Have you ever wondered, why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25, why do we put up a Christmas tree every year, or why do we even celebrate Christmas at all? Christmas is celebrated for one reason and there may be more about Christmas that you don’t know. This article I will go through why Christmas is celebrated and why we have some of the traditions that we do have.
So to start, I’m going to answer the question of why we even celebrate Christmas. It’s plain and simple, Christmas is celebrated because of Jesus Christ the Messiah was born. The thing is, it wasn’t just another baby born. Jesus was born to save his people (us) from our sins.
The name Christmas comes from the Mass of Christ. A Mass service (also known as Communion) is when Christians remember that Jesus died on the cross and then 3 days later came back to life. The Christ-Mass service was eventually shortened to Christmas. Christmas celebrates the birth of the Christ Child.
Now, why in the world is Christmas celebrated on the 25th of December? December is cold and being that it is thought that the Christ Child was born in the Spring, why don’t we celebrate it then? For one thing, no one really knows when Jesus was actually born. It is only thought that he was born in the Spring due to when Caesar Augustus decreed that there should be a census. That census is what brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem where the Christ Child was born.
There are actually many theories as to why Christmas was celebrated in December, not the spring. One theory that the Winter Solstice and the ancient pagan Roman midwinter festivals took place in December around the 25th, so it was a time when other things were already celebrated so why not?
You may be wondering why we put up Christmas trees? When Christmas trees first started being put up, they were used to represent the everlasting life with God. As you know, Evergreen trees don’t turn into the regular oranges, reds, yellows, and browns that other leaves do in the fall. Since evergreens don’t die in the winter, they can represent the everlasting life with God because they have everlasting life.
I truly hope this article has given you insight and knowledge about the true meaning on Christmas. When it all comes down to it, Christmas isn’t about the lights, trees, presents, and shopping. It’s all about the birth of Christ and that He came to save us from our sins so that we could live with Him for eternity.
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Attention: This article does not reflect the opinion of the Paw Print or Greenwood School District
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