Your Great-Grandparents Didn’t Celebrate Christmas Like You Do
Artist: Edmund Restein
As we enjoy the Christmas season, many people are thinking about tradition. For us here in America, Christmas has become a time of family traditions, where we look back to a simpler time and rekindle memories of our youth and imagined memories of our grandparents’ youth, as well.
But the traditions we think of as “old traditions” aren’t as old as we like to think. The Christmas celebration, as we know it, is much different than Christmas of old. While many of the symbols we recognize as being part of Christmas existed in the beginning of the 1800s, they weren’t all widely used. It was through the years of the 1800s that our Christmas traditions, as we know them today, became widespread American traditions.
This was actually an important part of American history, as the country was very divided through the 1800s. Not only did we fight the Civil War during that time, but society as a whole was fragmented. Cultural groups were widely separated and geographic distance made it difficult for there to be any cohesion in a land as vast as the United States of America.
But communications also were growing during those years. In 1860, the Pony Express connected the East and West Coasts in a way that had not previously existed. The very next year the Pony Express was supplanted by the first intercontinental railway, allowing people to travel from coast to coast in three and a half days. All this happened at the same time as an ever-faster means of communication – the telegraph. The first telegraph lines to cross the continent were strung by the railway right of way.
This increased communication heightened the need for unifying the country, but it was war that found us first. On April 12, 1861, the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Four long years later, it ended, and the people of the United States started on the even longer road to healing. A part of that healing process was the unifying of our Christmas traditions.
Solely A European Holiday?
While Christmas existed as a holiday before this time, it wasn’t celebrated by all. Basically, it was a European holiday and so was only celebrated by those whose ancestors had come from Europe. Even then, not everyone joined in the celebration. The early Pilgrims didn’t celebrate Christmas, because they didn’t see it mentioned in the Bible. Of all of the European countries, Germany made the most of Christmas; many of our traditions can trace their roots to that country.
Those early Christmas celebrations weren’t the mass-marketed, highly commercialized festivities we have today. Rather, the Christmas celebration was something done in the family, in the church and in the neighborhood. Church was an important part of the celebration, with many people going to church both on Christmas Eve and then again on Christmas Day.
Gift-giving was always a part of Christmas — for those who could afford it. But the gifts that were given were largely homemade. Being personal, they were considered superior to anything store-bought. As with clothing, store-bought gifts were only for those who couldn’t do any better.
Image source: Pixabay.com
Eating a feast was an important part of celebrating Christmas, much as it is today. Cooking started weeks in advance, as mincemeat and plum pudding needed time to ferment. Christmas cookies and pies were common, as people ate the best of what they had. For those who could afford it, that meant beef or a ham.
Christmas became a very social time, with carolers going from door to door, singing. It would be impolite not to invite them in for a warm cup of wassail, turning every caroling event into a moving party, with time taken at each home to visit and wish the inhabitants a Merry Christmas.
Christmas Gets Commercialized
The commercialism of Christmas didn’t really start until after the Civil War and was stronger in New England — where much of the country’s wealth was concentrated — than it was in other parts of the country. Merchants responded to the needs of those celebrating the holidays first in providing factory-made ornaments for the home, then Christmas cards and finally the gifts that people gave.
Commercial gift-giving also lent rise to the idea of wrapping gifts, increasing the suspense and thereby the recipient’s joy. Large retailers began offering simple wrapping as a way of making those gifts more special, so that they could compete with homemade gifts. Eventually, the tradition of wrapping gifts became the norm and wrappings were developed specially for that purpose.
But even then, gift-giving was much more limited than what we have today. Our English and German ancestors brought to those stores the idea of Father Christmas, who eventually became our beloved Santa Claus. Children hung stockings for Father Christmas to fill, which at that time were real stockings.
Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), the creator of Little House on the Prairie, wrote of her Christmas treasures in one year’s stocking. She was delighted to find a shiny new tin cup, a peppermint candy, a heart-shaped cake and a brand new penny. In that time, that was a treasure trove of wealth on Christmas morning.
Image source: Pixabay.com
Christmas cards were a unique American invention, albeit by a German immigrant. Louis Prang (1824-1909) brought the idea to the forefront as a substitute for inexpensive gifts. Originally, these cards were small works of art, intended to adorn the home after the holidays were over. Prang even had art contests every year, seeking our original artwork to put on his cards.
Early Christmas trees weren’t bedecked with commercial ornaments. That didn’t come about until the 1870s and later. Instead, families would decorate their trees with what they had on hand. This often included the bounty they had gleaned from nature, as fruit and berries were the early ornaments, following after the Jewish tradition of decorating the Sukkah for the Feast of Tabernacles. Ribbons, cookies and hard candies were added to the fruit, nuts and berries, making those trees into a multi-colored joy.
The lights on the tree were originally candles. While dangerous, they were normally only lit on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The idea was started by Martin Luther, the same man who started the Reformation. He had been in the woods praying at night and saw the beauty of the starlight reflecting off the icicles on the pine trees. Wanting to share this with his children, he put candles on the family tree. When German Christians immigrated to the United States, they brought this tradition with them.
All of these traditions, most of which have survived to today, helped to bring the American people together, not as separate ethnic groups living in the same land, but as Americans. Celebrating a common holiday, with common traditions, helped to make us one common people.
Sadly, there are those who want to squash some of those traditions, taking Christmas, and especially Christ, out of the holiday. Yet it was the celebration of His birth which helped our country to heal and brought people together after the Civil War. The destruction of such a unifying celebration can do nothing to bring us closer together, but rather the opposite; it could become one more wedge, used to separate the American people into smaller and smaller groups, driving a wedge between us.
Let us continue to celebrate Christmas as what it is. Better yet, let us revive some of the old customs, sharing time with family, friends and neighbors. Let it become once more a unifying force, bringing the nation back together again.
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Whistler Blowers, Insiders
They did not have a tractor to plow with and no time to do anything. At that time the government was not killing off all the wild food to get control of the people. The circumstances were different. They could not travel like we do today. Don’t worry those times are coming back as the government want complete control and hope to also control travel. But for the now you can visit relatives in the next town. After we grind the government under our boot heels you will again discover technology and Christmas celebrations will morph again.
You and all like you can cling to antiquated ways and try to drag the USA to a banana republic or better still you can go live in a banana republic.
Christ’s Birth on the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) in 6 CE
False church traditions (unsubstantiated embellishments), the precepts of men (manufactured theology), and doctrines of demons (assimilated paganism) cloud the truth regarding Christ’s conception and birth. For starters, one needs to review the program entitled “Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas” from when The History Channel actually presented history: https://youtu.be/XSQYX-OB1Rs.
According to this program, Mithraism and Saturnalia were assimilated from pagan Rome; that’s where December 25th falsely originated; see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus, and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia.
Arguably, the most important quote of “Christmas Unwrapped” occurs at the 7:31 mark: “So if you’re gonna sort through the runes of the Scriptures, Jesus was probably born in the Spring. If the shepherds were out in the fields watching their flocks by night, we’re probably not talking about one of the cold spells at the heart of winter.” — Forrest Church, Minister, All Souls Church
Note: I have no affiliation with this minister or church.
Many “Biblical scholars” discounted the Lucan account because of the mention of Lysanias, the tetrarch of Abilene, in Luke 3:1. They assumed it was this figure from circa 40-36 BCE; see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysanias. That was before the discovery of the Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum (CIG) 4521; see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysanias#Archaeological_Lysanias. Again, the Word of God was vindicated as it repeatedly is via archaeology.
Furthermore, when the Book of Luke is placed within the context of the calendar from the Dead Sea Scrolls, not only can one know with GREAT CERTAINTY the month, day, day of the week, and year when Joshua* (Heb. Yehoshu’a/Aram. Yeshua/Gr. ‘Iesous) was born incarnate but when John (Yochanan) and He were conceived.
*Note: “Jesus” incorrectly originates from the transliteration of the Latin; it is NOT the translation. See the second footnote from Matthew 1:1 in Aramaic (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+1%3A1&version=NASB). According to the famous Hebrew lexicographer Reuben Alcalay, Yehoshu’a is closely associated with “Let there be…”
Returning to Christ’s conception and birth… the FACTS unfold as follows, and NO CHURCH currently teaches the truth:
Fact #1: Elisheba (Elizabeth) was six months pregnant in the sixth month; concentrate on vv26 and 36. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A26-38&version=NASB
Fact #2: Tsekharya (Zecharias) was a Levite of the order/division of Abijah; concentrate on v5. https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=Luke+1%3A5-7&qs_version=NASB
Fact #3: The mute and shaken Tsekharya returned home immediately after his weekly course was completed, and Elisheba conceived a son. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A8-25&version=NASB
Fact #4: This is the calendar documented in the Dead Sea Scrolls; see http://www.haderech.info/DSS/Calendar/QumranCalendar.pdf.
Fact #5: For Elisheba to be six months pregnant in the sixth month, Tsekharya (of the course of Abijah) had to have served in the 12th month. The only time this occurs is from the 14th-20th; see Cycle of Priestly Divisions… > Division Year 3 of 6 in the Qumran calendar above.
Fact #6: As Tsekharya (and Elisheba) were righteous and walked in ALL requirements and commandments of the Lord (Luke 1:6), he could not have traveled more than a Sabbath day’s journey (2,000 cubits) on the 21st of the 12th month, which was a weekly Sabbath. http://biblehub.com/topical/s/sabbath_day's_journey.htm
Fact #7: The first day that Tsekharya could have returned home (likely Kiriath Arba — aka Hebron — in the hill country of Judah) was the 22nd of the 12th month on the first day of the week. This was the day that Yochanan (John) was conceived.
Fact #8: After Miryam’s (Mary’s) visitation from the archangel Gavri’el (Gabriel) in the sixth month (Luke 1:26), she left IN A HURRY to visit Elisheba. At the moment of arrival, Elisheba was overcome by the Holy Spirit and knew that Miryam had conceived a child. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A39-55&version=NASB
Fact #9: Exactly six months after Yochanan was conceived, Yehoshu’a was conceived. According to the Qumran calendar, that would have occurred on the 22nd of the sixth month on the first day of the week, which is the Feast of New Oil!
Sidebar: The Feast of New Oil was also the fourth of four agricultural feasts each occurring 49 days apart, exclusive (i.e., barley, wheat, grapes/wine, and olive oil). Olive oil was a component of anointing oil; see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+30%3A22-33&version=NASB. Also, the root of “Christos” (http://biblehub.com/greek/5547.htm) is “chrió” meaning “to anoint with olive oil” (http://biblehub.com/greek/5548.htm).
Fact #10: The gestation period for women is 38 weeks from CONCEPTION (not to be confused with last menstrual period or LMP) to birth; see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy. EXACTLY 38 weeks after Miryam conceived, Yeshoshu’a was born on the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) on the 15th day of the third month on the first day of the week.
So, now we know the month, day, and day of the week of John’s conception and Christ’s conception and birth. Now, for the years.
Fact #11: Yehoshu’a was born in 6 CE during the census of Quirinius; see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census_of_Quirinius. For the Scriptural reference, concentrate on v2; see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A1-20&version=NASB.
Sidebar: “Herod” was a dynastic title like Caesar and Pharaoh. The “Herod” at the time of Christ’s birth was Herod Archelaus; he was deposed that same year (after the “slaughter of the innocents” in Bet Lechem) and died in exile in 18 CE; see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_Archelaus. When did the “holy family” return from Egypt after Herod [Archelaus] died? When Yehoshu’a was 12 years old (18 CE – 6 CE = 12 years).
Sidebar: The only verse in the Gospels that contradicts this account is Matthew 2:22. The earliest extant manuscript containing that verse was from Papyrus 70 from the late third century CE (which is “a fairly reliable text, though it was carelessly written”); see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papyrus_70. The “early church fathers” were already at work destroying the truth!
This was what the “wise men of the east” of Jerusalem (Yerushalyim) — 15 miles as the crow flies — in the desert wilderness of Qumran saw on the Feast of Weeks in 6 CE; see http://tinyurl.com/mhbba3l. This was confirmed with our local planetarium in Baton Rouge. The “wandering stars” of Jupiter (representative of the Most High/Father) and Venus (representative of the virgin mother) as well as the conjunction with occultation of Uranus (representative of the Holy Spirit) and Mars (representative of the redemptive Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53) rose in the east in the constellation Pisces (representative of Israel). This “star” sign naturally moved from east to south towards Bethlehem (Bet Lechem) as the evening progressed — just as the Scriptures state.
On the eighth day after His birth (23rd of the third month), Joshua was circumcised per Torah (=instruction/Law; five Books of Moses). After 40 days (7+33 days) from His birth (25th of the fourth month), the appropriate sacrifices were made for a firstborn son; see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A21-24&version=NASB and https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+12&version=NASB. As they were poor and could not afford a lamb, they offered either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons per Leviticus 12:8 and documented in Luke 2:24. They were poor because the wise men had not visited yet! It was on this day, the 25th of the fourth month when Joshua was presented at the Temple, that the following occurred with Simeon (Shimon) and Anna (Hannah); see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A25-37&version=NASB, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simeon_(Gospel_of_Luke), and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_the_Prophetess.
Sidebar: The “consolation of Israel” in Luke 2:25 is a reference to Isaiah 40; see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+40&version=NASB. Note also the key phrase of Isaiah 40:3: “A voice is calling, ‘Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness…’” This is in reference to Yochanan’s instructing the “sect” called The Way in the desert wilderness of Qumran how to recognize their Messiah from the TaNaKh (OT). Not only was this exact phraseology employed in a handful of the Dead Sea Scrolls, it is also documented in ALL the synoptic Gospels concentrating on Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, and John 1:23: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+3%3A1-12%3B+Mark+1%3A1-8%3B+Luke+3%3A1-17%3B+John+1%3A6-28&version=NASB.
Sidebar: Likewise, the “redemption of Jerusalem” in Luke 2:38 is a reference to Isaiah 52 concentrating on verses 3 and 9; see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+52&version=NASB. Verse 6 is regarding the true pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton; see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton. Currently, rabbinic Jews recite “Adonai” for the Tetragrammaton invoking the Greek Adonis and Babylonian Tammuz. Christians typically say Jehovah or Yahweh, but the “vav” in yod-he-vav-he is also pronounced like the “o” in Torah, menorah, Eloah (singular form of Elohim), and Yehoshu’a (=Joshua, Christ’s REAL name) to name a few. A DSS fragment has it spelled ‘Iaw in Greek (iota-alpha-omega), which is consistent with Yahoah; see http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/lxxjewpap/4QLevB.jpg. How much more meaning does that give Revelation 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13? See https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+1%3A8%2C+21%3A6%2C+22%3A13&version=NASB. “NT-only churches” miss the subtleties of those Hebraic key words and phrases referencing OT passages.
Picking up on the 26th of the fourth month (the day after Joshua was presented at the Temple), the wise men of the “sect” called The Way (Heb. HaDerech) in Acts and the Dead Sea Scrolls met with Herod Archelaus then visited the family in Bethlehem; see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2%3A1-12&version=NASB. After Joseph’s (Yosef’s) vision on the evening of the 27th, the family departed for Egypt that same night; see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2%3A13-14&version=NASB.
Sidebar: Note that there was a 12 year gap between Luke 2 verses 38 and 39 when the family was in Egypt (confirmed in v42); see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A38-44&version=NASB. They returned to Nazareth from Egypt after Herod Archelaus died in 18 CE (confirmed in Matthew 2:15); see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2%3A15&version=NASB. Why was the flight to Egypt not covered in the Lucan account? Because his was based on EYEWITNESS accounts (Luke 1:2), and the family departed under cover of darkness (Matthew 2:14); that is, there were NO WITNESSES! Apparently, Luke did not travel to Egypt to obtain evidence of the family’s residing there; therefore, it was excluded from his account.
False traditions such as Herod the Great being part of this narrative when he died in 4 BCE and the precepts of men creating the fanciful machinations of the three kings of Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SCRIPTURAL BASIS! Who doesn’t think that the wise men of The Way in Qumran didn’t have the means to gift Joshua the Messiah (Yehoshu’a HaMashiach) with gold, frankincense, and myrrh after the discovery of the Copper Scroll? See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Scroll.
In summation:
* Yochanan was conceived on the 22nd day of the twelfth month on the first day of the week in 4 CE.
* Yehoshu’a was conceived on the 22nd day of the sixth month on the first day of the week on the Feast of New Oil in 5 CE — exactly six months from Yochanan’s conception.
* Yehoshu’a was born during the census of Quirinius on the 15th day of the third month on the first day of the week on the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) in 6 CE — exactly 38 weeks from His conception.
Sidebar: This is when the “sect” called The Way (HaDerech) in Acts and the DSS made new covenants. Christ’s birth ushered in the ultimate New Covenant! Josephus, a self-described Pharisee (and we know what Christ thought of them in the Eight Woes of Matthew 23) coined the derogatory term “Essenes” (=pious ones).
Fact #12: This historical record — corroborated from eyewitness accounts in chronological order (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A1-4&version=NASB) — was written to Mattathias ben Theophilus** (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattathias_ben_Theophilus), who served as the kohen gadol (=chief priest) in Jerusalem from 65-66 CE… just before the outbreak of the First Jewish-Roman War in 66 CE (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish–Roman_War).
**Note: He was referenced as Theophilus in Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1 just as Yosef ben Caiaphas was referenced as Caiaphas.
The truth is out there if one seeks it. Shema Yisrael!
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB)
Copyright (C) 1995-2017, L. Alan Schuetz
sorry the facts show other wise.
CHRISTMAS WILL SOON DISAPPEAR FOREVER!
England had 12 days of Christmas and by the 1500′s it was the norm for each to be feast day, Germany was not even in the running with its tree decor. So when you mention the Pilgrim Fathers and their not celebrating because it was not in their bible it is also worth remembering that they were Dutch – and it most definitely was it is just that it was a catholic celebration, the English of whom the Christmas season was based were drunk all year on lite ale switching to winter ales which were mostly alcohol and had a really good time whilst celebrating the nativity, wearing hair shirts was for monks. (https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/12daysofchristmas.shtml), the season has been brought forward for capitalism and now ends on Boxing day and Mary mother of jesus is now celebrated by a sale and they have all but banned winter ale. But our (English) 12 days of celebration was still there and covered us for the two Calendars we used to have Orthodox Catholic Julian and Gregorian Catholic Roman which has Christs Birthday now on the 6th of January (4th at that time progressing through our year due to miscalculations of sidereal time) 1582 is a critical date when pope Gregory XIII altered time 0.002% of a day annually and in 1752 dropped 11 days from a year meaning in real terms we have not celebrated Easter or Christs birthday correctly since the months are meant to process through the seasons and when the Earth has another slight axis correction you will see them altering time again as they are doing for dawn at present. This sort of knocks the socks off the Ionan Church Catholic Church Easter debate into the rough. Happy Christmas.