Christmas

The rich traditions & rituals so familiar to the Christmas Season have their origins in various cultures around the world:

In Germany - during the middle ages, winter pageants featured a decorated evergreen to represent the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden. Today's Christmas trees trace back to these celebrations.

In Italy - St. Francis of Assisi gave a Christmas sermon standing in front of a manger scene. These creches developed into a popular folk art form, and originated the customary Nativity Scene.

In Mexico - poinsettias became connected with Christmas in the 17th century. According to legend, a boy named Pablo gathered some green branches by the roadside to lay at the Nativity scene as a gift for the Christ child. When he laid them before the manger, brilliant red star-shaped flowers appeared on each branch.

When Israel was governed by King Herod, during the time of the violent days of the Roman empire which was then ruled by Caesar Augustus, in the city of Galilee in the small village of Nazareth lived Mary who was promised in marriage to Joseph. Joseph was a carpenter and a descendant of King David.

Mary told her husband Joseph of a revelation in a dream where she was visited by an angel who told her she was chosen to give birth to Jesus the Son of God.

Later when Mary was pregnant and close to giving birth, the emperor demanded that a census be completed and all subjects were to register in the town of their birth. So Mary and Joseph left Nazareth, in Galilee to travel to Judea, to the town named Bethlehem, where King David was born. Mary rode a small donkey which Joseph led. They traveled for many days resting each night.

They finally reached Bethlehem in the night. They searched for a place to sleep but there were no empty rooms available at the inn. Joseph mentioned to the inn keeper that his wife was close to birth and so was told of some shepherd's caves in the hills nearby.

So Mary and Joseph travelled to the caves up in the hills near Bethlehem to seek shelter. Joseph cleaned up one cave used as a stable room ( a manger) and made beds of fresh hay. He used a feeding trough which he cleaned out and filled with hay for a crib. Mary gave birth to her son in the cave and named him Jesus, as the angel had foretold.

Time on earth is now measured from this day. Jesus Christ was born 2005 years ago. Christmas day on the 25th December each year is a celebration of the anniversary of Christ's birth. Christ's life was spent speading the idea of "peace on earth and goodwill towards all men". People decorate their homes and give gifts each year at Christmas time to celebrate "peace on earth and goodwill towards all men".

The modern day Christmas festive season continues from 25th December to new years day, which humans have celebrated for over 4000 years in various forms, including festivals and rituals, like burning the Yule log when the Scandanavian sun returns, or worshiping the sun or just celebrating the new seasons.