EDITORIAL
Christmas is a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. The English term Christmas (“mass on Christ’s day”) is pretty recent. The earlier term Yule may have derived from the Germanic jōl or the Anglo-Saxon geōl, which referred to the winter solstice feast. The corresponding terms in other languages—Navidad in Spanish, Natale in Italian, Noël in French—all probably denote nativity. The German word Weihnachten means “hallowed night.” Since the early 20th century, Christmas has also been a secular family holiday, observed by Christians and non-Christians alike, devoid of Christian elements, and marked by an increasingly elaborate exchange of gifts. In this secular Christmas celebration, a mythical figure named Santa Claus plays a pivotal role. Christmas is celebrated on Sunday, December 25, 2022.
The early Christian community distinguished between the identification of the date of Jesus’ birth and the liturgical celebration of that event. The actual observance of the day of Jesus’ birth was long in coming. In particular, during the first two centuries of Christianity, there was strong opposition to recognizing the birthdays of martyrs or Jesus. Numerous Church Fathers offered sarcastic comments about the pagan custom of celebrating birthdays when, in fact, saints and martyrs should be honoured on the days of their martyrdom—their proper “birthdays,” from the church’s perspective.
The precise origin of assigning December 25 as the birth date of Jesus needs to be clarified. The New Testament provides no clues in this regard. December 25 was first identified as the date of Jesus’ birth by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 and later became the universally accepted date. One widespread explanation of the origin of this date is that December 25 was the Christianizing of the dies solis invicti nati (“day of the birth of the unconquered sun”), a popular holiday in the Roman Empire that celebrated the winter solstice as a symbol of the resurgence of the sun, the casting away of winter and the heralding of the rebirth of spring and summer. Indeed, after December 25 had become widely accepted as the date of Jesus’ birth, Christian writers frequently connected the rebirth of the sun and the birth of the Son. One of the difficulties with this view is that it suggests a nonchalant willingness on the part of the Christian church to appropriate a pagan festival when the early church was so intent on categorizing itself from pagan beliefs and practices.
A second view suggests that December 25 became the date of Jesus’ birth by a priori reasoning that identified the spring equinox as the date of the creation of the world and the fourth day of creation, when the light was created, as the day of Jesus’ conception (i.e., March 25). December 25, nine months later, then became the date of Jesus’ birth. For a long time, the celebration of Jesus’ birth was observed in conjunction with his baptism, celebrated on January 6.
Christmas began to be widely celebrated with a specific liturgy in the 9th century but did not attain the liturgical importance of either Good Friday or Easter, the other two major Christian holidays. Roman Catholic churches celebrate the first Christmas mass at midnight, and Protestant churches have increasingly held Christmas candlelight services late on December 24. A particular service of “lessons and carols” intertwines Christmas carols with Scripture readings narrating salvation history from the Fall in the Garden of Eden to the coming of Christ.
Christmas is the most awaited and celebrated holiday of the year for Christians across the world. What makes it so unique? Why are people more giving, cheerful, caring, and kind during this time? What is the ambition of Christmas?
For Christians, based on the Bible passage from the Gospel of Luke 2:10-14, it is a time for great joy, a reason to celebrate. But do most of us know what it is that we celebrate? Christmas has become such an immense commercial enterprise that the baby Jesus is often forgotten amid all the Santa Claus, the Grinch, and the Disney characters that have become the face of this Season. One must remember that Christians celebrate Christmas because “God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” It is the good news for the Christians that they were given thousands of years ago, for all people, and it still holds up to this time.
For most Christians, the purpose of Christmas is to celebrate that God loves us and is with us and for us all the time. Unlike most things, it does not have an expiry date and is not limited to one day. We should be more giving, caring, kind, and respectful of others every day. The good Lord wants all of us to make this: good will toward all and on earth, peace.
As we celebrate this festive occasion, God may fill us with joy, hope, peace, and love for our family, friends, and everyone we meet throughout the coming year. Let us all be kind and be a friend with one another.
Christians also live in Pakistan. They are a significant part of society. On this august day, the team of republicpolicy.com extend full felicitations to our Christian brothers and sisters not only in Pakistan but also across the world.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
