A Merry Belated Christmas
This post is a bit after the fact, but I am posting it anyways, because in another 364 days Christmas will be back again.
Christmas is a rather tricky subject because it involves two separate people. One being Saint Nicholas while the other being Jesus. You may find may ask you questions about how the two are related and in all honesty they are not other than the fact that Saint Nicholas followed the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Saint Nicholas was a man born in present day Turkey. Raised as a Christian, he believed in teachings of Jesus which stated man should live an ascetic life and be a steward his blessings to those less fortunate. Nicholas had been born to wealthy parents who died while he was quite young. Nicholas used his inheritance in its entirety to serve the impoverished. Over the years there have been many stories passed down which tell of Nicholas’s never ending efforts to help those who were poor, sick and suffering. The anniversary of Nicholas’s death is marked by a day of celebration called St. Nicholas Day and is celebrated on December 6th. Information concerning Saint Nicholas and his works can be found at Saint Nicholas Center. When visiting this site be sure to view Customs Around the World.
Before we go any further I want to say I am a Christian, but I believe God’s greatest gift to all of man kind is free will. With that being said, I think it is import to explore the history behind Christmas as well as the belief systems of other cultures.
Christmas was not always celebrated as a holiday which marks the birth of Jesus. In fact biblical scholars are not certain of the month when the Christ child was born. Christmas finds its roots in competing politics and religion and was introduced to popularize Christianity over the pagan traditions of the day. Long ago pagans celebrated the Winter Solstice on December 22nd. While some people still do participated in this celebration many of its characteristics have been incorporated into the Christmas tradition (Christmas trees, yule logs and mistletoe).
Not all people celebrate Christmas and it is important to be mindful of their traditions by teaching our children about other cultures. I am only able to convey basic information concerning other cultures, but I am happy to guide you to reference material which will further both you and your child’s understanding.
Winter Solstice And Other Religious Celebrations
Until next year…Belated Merry Christmas!
Filed under: Holidays on December 26th, 2006
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