IS CHRISTMAS FOR BELIEVERS IN YAHSHUA?
By Robert J. Wells
‘Tis the season to be jolly, deck the halls with boughs of holly, jolly ‘ol Saint Nick, mistletoe, Christmas trees, decorations, gift giving, shopping, parades, shopping, carols, shopping, lights, shopping, glitter, shopping…. There comes a point when the true believer, the one who is truly seeking our savior, says, “let’s put Christ (Messiah) back in Christmas”. But was Yahshua the Messiah ever in Christmas?
The following is taken from The Saturday Evening Post, Nov/Dec ’93. Of course, this is a secular magazine. They have no “religious” horn to toot, no reason to try and persuade you to believe according to any particular denomination or creed. Perhaps the only motivation they have is to perpetuate the truth of the whole matter.
(Edgar Nash’s account of the origins of Christmas first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, December 24, 1898)
There are a few things which have not been changed or moulded in the hands of Progress. One by one legends and customs have been disproved and overthrown, yet none has dared attack the legends and the customs sacred to Christmastide. Here and there a savant has tried to prove December 25 does not mark the birthday of Christ. Men and women read, smile, and pass on.
The time of year corresponding to our Christmastide has always been a period of rejoicing. It marks the winter solstice. The days begin to lengthen, and the sun no longer journeys away from earth, but enters upon his return. It is a promise of renewed light and warmth, of the approach of the summer days, and men hailed these signs with every expression of gladness.
In Rome the Saturnalia, or feast of Saturn, fell at about the same time as our Christmas, and it marked the greatest festival of the Roman year. The city abandoned itself to gayety. Unbounded license held sway; universal mirth was the order of the day; friends feasted friends, and foes were reconciled. There were no slaves, no masters; all social distinctions were laid aside. Work was stopped throughout the city, and no war was ever entered upon at this time.
The tree as the emblem of life also figured conspicuously in the earlier religions. In Egypt the palm tree put forth a new shoot each month, and at the time of the winter solstice it was the custom among the Egyptians to decorate the houses with a branch of palm bearing twelve shoots. In Rome the fir tree was regarded with veneration; during the Saturnalian festivities, halls and houses were hung with evergreen boughs.
In England, in the days of the Druids, the houses were decked with evergreens in order that the sylvan spirits might repair to their grateful shelter and remain protected from the nipping frost and the icy winter winds.
Farther to the north the wild Teuton tribes worshipped their god in wooded places, and they looked upon the fir tree as his sacred emblem. The period corresponding to the Roman Saturnalia was the festival of Thor. This festival, like the Roman feast, was given over to the most barbaric pleasures and the wildest forms of enjoyment. Among these peoples the festivity was known as Yuletide.
When Christianity spread abroad, men knew that in the story of Christ’s nativity was realized what they in their blindness had striven to typify. So they adapted the old customs of their ancestors to the new order of things.
Among Northern European tribes a great fir tree was set up in each household at Christmastide. At its base were placed representations of Adam and Eve; in the branches coiled the Serpent, and on the top-most bough gleamed a candle, symbolizing that Light of the World through whom alone was victory over the Serpent possible. Later in history the tree was more profusely decorated with gaudy knickknacks, all of which were at first symbolical. But the children were not allowed to see the tree till Christmas morning.
To account for its appearance there, the parents used to tell the children a Chaldean legend. Years ago it was the custom for every Saxon household to burn the yule log on Christmas Eve. This was a great, knarled root or tree trunk, cut the day before Christmas and brought into the hall on Christmas Eve with great ceremony, and accompanied with music. Each member of the household would sing a yule song, standing on the centre of the log.
Then an attempt was made to drive the yule log into the great hall as if it were a stubborn horse. The cry was given that the “dun” refused to move, and the whole company was summoned. All took a hand, and, loudly shouting, dragged it to the great fireplace. It was lighted with the charred remnant of the former year’s log, which had been preserved for this occasion, and which was supposed to insure the house against ill luck.
The children were told that during the night the yule log gave birth to the Christmas tree which they found in the hall on Christmas morning loaded with gifts.
The Christmas tree was introduced into England by Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria. From the palace the custom spread, until now the Christmas tree is a necessary feature of an English Christmas.
In Germany and other European countries it was believed by the Children that the tree glittering with candles and bright baubles, and the gifts found beneath the tree, were the work of jolly old Saint Nicholas, Sant Nicholaus, or Santa Claus, as we know him. This kindly saint was no legendary character. He lived about 300 A.D., and was looked upon as the patron saint of generosity because of his liberality.
Three daughters of a poor nobleman could not marry as advantageously as they should because their father could give them no dowry. But one night one of the daughters found in her room a purse, shaped like a stocking, filled with gold, evidently thrown in the window by some one from without. The next night the second daughter found a purse in her room, and
on the third night the father caught Saint Nicholas in the act of throwing the third purse in the window.
From that story originated the custom of hanging up the stockings on Christmas Eve. Thereafter the young girls at the convent schools would hang their stockings on the door of the Mother Superior’s room on Saint Nicholas night. On the following morning they would be found filled with gifts and dainties, and a little hint from Saint Nicholas as to the appearance and character of their future husbands.
Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of Russia, and his festival used to be celebrated earlier in December than the 25th, but now his name is synonymous with Christmas festivities.
The idea of Saint Nicholas traveling in a sleigh which was drawn by reindeer originated in the cold Northern countries. The reindeer were the swiftest animals known, and they must needs fly like the wind to carry Saint Nick the rounds of the world in one night.
In certain parts of Germany it was commonly held that on Christmas Eve the Christ child – Criss Kindlein, or Kriss Kringle – visited earth, and, as He passed over the houses, dropped gifts through the roof for the deserving and the good.
But aside from the customs which relate to gifts and the spirit of giving at Christmastide, there are several observances which are indissolubly linked with this time.
Christmas is never really Christmas without the holly wreath and the mistletoe. Christians venerated the holly, or holy tree, because to them the little thorny leaves and red berries made in a wreath typified the crown of thorns and the bloody drops. Doubtless they introduced this solemn reminder at the joyous festival in order not to forget the sacredness of the occasion in the general festivities.
The mistle bush, mistltod – or mistletoe, as we know it – owes its use as a festal decoration to pagan times. According to the Scandinavian legend, Baldur, the most beloved of all the gods, had a premonition that death impended. Thereupon, his mother, Frigga, besought everything that was begotten of earth, air, fire or water to swear not to harm her son.
But in her request she overlooked the insignificant little mistletoe. Loki, the god of destruction, disguised as an old woman, visited Frigga, and, learning of here oversight, hurried back to where the gods were assembled. There they were amusing themselves by hurling all manner of missiles at Baldur, and all were turned aside. But Loki, with an arrow made of mistletoe, pierced Baldur’s heart.
In reparation, the mistletoe was given to Frigga to do as she saw fit, provided it touched not earth. And she, to show that she bore no ill, hung it up, and every one who passed under it received a kiss as a token that, instead of hatred and jealousy, the mistletoe now stood for love and forgiveness.
Among the Celtic nations the mistletoe was an object of veneration, and at the festival of the winter solstice the Prince of the Druids himself cut a bough of it. The people were assembled, and then were led to the woods by the priests, who drove in advance of the company two snow-white bullocks. When the oak tree was found which bore the mistletoe, the plant was cut with a golden sickle, and the bullocks sacrificed.
At present it is the custom for the young men to carry out the doctrine taught by the Scandinavian myth and print a smacking kiss on the lips of any maiden thoughtless enough to stand beneath the suspended mistletoe bough. But for every such kiss one of the white berries of the mistletoe must be removed, and when all the berries have been kissed away the spell is broken.
Almost as important as the gift giving and gift receiving on Christmas Day is the feast of dainties spread on that festal occasion. But even the Christmas dinner has its origin in the dim, distant past. Feasts were always the accompaniment of any festival.
In Egypt, at the winter solstice, every family killed and ate a goose as a religious observance. In the hieroglyphic language of the Egyptian, the figure of a goose was the word “child.” The people had noticed that the goose was remarkable for the way in which it protected its young, hence it was looked upon as the symbol of great love – that love which is willing to sacrifice itself for the object of its affection.
We preserve the custom of eating fowl on this day, but the toothsome turkey has more generally supplanted the goose. The plum pudding as a dish in the Christmas feast has its meaning. The number and richness of its ingredients represented the rich gifts the Kings laid at the feet of the child [Yahshua].
The celebration of Christmastide is as old as the human race, and many of the customs have lost their origin in the hazy past. We preserve and hand down these customs because we respect their age. But pagan customs have survived in our Christian festival, not so much because of their age, as because it was necessary at the start to preserve them.
When Christianity was in its infancy, men who embraced it refused to give up the old festivals, so in view of the great end to be obtained, the leaders of the early church allowed these customs and festivities to stand, but sought to put into them some Christian meaning.
But to such strict sectarians as the Puritans and the Quakers in England the Christmas festivities appeared to be little better than pagan orgies. These worthy people thoroughly discountenanced the festival, and when the Quakers and Puritans came to found a State in the New World, they made rigid rules against any such form of festivity.
The Dutch colonists, however, were enthusiastic in their observance of Christmastide, and, though far from home, they celebrated the happy time in the old way. From the Dutch colonists in America spread the Christmas cheer, and the frowns and resolutions of the staid Puritan and Quaker colonists availed nothing against the infectious spirit of Christmas cheer
which the Dutch brought into the new country. (end of article from the Saturday Evening Post)
This stuff is pretty much well known, folks. Every year around November and December articles such as this one from The Saturday Evening Post appear. People read them and it’s…”ho hum….yeah I know all that stuff, but I’m ‘gonna celebrate it anyway. After all, it’s just for the kids. Yahweh knows my heart. I tell you yes, He does know your heart and He knows that you are in rebellion! ” For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.” Jeremiah 10:3-4. You have to be ignoring what you are reading and walking around with blinders on to not realize that this is a perfect description of a Christmas tree!
You celebrate it for your kids? Yahweh says in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” He also says in Jeremiah 10:2 “Thus saith Yahweh, Learn not the way of the heathen, ….” Have you ever read these scriptures? Are you ignoring Yahweh in favor of traditions of men?
Maybe you say that it’s really the birthday of the Messiah that you are in to. You don’t get in to all that worldly stuff, but since it is Yahshua’s birthday, you want to honor Him on that day. Did you know that nowhere in the Bible are we instructed to remember the birthday of the Messiah? Oh, but you say that you know that you are not instructed to remember His birthday, but what could possibly be wrong with celebrating His birthday? Giving that line of reasoning the benefit of the doubt, did you realize that there is overwhelming biblical evidence that Messiah could not have been born in the winter at all?
Luke 2:8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of Yahweh came upon them, and the splendour of Yahweh shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Yahweh’s Messiah.
To the observant reader, this passage alone should be evidence enough that Yahshua was not born on December 25th, or any time in the winter. Shepherds in Israel do not watch over their flocks by night in the open fields later than about the end of October. The cold of the night, from December to February is very piercing. Alexander Hislop, in his book “The Two Babylons”, explains this quite well. He goes on to quote Joseph Mede, a well known Bible comentator of Hislop’s time, “At the birth of [Messiah] every woman and child was to go to be taxed at the city whereto they belonged, whither some had long journeys; but the middle of winter was not fitting for such a business, especially for women with child, and children to travel in. Therefore, [Messiah] could not be born in the depth of winter. Again, at the time
of [Messiah’s] birth, the shepherds lay abroad watching with their flocks in the night time; but this was not likely to be in the winter. And if any shall think the winter wind was not so extreme in these parts, let him remember the words of [Messiah] in the gospel, `Pray that your flight be not in the winter.’ If the winter was so bad a time to flee in, it seems no fit time for shepherds to lie in the fields in, and women and children to travel in.”
We know from Luke 1:30-36 that Yahshua was conceived in His mother Miriam’s womb during the sixth month of her cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Elizabeth was the mother of John the baptist. Luke 1:5 tells us that Elizabeth was the wife of Zechariah, an Aaronic priest, and that Zechariah was of the course of Abiah. Abiah was the eighth course of priests, 1st Chronicles 24:10. We know from Josephus the Hebrew historian of Yahushua’s time, that each priestly course served for one week at a time, beginning at the start of the year, and that they all served during feast times. Come, let us reason together. The Feast of Unleavened Bread starts on the 15th day of the 1st month, Lev. 23:5-6. That’s the start of the 3rd week of the year. So two courses of priests served before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Then all the courses served during the feast. Then, after the feast, the 3rd course served on the 4th week of the year, the 4th course on the 5th week, and so on. So we know that Zechariah, who was of the course of Abiah (the eighth course), served on the ninth week of the year. This would be the first week of the 3rd month.
Luke 1:5. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zachariah, of the course of Abiyah: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before Elohim, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of Yahweh blameless.
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before Elohim in the order of his course,
9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of Yahweh.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of Yahweh standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zachariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zachariah: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of Yahweh, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to Yahweh their Elohim.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Eliyah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for Yahweh.
18 And Zachariah said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of Elohim; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings.
20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 And the people waited for Zachariah, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
We are not told how long it took Zechariah to get home, but we do know that as soon as he served his priestly course he went home, and that Elizabeth conceived. Let’s say that it took him one week to get home. He served on the first week of the third month, then traveled for a week. So then, Elizabeth must have conceived in the third week of the third month. That means that John the baptist was born nine months later, or about the third week of the 12th month. Yahshua was born six months later, or the third week of the sixth month (Hebrew calendar). This corresponds to our month of September.
The Feast of Tabernacles is in late September, or early October. Many scholars believe that Yahshua was born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. For those who have never kept the Feast of Tabernacles, I invite you to give it a try next year. If you want to honor our Savior, this is one of the best ways to do it. Didn’t Yahshua say that we are to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh? The feast is eight days of feasting on plenty of good food, and feasting on Yahweh’s word. It is a joyous time; more joyous than any Christmas celebration I’ve ever seen.
If you are still celebrating Christmas, as joyous as it may seem, remember that there is no scriptural reason to celebrate this holiday that has its roots in paganism. Yahweh does command us to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, though, and it quite possibly is the time when our Savior actually was born.