…and the history of how 25 December became Jesus’s date of birth – by Sarita
Many of the celebrative customs we associate with Christmas actually have their roots in the pagan winter solstice holidays.
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year that occurs on the 21st or 22nd of December in the Northern Hemisphere and on the 21st or 22nd of June in the Southern Hemisphere.
Pagans in the northern hemisphere celebrated this day for its significance – marking the sun’s gradual return with its warm, life-giving presence.
In ancient Rome, an agricultural god named Saturnalia, representing Saturn, was celebrated from the 17th to the 23rd of December. Later, the Roman Emperor Aurelian, in AD 274, declared the 25th of December as the birthday of the god Sol Invictus, the Invincible Sun.
As Christianity began to rise to power during the Roman Empire, with Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 CE granting Christianity legal status, the date celebrating the Sun God was gradually adopted as the day of Jesus’ birth.
Romans enjoyed the week of Saturnalia and the birth of the Sun God in ways similar to how people celebrate Christmas today: with drinking, feasting, gift-giving, making holly wreaths, decorating trees, and embracing a joyful spirit.
The tradition of feasting, giving gifts, and celebrating makes this holiday special, regardless of one’s religious beliefs. In the Western world, it is considered imperative that everyone, regardless of their societal status, should have a warm meal and receive good cheer and blessings on the 24th or 25th of December.
Today, I want to share with you two unusual but true stories from Christmas Eve. Let these stories inspire you to reach out and make someone’s Christmas a more joyful one.
The Best Christmas Dinner
When I was a child, my family lived in a state of feast or famine depending on whether my father’s bi-weekly payment for his work arrived on time. On this particular year, when I was about 8 years of age, my father’s check had not arrived in time for Christmas. This meant there was no possibility to have a Christmas dinner. The eve before Christmas there was not a scrap of food in the house. We were all hungry and depressed.
My mother looked really agitated by this state of affairs. Suddenly she got a very determined look on her face and began going through the whole house rummaging in every pocket she could find, looking for a few possible coins. She managed to scrape together a meagre number of coins. With these in her hand, she made her way to the small local shop. She bought a loaf of bread, some butter and some hot chocolate powder.
At home, she served us with toast, butter and hot chocolate. Suddenly the house was filled with celebration! A mother’s love transformed the atmosphere. As I took the first bite of the buttered toast and dipped it into my steaming mug of hot chocolate, I felt I was drinking and eating Manna from heaven. I have never tasted such delicious food in all my life! To this day, this unusual Christmas dinner shines as a beacon of light in my memory.
My Entrepreneur Friend
I have a precious friend named Nisarga from Poland. His business was doing really well. He decided to express his gratitude by preparing quality Christmas dinners for underprivileged people in Warsaw.
He personally prepared and delivered these gift packs on Christmas Eve. When he was sharing this story with us, he was moved to tears by the recipients’ surprise, gratitude, and joy.
Perhaps these stories will inspire you to try some creative ways of bringing joy into someone’s life, whether that be through food or thoughtful gift giving.
Let this be a Christmas to remember, with tears of joy!
(Featured image by Sandra Seitamaa via unsplash.com)
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