Origin Date of Christmas

Christmas (IPA: /krɪsməs/), occasionally referred to as Christmas Day or Christmastide, is an annual Christian holiday celebrated on December 25 or January 7[2] that marks and honors the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.[3][4] The nativity of Jesus, which is the basis for the anno Domini system of dating, is thought to have occurred between 7 and 2 BC.[5] December 25 is not thought to be Jesus' actual date of birth, and the date may have been chosen to correspond with either a Roman festival,[6] or with the winter solstice.[7]

Modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, church celebrations, and the display of various decorations—including the Christmas tree, lights, mistletoe, nativity scenes and holly. Santa Claus (also referred to as Father Christmas, although the two figures have different origins) is a popular mythological figure often associated with bringing gifts at Christmas. Santa is generally believed to be the result of a syncretization between Saint Nicholas and elements from pagan Nordic and Christian mythology, and his modern appearance is believed to have originated in 19th century media.

Christmas is celebrated throughout the Christian population, but is also celebrated by many non-Christians as a secular, cultural festival. Because gift-giving and several other aspects of the holiday involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, Christmas has become a major event for many retailers.

Christmas

Christmas is marked on the 25 December (7 January for Orthodox Christians).
Stained glass window showing Mary with the infant Jesus and her husband Joseph with a bright star above them

The Holy Family, Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus ©

Christmas is a Christian holy day that marks the birth of Jesus, the son of God.

Jesus' birth, known as the nativity, is described in the New Testament of the Bible.

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke give different accounts. It is from them that the nativity story is pieced together.

Both accounts tell us that Jesus was born to a woman called Mary who was engaged to Joseph, a carpenter. The Gospels state that Mary was a virgin when she became pregnant.

In Luke's account Mary was visited by an angel who brought the message that she would give birth to God's son. According to Matthew's account, Joseph was visited by an angel who persuaded him to marry Mary rather than send her away or expose her pregnancy.

Matthew tells us about some wise men who followed a star that led them to Jesus' birthplace and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Luke tells how shepherds were led to Bethlehem by an angel.

According to tradition, Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem shortly before Jesus' birth. Joseph had been ordered to take part in a census in his home town of Bethlehem.

All Jewish people had to be counted so the Roman Emperor could determine how much money to collect from them in tax. Those who had moved away from their family homes, like Joseph, had to return to have their names entered in the Roman records.

Joseph and Mary set off on the long, arduous 90-mile journey from Nazareth along the valley of the River Jordan, past Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Mary travelled on a donkey to conserve her energy for the birth.

But when they arrived in Bethlehem the local inn was already full with people returning for the census. The innkeeper let them stay in the rock cave below his house which was used as a stable for his animals.

It was here, next to the noise and filth of the animals, that Mary gave birth to her son and laid him in a manger.


History

For many centuries, Christian writers accepted that Christmas was the actual date on which Jesus was born.[9] However, in the early eighteenth century, some scholars began proposing alternative explanations. Isaac Newton argued that the date of Christmas was selected to correspond with the winter solstice,[7] which in ancient times was marked on December 25.[10] In 1743, German Protestant Paul Ernst Jablonski argued Christmas was placed on December 25 to correspond with the Roman solar holiday Dies Natalis Solis Invicti and was therefore a "paganization" that debased the true church.[6] In 1889, Louis Duchesne suggested that the date of Christmas was calculated as nine months after the Annunciation on March 25, the traditional date of the conception of Jesus.[11]

What is Christmas all about?

uhm....

Long time I haven't update this blog.
Now I'm coming just to make some meaningless update.

Actually, I have nothing meaningfull to share here. I'd like to keep my things better than share it in public.
But, I'll try to share a little
Okay then...

I'll share about this year's Christmas of my experience.
Actually, I don't think that I really feel the warm of Christmas this time. There's no expected Christmas celebration.
Singing Christmas Carol, Having a wish for next year, Waiting a present from Santa, Standing next to Christmas tree to take photos...
Got nothing of them.
But, above those all, I just have realized about what Christmas is all about. For me, actually, I also miss that kind of environment; Hearing soft sound of Christmas Ballads; Feeling the light from candles; and making a little wish. And the great things I find this year is facts about what Christmas exactly talking about.
If you ever heard "We are the reason", it tells so much about the Christmas.
Here the lyrics that I found...

AS LITTLE CHILDREN WE WOULD DREAM OF CHRISTMAS MORN
AND ALL THE GIFTS AND TOYS WE KNEW WE'D FIND
BUT WE NEVER REALIZED A BABY BORN ONE BLESSED NIGHT
GAVE US THE GREATEST GIFT OF OUR LIVES

WE ARE THE REASON THAT HE GAVE HIS LIFE
WE ARE THE REASON THAT HE SUFFERED AND DIED
TO A WORLD THAT WAS LOST HE GAVE ALL HE COULD GIVE
TO SHOW US THE REASON TO LIVE

AS THE YEARS WENT BY WE LEARNED MORE ABOUT GIFTS
GIVING OF OURSELVES AND WHAT THAT MEANS
ON A DARK AND CLOUDY DAY A MAN HUNG CRYING
IN THE RAIN BECAUSE OF LOVE, BECAUSE OF LOVE

I FINALLY FOUND THE REASON FOR LIVING
IT'S IN GIVING EVERY PART OF MY HEART TO HIM
IN ALL THAT I DO EVERY WORD THAT I SAY
I'LL BE GIVING MY ALL JUST FOR HIM, FOR HIM

AND WE WERE THE REASON THAT HE GAVE HIS LIFE
WE WERE THE REASON THAT HE SUFFERED AND DIED
TO A WORLD THAT WAS LOST HE GAVE ALL HE COULD GIVE
TO SHOW US THE REASON TO LIVE
HE IS MY REASON TO LIVE

When I sing this song in pray, I think about the lyric that says "We are the reason .... He suffered and died". I think spontaneous and I have question in my mind "is it really because of us? How if He (my God) never create us. Then He no need to suffer."
Then I think again
From the first time He created us, He has only one reason that is to share His Love to us. Then I realized the rest of that chronology that amazed me so much.
Think about this....
If He feel wrong with us when we fall to sin, then He could just removed us from the earth. He could delete us without bothering others creation. But what has happened today? He choose to make another plan that says " I love the men so much and they might not be demolished". The plan to save us that is the most amazing work.

So, at the end.... I say " Yes, It's all about us. It's only for our happiness, our hopes, our eternity... and what is the most valuable for me is that I have risen God, risen King, risen Lord, risen Savior, risen Best Friend, that is really loves me for the past, now and forever."

Wish you all a great Merry Christmas.
May the work of Christ does a lot in your life.....

God Bless ^^