In the second place, the day and month of the birth of Christ are nowhere stated in the gospel history, and cannot be certainly determined. InPlainSite.org Note There is a great deal more to “Santa Claus” that most people are aware of. The herald Angels Sing – Frank Sinatra, Santa claus is coming to town – Michael Buble, It’s beginning to look a lot like christmas – Michael Buble, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – Gene Autry, Have yourself a merry little christmas – Michael Buble, Wonderful christmas time – Paul McCartney, All I want for christmas is you – Mariah Carey, Rockin’ around the christmas tree – Brenda Lee, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow- Dean Martin, It’s the most wonderful time of the year – Andy Williams, Merry Christmas everyone – Shakin’ Stevens, It came upon a midnight clear – Ella Fitzgerald. The church took over this day to turn the attention of Christians from the old heathen festival to the celebration of the "sun of righteousness." Fun, yet staying true to the classic holiday spirit! 2. What do you think of when you hear the word "Christmas"? {27} May we "break the surface" of our views of Christmas so that we can recover the precious thing that truly is Christmas: celebration of the birth of Jesus the Savior. However, Martin Luther gets credit for the tree we are more familiar with." The giving of cards became a tradition in Victorian England due to the queen and Charles Dickens' story "A Christmas Carol. Christmas Cards Even if those feelings don't characterize us when the celebration is over, we still strive for them the following year. Schaff, 393. "Christians used candles symbolizing Christ as the Light of the World, seemingly a combination of Roman and Hebrew customs." SOOO UPLIFTING - I PLAN TO USE THE SONG WITH MY USUAL AWARD WINNING LIGHT O' RAMMA CHRISTMAS DISPLAY. Is Christmas Necessary Economically? 13. People gave each other gifts of green boughs, "honeyed things," lamps for light and warmth, and silver and gold objects. Thanks to the great mercy and marvel of the Incarnation, the cosmic scene is resolved into a human drama. 19 – Rockin’ around the christmas tree – Brenda Lee – Chords. Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2016. Helen Dunn Frame, "Life Without Christmas: What if they gave our holiday back to the heathens?" Ken Page & Ed Ivory Or a combination of all these responses and more? You may even want to ask if the season is really necessary, because you're exhausted, broke, and relieved when it's over for another year. :). In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. And of course it is sad that many dread Christmas because the traditions that were a part of their past cannot be restored since those who shared the traditions are no longer here to share them. We will consider economics, traditions, and history/theology as we attempt to answer this question. There is a historical/theological necessity that cannot be altered. 19. 5. He must stoop in order to lift, he must almost disappear under the load before he incredibly straightens his back and marches off with the whole mass swaying on his shoulders. Helen Dunn Frame offers insights into this question: Listen Now Buy song $1.29. If God had not become flesh, there would be no hope for mankind. Totally worth it. So he was probably influential "in the institution of a Christian feast of the birthday of the Sun of Righteousness' (Malachi 4:2) as a rival to the popular pagan festival of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) at the winter solstice." Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. 11. Some are good; others are not-so-good. Walter Elwell, "When God Came Down," Christianity Today (7 December 1979), 17. Malcolm Muggeridge, "Nature is a Parable," National Review (24 December 1982), 1614. Then we are challenged to decide if we are to isolate ourselves from our culture, become like our culture, or transform our culture. 18 – All I want for christmas is you – Mariah Carey – Chords. Such reflection leaves us with a challenge. But there’s still "no room at the inn" for the King who invites us to walk His lowly path. Frigga shed tears which became the mistletoe berries. Christians decked their homes with it. "{24} Christmas without the historical birth of Jesus in space and time and the theological implications of that birth leave us grasping for something that cannot be obtained. (easy chords and lyrics), Listen to what child is this? {10} Now, of course, almost a quarter of each year is devoted to the celebration of Christmas in American culture. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Three things go by the name of Christmas. Peace on earth, goodwill to men Christmas time is here again Can it be all that wrong Christmas Carols 17 – Last Christmas – Wham – Chords. google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2634452294146945"; 6. "As for the use of greenery and lights, this goes back to the celebration of the Kalends of January in ancient Rome." {12}. The very early church has not left us with any indication that Christmas was a part of their yearly calendar. All reproductions of this document must contain the copyright notice (i.e., Copyright 2007 Probe Ministries) and this Copyright/Limitations notice. Some are stifling; others provide stability and continuity. Owen Chadwick, The Early Church (Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin, 1967), 126. Frantic shopping? {16} In the eighth century, St. Boniface purportedly dedicated the fir tree to the Holy Child as a counter to the sacred oak of Odin. "The first Christmas hymns were written in the fifth century. "Romans trimmed trees with trinkets and toys during the Saturnalia, and put candles on them to indicate the sun's return to earth." Of our three questions, this is the only one that has a definite affirmative answer. 20. The Dallas Morning News: Scene Magazine (9 December 1979), 42. 17. Frank Gaebelein, "The Most Beautiful Story Ever Told," Christianity Today (7 December 1979):19 16. Customs And as we will see, a variety of customs emphasize many facets of the season. Slaves dressed as their masters and were served by them. Lewis, "What Christmas Means to Me," God in the Dock (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1970), 304-305. Ibid. 3. People in the Middle Ages put lighted candles in their windows on Christmas Eve to guide the Christ child on His way. So how do we understand the Santa Claus phenomenon? So is Christmas necessary traditionally? (audio at slow speed), Listen to what child is this? There's a problem loading this menu right now. 8. 21. Without this holiday volume, year-round prices could be higher, and fewer jobs might be available. {15} "Druids honored Odin by tying golden apples and other offerings to tree branches." 9/24/2012 7:17:05 PM. That is, we attempt to "concoct" happiness and meaning without substance. If slavery had been eliminated immediately, it would have created chaos in the social and economic fabric. Perhaps the economic gain that comes from the Christmas season can be supplanted by some other holiday or emphasis. The second (it has complex historical connections with the first, but we needn't go into them) is a popular holiday, an occasion for merry-making and hospitality. ( audio at normal speed), White Christmas (chord melody solo guitar arrangement). Your email address will not be published. The Christmas season is full of traditions. St. Francis of Assisi set up a nativity outside a cave with live animals and people. google_ad_height = 600; If you've been living in the United States long, you probably find it difficult to focus on just one without the others. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. He wrote: Thus there was a patient change as the church influenced the culture around it. {3} Actually "the Christmas festival was probably the Christian transformation or regeneration of a series of kindred heathen festivals...which were kept in Rome in the month of December, in commemoration of the golden age of universal freedom and equality, and in honor of the unconquered sun, and which were great holidays, especially for slaves and children." Their answers are instructive for us today.Schaff describes this regeneration of heathen festivals in light of the cultural changes that began to affect the church: Had the Christmas festival arisen in the period of the persecution, its derivation from these pagan festivals would be refuted by the then reigning abhorrence of everything heathen; but in the Nicene age this rigidness of opposition between the church and the world was in a great measure softened by the general conversion of the heathen. {2}It is especially interesting to note that the mythological god Mithra, for whom Mithraism was named, "is described as being born from a rock, the birth being witnessed by shepherds on a day (December 25) that was later claimed by Christians as the nativity of Christ." Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. 4. Gifts were exchanged, at first simple wax candles or clay dolls." Should we consider disbanding the Christmas season? Lewis then goes on to make the following statements about the "commercial racket": Finally: the earlier feast of Epiphany...afforded a substitute. Here you’ll find printable lyrics to our beloved Christmas songs and carols.. We also provide chords to several of the Christmas songs to make it easy to play them on guitar or piano.. //-->. Great for winter and she has a great voice. Conclusion A commemoration of the birth of Jesus? Most of us live with traditions. Now that we have scanned the history and customs of Christmas, can we conclude that any of it is necessary in our time? So we want to ask, "Is Christmas necessary?" Mistletoe Perry, 20. "A popular medieval feast was that of St. Nicholas of Myra (c. 340) on December 6, when the saint was believed to visit children with admonitions and gifts, in preparation for the gift of the Christ child at Christmas. Important: The song above is NOT stored on the Chordie server.The original song is hosted at www.azchords.com.Chordie works as a search engine and provides on-the-fly formatting. One has the picture of a strong man stooping lower and lower to get himself underneath some great complicated burden. ©1996 Probe Ministries.   '"{20} The Poles placed stars and angels. Praise God He did humble Himself and become as a man! Frame, 42. Ibid. {9} "During Cromwell's time in seventeenth-century England [Christmas] was banned by Parliament, and in old New England the celebration of Christmas was officially forbidden." This idea came from an old Norse (Scandinavian) legend. {7} But it is helpful to know that his understanding of Christian doctrine was such that he "was not aware of any mutual exclusiveness between Christianity and his faith in the Unconquered Sun." But the third thing called Christmas is unfortunately everyone's business ...I mean of course the commercial racket. But is it realistic to attempt to eradicate what has become a major element of the economic system in this country? The way we construct our traditions will either lead us towards or away from this truth. Is Christmas Necessary Traditionally? It may not be altered or edited in any way. Christmas songs – lyrics to popular Christmas songs. Again: the church lingered first of all about the death and resurrection of Christ, the completed fact of redemption, and made this the center of the weekly worship and the church year. Or one may think of a diver, first reducing himself to nakedness, then glancing in midair, then gone with a splash, vanished, rushing down through green and warm water into black and cold water, down through increasing pressure into the deathlike region of ooze and slime and old decay; then up again, back to color and light, his lungs almost bursting, till suddenly he breaks surface again, holding in his hand the dripping, precious thing that he went down to recover.