifts of the Magi, which were given to Jesus at his birth- gold, myrrh and frankincense. Christians feel that God gave Christians a gift too, Jesus. 'God's greatest gift is Jesus himself whom they regard as a friend and saviour,' Skills in RS Book One by J. Fageant and SC Mercier.
Carols are sung during Advent and at Christmas to commemorate the story of Jesus. They rejoice that Jesus was born and praise God. Often, carollers sing for money to be given to a charity like the Salvation Army. They do this because Jesus taught that you should help others, and he often helped disadvantaged people, like the blind or ill.
Charity is very important at Christmas, as Jesus taught others to be charitable. Christians remember this and might collect for charity, or give presents to charities that will be passed on to poor children. This, like cards, gifts and carols, helps to spread goodwill.
Christmas is a very family orientated event, and two main events emphasise this. One is a family meal on Christmas Day, and the other is a pantomime.
The family meal is a tradition that most families partake in. It gives the family a chance to get together and enjoy Christmas Day. It has three main symbolic parts. One is the turkey, which shows thanksgiving to God. The second is the mince pies that are eaten, and they represent the crib that Jesus was born in. The other is the Christmas cake or pudding and the rich fruits and nuts that make it up remind Christians that God gave them good food to eat. 'On Christmas Day itself families enjoy a traditional dinner of turkey and stuffing, followed by a special fruit pudding,' Celebrations by Celia Collinson and Campbell Miller.
The other main family event at Christmas is a pantomime. Many families go and see a pantomime at Christmas time. They are lots of fun for all ages, but they also have a serious message. They always portray good winning over evil, which is what Jesus did. '...The theme of a saviour is preserved in the fact that there is always a great struggle between good and evil in the story,' Westhill.
At Christmas, decorations are put up in the homes of Christians. They symbolise part of the Christmas story or faith, and have often been adapted from pagan traditions.
A Christmas tree is a popular decoration. It comes from the legend of Saint Boniface, a man who chopped down a huge oak all by himself, with the power of God. Next to it, he found a little fir tree and he gave it to the non-Christians as a Christmas gift, and he said that the tree pointed to heaven. Christians remember his faith when they put a fir tree in their homes. The evergreen tree symbolises God's promise of eternal life, and Christians think of this when they look at the Christmas tree.
Christians usually put an angel or a star on top of their Christmas trees. Angels are used because of their importance in the Christmas story, '...the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream,' Matthew 1:20. Stars are also important in the Christmas story, as one guided the Wise Men to Jesus.
Cribs are used at Christmas because they show what happened when Jesus was born. 'The figures of the crib tell the story of the birth of Christ,' Westhill.
Lights are put up on the tree and around the home at Christmas because Christ was Light of the World. '...The lights are an important symbol for Christians because they remember Jesus Christ as Light of the World,' Skills in RS Book One by J. Fageant and SC Mercier.
Tinsel is used at Christmas as it remembers one woman's faith in God. According to legend, a poor old woman was unable to provide decorations for her children's Christmas tree. During the night, spiders lodged in the tree and covered it with their webs. The Christ Child, seeing this, realised that the woman would be sad to see her surprise spoiled. He turned the spider webs into silver, and the next morning the poor family was dazzled by the brilliant "tinsel" that shone on the tree.
A popular decoration at Christmas is holly. It's white flowers represent the purity of the Virgin Mary, the prickly leaves are like the crown of thorns that Christ wore, the red berries show how drops of blood fell when the thorns pricked him, and the bark remembers the bitterness of Jesus' suffering.
