All Things Christmas
A
ll
T
hings
Christmas
B
y
E. G. Lewis
Published by
Cape
Arago
Press
North Bend, Oregon
Copyright © 2010
& 2012
by E. G. Lewis
All rights reserved. Except for short phrases used in a review, no part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission.
Scripture texts are taken from the
Revised Standard Version
of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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The Seeds of Christianity
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Christian
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Foods of the First Century
–
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ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS,
The
H
istory and
T
raditions of Advent
&
Christma
s
–
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IN THREE DAYS,
The
History and Traditions of Lent & Easte
r
–
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Two
— Advent Wreaths and Calendars
Chapter Four
—
Chanukah
,
The
Festival of Light
Chapter Five
—
Ancient Fruit Cake
Chapter Six
—
Caesar Augustus’ Census
Chapter Seven
—
Why Christmas Comes on December 25
th
Chapter Eight
—
At Nicholas vs
.
Santa Claus
Chapter Nine
—
A Tale of Two Mothers
Chapter Ten
—
In the Fullness of Time
Chapter Eleven
—
Three Views of St. Joseph
Chapter Twelve
—
Birth of the Messiah
Chapter Thirteen
—
Shepherds Keeping Watch
Chapter Fourteen
—
The
Christmas
Miracle of 1914
Chapter Fifteen
—
Two Men Who
Shap
ed Christmas
Chapter Sixteen —
The
Twelve Days of Christmas
Chapter Seventeen —
Favorite Ch
ristm
as Songs
Chapter Eighteen —
A
Most Unusual Christmas Carol
Chapter Nineteen —
Was There a Good King Wenceslaus?
Chapter Twenty —
Who Were the Wise Men?
Chapter Twenty-One — Epiphany –
The
Gentile’s Christmas
Chapter One
INTRODUCTION
W
elcome to this study of
All Things Christmas
— The History &Traditions of Advent and Christmas. Following the flow of Seasons in the Church year, the annual rhythm
of Feasts and Fasts has
become a scared journey that has
sanctified the lives of
many
Christians for
at least fifteen
centuries.
For those unfamiliar with the term, Advent
(
coming
from the Latin word
adventus
meaning
arrival or
coming) is a
liturgical
season observed in many Christian churches
as
a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus.
The season encompasses the four Sundays prior to Christmas and can be as long as
22 days or as long as 28 days.
E
ven though we’ve celebrated Christmas all our lives, there is still much
to be
learned about the lore, legend and reality of
what is arguably most people’s favorite
holiday. Surprisingly enough, this holiday which has been so stereotyped and commercialized was not even celebrated by the
very
earliest Christians. Each year we hear the plea to return Christmas to its religious roots
by putting Christ back into Christmas
. Though most everyone agrees that to do so would be a good thing, no one seems to know how to go about accomplishing the task.
Our
suggestion would be to focus on the one part of the equation
which
remains
under our control
and concentrate on
what happens
with
in
y
our own home.
T
he Latin
word
adventus
carries with it a
particular
implication
of
waiting for the
arrival or coming
of
someone or
something having great importance.
Today, th
is season of
Advent is observed by many
C
hurches
and denominations
. Both the Roman and Eastern Orthodox branches of Catholicism
along with
its
lesser branches such as the Coptic,
Melkite
, Armenian and Syrian Churches
celebrate it, as well as the Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Methodist denominations of Protestantism.
A Little Lent
The
very
earliest celebrations of Advent,
beginning in
the fourth century, involved
some form of fasting. Advent
begins
the Church’s liturgical
year
and
f
asting
is
the traditional
whole-body response to life’s sacred moments
.
As the season of spiritual preparation for Christ’s coming, Advent began
as a time to
prepare oneself
for the great feast to come
—
the Christmas celebration
of Jesus’ birth that follows in the church year
.
In this way Advent is a counterpart to Lent, the season
when Christians
traditionally
fast
ed
in preparation for the
celebration
of Easter.
Because Advent
falls
in
the tenth month (
December
in Latin mean
ing
the tenth month
),
e
arly Christians
associated
it
with the fasts
proscribed in Zechariah
8:19.
Traditionally, the Advent fast focused on abstaining from certain foods for a period of time as a physical and spiritual act that nourishes prayer. And these traditions are indeed ancient. In
his letter,
On the Fast of the Tenth Month
, Pope Leo the Great (d. 461) reminded believers that the Advent fast was instituted so that “when all the ingathering of the crops was complete, we might dedicate to God our reasonable service of abstinence, and each might remember so to use his abundance as to be more abstinent in himself and more
open-handed towards the poor.”
Though the Advent fast was eliminated in the
Western
Church
in the 1960’s
by the changes of Vatican II,
it
remains
alive and well
in the
Eastern
Church
es
.
Orthodox Christians generally fast from meats, dairy, oil, and wine during Advent in order to identify with the simple fare that Adam and Eve shared before their sin
,
when God supplied their nutrition in the Garden of Eden without the consumption of animals.
Fasting helps us proclaim God’s
story
, a story
of love
requiring
watchful preparation of our hearts
and minds, and patient waiting for God’s faithful completion of
his
divine
promises. Advent
can be seen as
a pilgrimage to encounter Christ
similar to
accompanying our
fellow citizens to greet a royal delegation outside the city and journey
back home with the noble person
age
. In our Advent preparation we go with fellow
disciples to welcome our coming king.
Unfortunately, the prevailing trend is toward a secular holiday season running from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day
—
a festival of consumption. This approach distracts us from the true meaning of these seasons. The wisdom of the Church is simple: the gravity of Christ’s Incarnation beckons us to feast and rejoice, but only after a period of preparati
on that includes fasting.
There remains a tension between Advent and Christmas,
in which
one entail
s
sacrifice and waiting while the other demands full-fledged celebration.
Keeping
that in mind, we have tried to
focus on many of the spiritual aspects of the season while
includ
ing
family projects and recipes whenever it seems appropriate.
Hopefully,
these
and the rest of the book
will enhance
many
Christmases to come.
The final
segment
contains a
multi-chapter
excerpt from the first book in
the
Seeds of Christianity™ Series. The story follows the life of Rivkah, a young Jewish girl who
accompanies
her father to the stable in Bethlehem
on th
at
first Christmas and holds the newborn Jesus. It follows her
continuing
interaction with Mary, Joseph and the
infant
Jesus until the family flees to Egypt. We hope you and your family enjoy this
brief glimpse
into
these Biblical events and life in the F
irst Century
.
Chapter
Two
Advent Wreathes and Calendars
The Basic Advent Wr
eath
Over the years the celebration of Christmas
and the
onslaught of commercialism directed at us from every side
has
nearly overwhelmed Advent
. As Christmas begins to draw near, many parents look for a way, or ways, to prepare the children of the household for the big day and, in
the
process, direct these young minds toward the spiritual
underpinn
ing
s
of the holiday rather than its more commercial aspects. While there are many things parents can do to accomplish this, two of the most common approaches are the Advent Wr
eath and/or an Advent Calendar.
The Roots of the Advent Wreath
With a history dating back to the
Middle
Ages, the Advent Wreath is steeped in symbolism. It has four candles, one for each of the four Sundays before Christmas. A fifth white candle is often added in the center of the circle and burned during the twelve-day Christmas season. Many stores sell pre-made wreathes along with a set of candles. For the more adventurous, it can be
an easy do-it-yourself project.
The wreath itself can be as simple or elaborate as desired. Some people use circles of Styrofoam, or florist’s oasis, as the underpinnings of their wreath. Wreathes can just as easily be made using a square of plywood with holes drilled at each corner or candle holders attached at those positions and in the center
if desired
. Once the wreath
’s frame
is covered in greenery, it assumes a round shape regardless of its base.
The traditional colors for the Advent candles are
three
purple and
one
rose. Because of its long association with royalty, purple candles symbolize the coming of the Prince of Peace. The single rose candle is lit during the third week of Advent beginning with
Gaudete
Sunday (from the Latin word for rejoice) to celebrate having reached the half-way point of the season. Some Protestant churches prefer to use four red candles, reflecting their use in Christmas decorations, along with a white one at the center.
The wreath is
covered with
various evergreens
, each having its own symbolism
. The laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering
,
pine, holly, and yew, immortality; and cedar, strength and healing. Holly also has a special Christian symbolism
.
Its
prickly leaves
serve as a reminder
of the crown of thorns
.
The circ
ular shape
of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ.
Children may want to add
pine cones, nuts, or seedpods to decorate the wreath
as symbols of
life and resurrection.
The Domestic Church
The earliest altars centered
around
the open fire of the hearth. Here
a
family elder
…a grandfather perhaps…led the rituals and blessings of daily life. Even as religious practices became organized around the Temple with its priests, the home retained
its
important spiritual place of prayer and worship. Early Christianity confirmed this tradition. In the earliest centuries communal worship occurred in the homes of the faithful. Over time
the home’s centrality in worship declined
,
replaced by
special buildings designed for group worship such as
Churches and Cathedrals.
Yet there is still a place in our lives for the domestic church, a special spot, a holy gathering place for family prayer.
With its candles and central
position
at the table,
for a few weeks
the Advent Wreath
naturally lends itself to that purpose.
The following are a suggested, though not required, series of prayers to be used with the Wreath. Each night you may want to accompany them with a short Bible reading.
Many families find the first passages of Luke work especially well. Beginning with
Zechari'ah
and Elizabeth, Luke tells the story of the Angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, Caesar
Augustus
’ census
,
and culminates in the birth of the Christ Child.