Significant dates of Christ - Frankincense - Are the customs Pagan? Dinners around the world!

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GerhardEbersoehn

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the Sabbath is originally defined by the Mosaic Law as Saturday. By the time of Christ, many holydays could be called Sabbath. It just adds to the fun.

The Sabbath is originally defined by the Mosaic Law, NEVER <as Saturday> but as "the day The Seventh Day Sabbath-REST-Day OF THE LORD GOD", and before the Mosaic Law, simply as "The Seventh Day" e.g., Genesis 2:2,3 -- identically the NEW Testament definition of the "Sabbath" in Hebrews 4:4 AS WELL AS ELSEWHERE, like in "The Last Day" and "The Lord's Day" and "The Day of the Lord".

That <<By the time of Christ, many holydays could be called Sabbath>> makes no difference. It just added to the fun of many who take their own views only seriously.
 
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GerhardEbersoehn

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The Day of Preparation:
On the morning of the 14th of Nisan, any leavened products that remain in the householder's possession, along with the 10 morsels of bread from the previous night's search, (Kind of like an Easter egg hunt) would be burned. The head of the household repeats the declaration of biyur chametz, declaring any chametz that may not have been found to be null and void "as the dust of the earth" (A ritual catch all of non-effect, for anything that was made of leaven, that was accidentally not found and removed.)

Yes,<any leavened products that remained>, from the evening-beginning of <the 14th of Nisan> and the 'Bedikat Chametz' meal.
 

GerhardEbersoehn

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The Feast of the paschal lamb was ushered in on the evening of the 14th of Nisan. On that night, the Israelites were ordered to eat the paschal lamb, and as time went on in the OT, several rules were added to this feast. “They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.” (Exodus12:8).

In Exodus ONLY! Because at the event of the first passover, the exodus, days were days by PAGAN, Egyptian, sunrise observing still. Throughout, Scripture about passover after the exodus, dates the <<Feast of the paschal lamb .. ushered in>>, on the evening beginning of the 15th of Nisan.
 

GerhardEbersoehn

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sacrificing lambs at the Temple while Christ was being crucified

... in pitch black darkness ... not true! And as Jesus died, with the entrance door lintel to the sanctuary collapsed, the entrance blocked while opened for disrespectful gaze upon a ruptured veil and desecrated and depleted most holy place ... unholy thought!
 
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GerhardEbersoehn

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The Feast of the paschal lamb was ushered in on the evening of the 14th of Nisan. On that night, the Israelites were ordered to eat the paschal lamb,

<On that night> of the actual exodus, yes. But the INSTITUTIONALISED <<Feast of the paschal lamb was ushered in on the evening ...>> of the 15th of Nisan, "AT THAT NIGHT" John 19:39, "solemnly to be observed" Exodus 12:41,42. On that night, Israel was ordered to eat the paschal lamb Exodus 12:8 and leave Egypt. Numbers 33:3 et al.
 
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GerhardEbersoehn

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The festival of Passover (or Pesach) commemorates the story of the Jews' escape from Egypt.

Never knew that <<The festival of Passover (or Pesach) commemorates the story of the Jews' escape from Egypt>> in any case not that the "Passover of Yahweh" sacrificial lamb is supposed to commemorate some <<escape from Egypt>> the <Jews> had to make. But you seem to be having fun, so who cares?
 

Grailhunter

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Never knew that <<The festival of Passover (or Pesach) commemorates the story of the Jews' escape from Egypt>> in any case not that the "Passover of Yahweh" sacrificial lamb is supposed to commemorate some <<escape from Egypt>> the <Jews> had to make. But you seem to be having fun, so who cares?

I guess you do not know a whole lot about this? You make it up as you go along.
Either way you are on ignore now. Go troll someone else
 
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GerhardEbersoehn

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I guess you do not know a whole lot about this? You make it up as you go along.
Either way you are on ignore now. Go troll someone else

Hear who's talking... a whole lot about YOU make it up as you go along NOTHING Scripture. Hahahaha. You are good at ghost hunting, Grailhunter... my alie. You'll never escape this Grailhunter hunter's trolling!
 
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Grailhunter

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The three treasures of the Magi

Matthew 2:11
After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Isaiah 60:6
“A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, And will bear good news of the praises of the Lord.”


“A multitude of camels will cover you….” We do not know how many Magi there were, but what we do know, is that they were carrying a treasure of gold, frankincense, and myrrh across the desert. The term treasure is never used in the Old or New Testament to denote or describe a trinket or something of moderate value. Transporting this treasure across the desert would be an unsafe endeavor even with a number of people. So there probably were several of them. The amount of treasure, we do not know. What we do know is that, at that time, pound for pound frankincense and myrrh was nearly as valuable as gold. Imported items, frankincense, myrrh, and spices were expensive in the ancient world.

Wandering around the desert with a treasure would be a dangerous thing to do, not for those known for their wisdom. And the storyline does not suggest that the Magi were on a trading mission…i.e. they went back home after giving Christ His gifts. So odds are good that they gave that treasure to Christ. And…odds are good that the Magi ultimately escorted Christ’s family to Egypt, with the treasure. Still what they did with the treasure, is not known.

Gold
Gold is a precious metal and as such was a very valuable commodity. Its value could very well have supported Joseph and Mary and the baby Christ for years. The Bible does not tell us any significance to these three gifts; however, the bible and history suggest a symbolic meaning for the three gifts. Gold…has a connection to the divine, this meaning was universal, both Jews and Pagans used it in and on their temples and religious artifacts. But in this case, for a group to travel the distance, and worship the baby Christ, and present Him with these gifts, it is generally agreed that these are presents to a new King. The Magi-Sheba is known biblically and historically to have vast amounts of gold.

King David writes Psalm 72:10-15
Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts. And let all kings bow down before him, All nations serve him. For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, And their blood will be precious in his sight; So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; And let them pray for him continually; Let them bless him all day long.

Frankincense
Frankincense…incense… David prayed: "Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense" (Psalm 141:2). “As the smoke of the burning offering ascended up from the altar, so the people believed their prayers would go up to God with it, and it would be a sweet savor to Him.” The typological meaning of burning incense; visualized as prayers and offerings rising up to God is seen even in the prophecies of Revelation. John saw "golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints" (Revelation 5:8). This surely gives us a clue as to the real significance of burning incense (especially its chief ingredient, frankincense) rising up to God's throne. We pray, on the basis of the sin-cleansing sacrifice of the Lamb of God, and they rise up to the throne of God via the indwelling Spirit of God. Its religious connection is obvious….an offering….a sacrifice….an atonement. Still some consider a connection to His priesthood.

Details;
Originating in Arabia and northern Africa, frankincense is a dried white resin from Boswellia trees used in perfumes and incense for thousands of years. Historically, frankincense was a highly valued commodity. When burned as incense, it was often valued for aroma of its bluish-grey smoke that rose so distinctively. It was also said to be a disinfect and repelled insects and other pests. Both Frankincense and Myrrh had medicable uses.

Boswellia sacra tree; frankincense is tapped from this scraggly but hardy trees by striping (slashing the bark) and letting the exuded resin bleed out and harden. The hardened streaks of resin are called tears. Several species and varieties of frankincense trees each produce a slightly different type of resin. Differences in soil and climate create even more diversity of the resin, even within the same species. The Boswellia sacra trees have the ability to grow in the most harsh environment. Even growing out of solid rock. The initial means of attachment to the rock is unknown, but is accomplished by a bulbous disk-like swelling of the trunk. This growth prevents violent storms from detaching the tree. This feature is slight or absent in trees that grow in rocky soil or gravel. The trees start producing resin at about eight to 10 years old. Tapping is done two to three times a year with the final taps producing the best tears due to their higher aromatic value.

Myrrh
The word myrrh comes from an Arabic word meaning “bitter.” Like frankincense. Myrrh is a resin and among other things was used to scent the burial wraps to cover up the smell. Because of this myrrh, symbolized death, bitterness, suffering, and affliction. So some see a symbology to Christ’s sacrificial death and burial. But Myrrh was also used in perfumes because of its strong aroma….Mixed with other ingredients myrrh was commonly used to anoint priests and kings. Several verses in the OT speak of anointing kings, which of course includes King David and King Solomon.

Exodus 30:22-32
“Moreover, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty, and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the lamp stand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. You shall also consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister as priests to Me. You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in the same proportions; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you.”


Details;
Myrrh is a dried resin from Arabia and northern Africa. Obtained from the Commiphora, a thorny shrub or tree, which is harvested much in the same manner as frankincense. Whether burned as incense, worn as perfume, or applied as anointing oil or ointment it had a strong aroma. So it always had a religious connection.

So all these gifts had a divine connection and symbolized different things as well as had practical uses. Trading took on a different context in the ancient world because not everything was bought with coins. And the value of what you had was many times determined by how bad the other person wanted it.
 
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liafailrock

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Then again, you have folks like me who calculates. The 30AD date works fine for a Friday crucifixion, but not all believe that's the day of the week it happened. I believe Wednesday, some say Thursday to fulfill Matt 12:40 (which I believe requires a full 72 hours) c.f. Genesis 1:5,8,13. There two possible candidate years if we select between 26AD and 36AD, one in March and one in April (that's as far as I will rely on history). Then, Revelation 12:1 is astronomical code for the timing of Messiah's birth (in addition to what the sun, moon and woman symbolically represent). 33.5 years is over 12000 days, I believe 12240 to be exact (153 x 80). But I won't get into those calculations here. But there is also biblical evidence it's that or close to that. Revelation 12:1 occurs at the feast of Trumpets back then about mid September, so that clinches the death year if we use the 12240 as a span of time between them (to the one in March). As a matter of fact, when I calculated the dates, the ones I got were not only perfectly matched for the lunar cycle (as this does not always happen), I found Christ was born on the same day of the week he arose --- well, that's no miracle in and of itself since 12243 days is an even number of weeks. But I find the number (as opposed to God using another number) interesting because it forces both days come out to the (late) Sabbath or Saturday.
 

Grailhunter

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Then again, you have folks like me who calculates. The 30AD date works fine for a Friday crucifixion, but not all believe that's the day of the week it happened. I believe Wednesday, some say Thursday to fulfill Matt 12:40 (which I believe requires a full 72 hours) c.f. Genesis 1:5,8,13. There two possible candidate years if we select between 26AD and 36AD, one in March and one in April (that's as far as I will rely on history). Then, Revelation 12:1 is astronomical code for the timing of Messiah's birth (in addition to what the sun, moon and woman symbolically represent). 33.5 years is over 12000 days, I believe 12240 to be exact (153 x 80). But I won't get into those calculations here. But there is also biblical evidence it's that or close to that. Revelation 12:1 occurs at the feast of Trumpets back then about mid September, so that clinches the death year if we use the 12240 as a span of time between them (to the one in March). As a matter of fact, when I calculated the dates, the ones I got were not only perfectly matched for the lunar cycle (as this does not always happen), I found Christ was born on the same day of the week he arose --- well, that's no miracle in and of itself since 12243 days is an even number of weeks. But I find the number (as opposed to God using another number) interesting because it forces both days come out to the (late) Sabbath or Saturday.
Thanks....Since you like to calculate....Some people understand that the numbers in Revelation mean things. But that is also true throughout the Bible. 3,7, 10, 12, 40, and 400, mean things....not necessarily physical time as it ticks. 3 days is not a stumbling block.

Also there is a tradition that the sky was like fireworks when Christ was born....a visual display and a noisy event. I have been trying to track down that date.
 

liafailrock

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I'll try to locate some history on that and get back. There's several stories I heard. Shabbat Shalom!
 

GerhardEbersoehn

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Christiaan Gerhardus Ebersöhn Just now ·

Sure sign of the nincompoop:
One thing we know for sure, Christ was not crucified on the day He ate the His Last Supper. Significant dates of Christ - The Holidays - Frankincense

· Christiaan Gerhardus Ebersöhn https://www.christianityboard.com/.../significant.../...

clip_image002.jpg


CHRISTIANITYBOARD.COM

Significant dates of Christ - The Holidays - Frankincense

· Christiaan Gerhardus Ebersöhn No, not the typo. The much plainer ignorance.
 
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Grailhunter

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:):cool::rolleyes:The Christmas---the mass for Christ:):confused::p

Every year the discussion occurs if Christmas is a Pagan holiday? Or if Christians should observe Christmas?
I will explain why it is not Pagan, but to cut to the chase…Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas! Fully immerse yourself in the holiday. Friends, family, dinners, Christmas decorations and customs, and gift giving. It is time for get togethers and fellowship. Church sermons, church plays, and nativities. Rejoice in the Lord…. keep the Lord in the holiday. :)

On the forum here, I suggest that we share how we observe the holiday. How we celebrate Christ and our families in the holiday and give blessings to each other. :mad:
Share Passages from the Bible passages we read.
The Christmas Games we enjoy.
The foods we prepare….especially the deserts and candies.
Some dress up with funny sweaters or other matching clothes.
Santa Claus, Elf on the shelf, Chocolate Christmas Calendars.
Christmas shows on TV.
Some of us have special things we do for pets.
Special events for the night before Christmas.
Special events for the morning of Christmas.
Special events for breakfast during or after the opening of the gifts.
Special events for the Christmas dinner.
Special events outdoors.
Special events in the evening.
Whatever you would like to share.

:)One thought I have, is to not forget those in the nursing homes during the holidays….even if you do not have people in the nursing homes. Nursing homes will definitely work with you and you can bring in stuffed animals and Christmas novelties. Family Christmas Carols...they love it! Therapy dogs, if you have a calm dog, big or small….they do not get to pet animals much.:p

So now here is why it is OK for Christians to celebrate Christmas....
The interest in winter holidays and celebrations go back before recorded history. Both the Pagans and Jews scheduled certain religious events around the seasons and celestial movements. This is the normative, established from the beginning.

The general interests for those non-Christians are around…and I say around…the Winter Solstices…the shortest day of winter….the longest night…the beginning of the end of winter.

In some areas the dates were strictly associated with the celestial movement. Middle East…warmer areas. But then up north, where it gets bitterly cold, the holiday has a survival aspect. Kind of like saying, We have made it through the worst of it and are looking forward to spring.

The interest in the cold areas are about the greenery, those plants, shrubs, and trees that remain green or red during the winter. Again dating that interest is impossible. Some sources name the Celtics, Druids, and Germanic people, but limiting these traditions to them would be inaccurate. These traditions go back to before we had written records of these regions.

The Pagans had many customs for the Winter Solstice holidays; They got together for dinners and celebrated….cooked bread and treats. Gave thanks to their gods, exchanged gifts. Conducted bonfire vigils at midnight with candles. And that is another point…candles as decorations, definitely, Pagans used candles for obvious reasons….no electricity. Which makes Christmas lights definitely not Pagan.

The same thing goes for fireplaces and the use of Yule Logs. The making and use of the Yule Log was different in areas and time periods and it was a custom started by Pagans. But as far as the Yule Log custom, scholars think they can date to Medieval times. Sighting Nordic, Scandinavian, and Germanic traditions. But as we go along we will see that Christianity claims these traditions and modifies or changes their meanings, and this is true regarding most of these Christmas customs. The Christians took the Yule Log tradition and made it represent the battle between good and evil or the light of Christ or Christ’s final and ultimate triumph over sin, all depending on the region.


As far as Christianizing Pagan customs, the holly stands out as a very good example. The Romans used the holly in different ways, including religious offerings during the festival of Saturnalia which fell around the time of the winter Solstice and December 25th. The Druids regarded the holly as sacred. (Greenery in the winter) A very hardy plant, it held it vibrant colors in the harsh winters. The holly symbolized fertility and eternal life and was thought to have magical powers…good luck.

Christians in Rome snagged this custom up quickly and adapted it to Christian symbolisms and produced legends. The red holly came to represent the blood of Christ and the pointed ends of the leaves symbolized the crown of thorns. There are Christian legends that tell of the holly berries originally being white, but the blood of Christ stained them forever red. Something similar to the legends of dogwood trees.

Mistletoe, yep it has several Pagan associations….ladies cover your eyes….it is a fertility symbol, and the white berries represented semen. Ergo its connection to romance.

Christians took this custom and added their own playful spin to it. The decoration customarily hung in doorways, under which lovers are expected to kiss. Mistletoe continued to be associated with fertility and vitality through the Middle Ages, and by the 18th century it had also become incorporated into Christmas celebrations around the world. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe was popular among the servants of nobility in late 18th century England. The servants are credited with perpetuating the tradition. The tradition dictated that any man catching a lady under a mistletoe was entitled to a kiss and it was bad luck to refuse. Of course those that are single were thought to be likely to marry. Keep in mind that mistletoe and hollies are to some level poisonous.


Then you have the laurel wreath and the evergreen wreaths that are used as decorations. All were used by the Pagans in their celebrations of the winter solstice holidays. Olympian gods were depicted wearing laurel wreaths. The evergreen wreaths or harvest wreaths were always used to decorate and dedicate….the wreath of the unknown soldier….the wreath on your door…a variety of wreaths have a variety of Christian symbolisms around the world. In the most simplest of terms, a wreath on your door represents everything Christ, his birth to His death….the wreath means “This house celebrates Christ.” You can look this up, there is a lot of known history.

The Christmas star…the star as a decoration has been used by nearly every religion in the world, from the time of recorded history. The five pointed star specifically; It adorns many flags including the flag of the United States. The star with a circle around it, point up, is called a pentacle and it has many meanings. One is that it is a talisman, a good luck charm. As such at one time it was put on military vehicles and aircraft. The star itself is called a pentagram. If should be noted that the star with the point down is used by Satanists.

Early Christians used the five pointed star to represent the five wounds of Christ and variations of the star to represent the star that the Magi followed and is a common decoration on top of the Christmas Tree.

Then we have the Christmas tree. Again this was a common decoration for the Celtics, Druids, Egyptians and Romans. It was decorated in many ways, a lot of times with candles. It is said that the Romans used round decorations to symbolize the sun god or Saturnalia. This is a common claim, but I am not that certain of it.

Either way, there is an easy way to get around it, buy Hallmark. Everybody picks out their own ornaments. I have everything from Star Trek, to baseball characters, to an old lady going yard sale-ling on my tree. Strings of colored popcorn is strictly an American tradition. (Corn was imported to Europe from the Americas.) Ribbons and bows as we know them today are strictly Christian.

The Christian custom of the Christmas Tree is accredited to Germany in the 1500’s and there is a legend that it is connected to Martin Luther. (?) The Germans took it to Britain and the German settlers brought it to the United States in the 1800’s. Of course very popular now, it was slow to catch on and America developed its own traditions on how to decorate the tree. Children making ornaments caught on and then strings of colored popcorn and berries, baked figures, ribbons, bows, and candles. Of course the advent of Christmas lights occurred shortly after electricity and the light bulb. You can definitely say the Pagans did not have electricity.

Gift giving, yes the Pagans in some areas exchanged gifts during the celebration of the winter solstice. Christians see this tradition as a connection to the gifts given Christ by the Magi. Of course this caught on even more with the traditions and legends of Old St. Nick.



 
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Grailhunter

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I will mention that the season is also celebrated by the Jews, it is of course called Hanukkah also called Chanukah or the Jewish Festival of Lights. It observes the rededication of the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, and the miracles are represented with the Menorah. This happened in the 160s BCE/BC after Maccabean revolt. (Hanukkah is the Hebrew and Aramaic word for dedication.) Hanukkah lasts for eight days and starts on the 25th of Kislev, the month in the Jewish calendar that occurs at about the same time as December. Because the Jewish calendar is lunar (it uses the moon for its dates), Kislev can happen from late November to late December. In 2019, Hanukkah will be from the evening of Sunday, 22nd December until the evening of Monday, 30th December.

As I said before, Merry Christmas! The Pagan connections should not bother you….they are simply a matter of history and timeline. Christians do not use any of the customs or decorations with Pagan gods in mind…and that is the defining point. Symbologies and labels are assigned by peoples, regions, and time periods. For example; giving gifts…it has been a custom from the beginning as noted in the Old Testament. As far as decorations, the Pagans got all the neat stuff because they were around before the Christians….that is really all it means. Just be glad you are not Jewish and for certain events have to put blood over your doors and on your big toe. lol.:)

Now in due respect for the beliefs of others and maybe a little bit of humor. For some, this explanation will not due. So if you want to celebrate Christmas with no prior Pagan connections, here are some recommendations.

You can pick another date…there is no guarantee that Christ was born on December 25th. No matter what date you pick, you will still have to contend with the month and days being named after Greek gods.

Decorations should be limited to Christian artifacts. No greenery.

Fasting is not unique to Christianity, but if you fast during this holiday, then you will not trip over any items that might have been served at a Pagan dinner table.

Pagans gathered for their holiday, so that is going to be up to you.

Pagans were singing religious songs to their gods long before Christians, so that is also your call.

Now this is maybe all for not, because if you are married, odds are good that your marriage ceremony had about a dozen Pagan rituals embedded in it. The ancient Hebrew language did not have a word for wedding.

Anyway....Celebrate Christ and share the love.:):cool::rolleyes:

 
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Helen

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:):cool::rolleyes:The Christmas---the mass for Christ:):confused::p

Every year the discussion occurs if Christmas is a Pagan holiday? Or if Christians should observe Christmas?
I will explain why it is not Pagan, but to cut to the chase…Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas! Fully immerse yourself in the holiday. Friends, family, dinners, Christmas decorations and customs, and gift giving. It is time for get togethers and fellowship. Church sermons, church plays, and nativities. Rejoice in the Lord…. keep the Lord in the holiday. :)

On the forum here, I suggest that we share how we observe the holiday. How we celebrate Christ and our families in the holiday and give blessings to each other. :mad:
Share Passages from the Bible passages we read.
The Christmas Games we enjoy.
The foods we prepare….especially the deserts and candies.
Some dress up with funny sweaters or other matching clothes.
Santa Claus, Elf on the shelf, Chocolate Christmas Calendars.
Christmas shows on TV.
Some of us have special things we do for pets.
Special events for the night before Christmas.
Special events for the morning of Christmas.
Special events for breakfast during or after the opening of the gifts.
Special events for the Christmas dinner.
Special events outdoors.
Special events in the evening.
Whatever you would like to share.

:)One thought I have, is to not forget those in the nursing homes during the holidays….even if you do not have people in the nursing homes. Nursing homes will definitely work with you and you can bring in stuffed animals and Christmas novelties. Therapy dogs, if you have a calm dog, big or small….they do not get to pet animals much.:p

So now here is why it is OK for Christians to celebrate Christmas....
The interest in winter holidays and celebrations go back before recorded history. Both the Pagans and Jews scheduled certain religious events around the seasons and celestial movements. This is the normative, established from the beginning.

The general interests for those non-Christians are around…and I say around…the Winter Solstices…the shortest day of winter….the longest night…the beginning of the end of winter.

In some areas the dates were strictly associated with the celestial movement. Middle East…warmer areas. But then up north, where it gets bitterly cold, the holiday has a survival aspect. Kind of like saying, We have made it through the worst of it and are looking forward to spring.

The interest in the cold areas are about the greenery, those plants, shrubs, and trees that remain green or red during the winter. Again dating that interest is impossible. Some sources name the Celtics, Druids, and Germanic people, but limiting these traditions to them would be inaccurate. These traditions go back to before we had written records of these regions.

The Pagans had many customs for the Winter Solstice holidays; They got together for dinners and celebrated….cooked bread and treats. Gave thanks to their gods, exchanged gifts. Conducted bonfire vigils at midnight with candles. And that is another point…candles as decorations, definitely, Pagans used candles for obvious reasons….no electricity. Which makes Christmas lights definitely not Pagan.

The same thing goes for fireplaces and the use of Yule Logs. The making and use of the Yule Log was different in areas and time periods and it was a custom started by Pagans. But this one custom scholars think they can date to Medieval times. Sighting Nordic, Scandinavian, and Germanic traditions. But as we go along we will see that Christianity claims these traditions and modifies or change their meanings, this is true of most all Christmas customs. The Christians took the Yule Log tradition and made it represent the battle between good and evil or the light of Christ or Christ’s final and ultimate triumph over sin, all depending on the region.


As far as Christianizing Pagan customs, the holly stands out as a very good example. The Romans used the holly in different ways, including religious offerings during the festival of Saturnalia which fell around the time of the winter Solstice and December 25th. The Druids regarded the holly as sacred. (Greenery in the winter) A very hardy plant, it held it vibrant colors in the harsh winters. The holly symbolized fertility and eternal life and was thought to have magical powers…good luck.

Christians in Rome snagged this custom up quickly and adapted it to Christian symbolisms and produced legends. The red holly came to represent the blood of Christ and the pointed ends of the leaves symbolized the crown of thorns. There are Christian legends that tell of the holly berries originally being white, but the blood of Christ stained them forever red. Something similar to the legends of dogwood trees.

Mistletoe, yep it has several Pagan associations….ladies cover your eyes….it is a fertility symbol, and the white berries represented semen. Ergo its connection to romance.

Christians took this custom and added their own playful spin to it. The decoration customarily hung in doorways, under which lovers are expected to kiss. Mistletoe continued to be associated with fertility and vitality through the Middle Ages, and by the 18th century it had also become incorporated into Christmas celebrations around the world. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe was popular among servants of nobility in late 18th century England. The servants are credited with perpetuating the tradition. The tradition dictated that any man catching a lady under a mistletoe was entitled to a kiss and it was bad luck to refuse. Of course those that are single were thought to be likely to marry. Keep in mind that mistletoe and hollies are to some level poisonous.


Then you have the laurel wreath and the evergreen wreaths that are used as decorations. All were used by the Pagans in their celebrations of the winter solstice holidays. Olympian gods were depicted wearing laurel wreaths. The evergreen wreaths or harvest wreaths were always used to decorate and dedicate….the wreath of the unknown soldier….the wreath on your door…has a variety of Christian symbolisms around the world. In the most simplest of terms, a wreath on your door represents everything Christ, his birth to His death….the wreath means “This house celebrates Christ.” You can look this up, there is a lot of known history.

The Christmas star…the star as a decoration has been used by nearly every religion in the world, from the time of recorded history. The five pointed star specifically; It adorns many flags including the flag of the United States. The star with a circle around it, point up, is called a pentacle and it has many meanings. One is that it is a talisman, a good luck charm. As such at one time it was put on military vehicles and aircraft. The star itself is called a pentagram. If should be noted that the star with the point down is used by Satanists.

Early Christians used the five pointed star to represent the five wounds of Christ and variations of the star to represent the star that the Magi followed and is a common decoration on top of the Christmas Tree.

Then we have the Christmas tree. Again this was a common decoration for the Celtics, Druids, Egyptians and Romans. It was decorated in many ways, a lot of times with candles. It is said that the Romans used round decorations to symbolize the sun god or Saturnalia. This is a common claim, but I am not that certain of it.

Either way, there is an easy way to get around it, buy Hallmark. Everybody picks out their own ornaments. I have everything from Star Trek, to baseball characters, to an old lady going yard sale-ling on my tree. Strings of colored popcorn is strictly an American tradition. (Corn was imported to Europe from the Americas.) Ribbons and bows as we know them today are strictly Christian.

The Christian custom of the Christmas Tree is accredited to Germany in the 1500’s and there is a legend that it is connected to Martin Luther. (?) The Germans took it to Britain and the German settlers brought it to the United States in the 1800’s. Of course very popular now, it was slow to catch on and America developed its own traditions on how to decorate the tree. Children making ornaments caught on and then strings of colored popcorn and berries, baked figures, ribbons, bows, and candles. Of course the advent of Christmas lights occurred shortly after electricity and the light bulb. You can definitely say the Pagans did not have electricity.

Gift giving, yes the Pagans in some areas exchanged gifts during the celebration of the winter solstice. Christians see this tradition as a connection to the gifts given Christ by the Magi. Of course this caught on even more with the traditions and legends of Old St. Nick.




Good posts and good thoughts.

I read an article saying that whatever we christian think or don't think about christmas , we should all 'pull out the stops' and celebrate with all we have on hand...because of those who are fighting so hard against it and trying to stop it because even the commercial christmas/"holiday" reminds people of the beginnings and Jesus Christ.

They will try and stamp Him out and ban Him...but , let Christmas continue ...with our active support. :D
 

GerhardEbersoehn

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I just love the holiday season over December month, northern or southern hemisphere for nature's and people's companionship. That it has anything to do with Jesus Christ in any unusual way for simple believers, is sickening bigotry that sallies and spoils the innocence of spontaneous happiness for the sake and cause of just it -- human happiness. That the Christian's happiness comes from faith in Jesus Christ cannot be increased or diminished with totally affected false claims that 'Christ-mass' <<reminds people of the 'beginnings and Jesus Christ>>. It reminds people of the abomination of desolation, the <<The Christmas---the mass for Christ>> the END of the pure Christian Faith! And who is to blame? According to the hypocrites, the honest who do not BOW TO THE POPE but to Jesus Christ.
 
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