All those things you’ve always wondered about Christmas (but didn’t like to ask)
1. Why do we keep Christmas on 25 December?
Christmas is what is known as a fixed or immovable feast, though Christ’s birth has never been understood to have actually happened on 25 December. Around the year AD 200, the scholar Clement of Alexandria wondered if Jesus was born on 20 May (it would have been warmer then for the shepherds!) It is likely that the day was chosen at Rome during the 4th century to provide a Christian alternative to a local pagan festival.
2. Why do we have Christmas trees?
Prince Albert (Queen Victoria’s husband) of Saxe-Cobourg brought over the tree and the custom from his native Germany. Many centuries before, the first Christian missionaries to Germany had discovered the pagans there worshipping the spirits who lived in trees.
3. If Joseph was not the father of Jesus, why is his family tree in the Bible, and not Mary’s? If you read the first chapter of Matthew, the first 17 verses tell you exhaustively about Joseph’s genealogy, and then Matthew immediately goes to describe how Jesus was born of a virgin – and not related to Joseph at all. So what was Matthew up to?
Matthew was writing his gospel for the Jews, to show them that Jesus was the Messiah. And so he wanted to establish Jesus legal genealogy – which would have been important to the Jews. Legally, Jesus belonged to Joseph’s family, and Matthew was saying what a pure’ line this was – it stretched back to the royal family of David. Women’s genealogies were not viewed as of the same importance, hence the lack of interest in Mary’s family.
As for Jesus actual (though not legal) father, that was God – for He was conceived of the Holy Spirit’. Nowhere in the Bible is Joseph referred to as the father of Jesus’, despite the numerous references to Mary as the mother of Jesus’
The verse in Matthew runs, according to the best Greek texts: Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. That says it all.
4. Why was Jesus born at Bethlehem?
Because his mother was there at the time! But this is a moment when human plans and divine purposes interweave. The human thread was the famous census’; bureaucracy is not a 20th century invention. But Bethlehem was where great King David had been born, and the prophets had foretold that from Bethlehem one day would come the Messiah. This is why later, when people met Jesus of Nazareth’ they wondered how he could be the Messiah.
5. What exactly are swaddling clothes?
Simply long strips of cloth to wrap round a tiny baby, keeping him warm, snug and secure.
6. Can we really believe that the shepherds saw angels that night? Luke 2 highlights the shining glory of God, not detailed description of supernatural beings. Yet thousands of people down the centuries have claimed to see angels. And at this supreme moment in history, when God became Man, why shouldn’t a glimpse of heavenly glory shine down on earth?
7. What was the star that the three kings saw?
The Bible nowhere says there were three kings. Magi’ is all we get, and we know they studied the stars. Because they brought three gifts the assumption has been made that there must have been three givers. Serious astronomers have calculated that the star of Bethlehem’ could well have been a comet. Or a planetary conjunction. Or a temporary, exploding nova’. or….? The magi saw the star at its rising’, and whatever that means exactly, it all happened well after Christmas.
8. What use to a baby are gold, frankincense and myrrh?
The presents are symbols of what Jesus was here to do. Gold? clearly for a king. Frankincense? this was used in sacrifice, and Jesus on the Cross would offer himself as the supreme sacrifice. As for myrrh, this was used in death, but was also a lover’s gift, a present of joy. Could it possibly hint at both?
9. What have Robins to do with Christmas?
The answer lies in its red breast. When early Christmas cards were produced in the mid-18th Century, they were delivered by postmen wearing bright red coats. These postmen became known as ‘robins’ or ‘redbreasts’, and so the bird on the Christmas card was representing the postman who delivered it.
10. Why holly?
Many superstitions surround the holly. It is a man’s plant and is believed to bring good luck and protection to men while ivy brings the same to women. It is thought that whoever brings the first sprig of Christmas holly into the home will wear the pants that year. It was hung about the doors and windows to keep away witches, spells, evil spirits, goblins, and lightning. On Christmas eve, English virgins hung holly on their beds to protect their virtue from Christmas goblins. However, elves and fairies were welcome in British households, and sprigs of holly were hung as hiding places for them. Romans gave gifts of holly to their friends during Saturnalia as good luck charms and protection against evil. Because of all these superstitions, early Christians were forbidden to decorate with this plant, especially during Saturnalia.
All those things ………