In Case You Had Not Noticed...

The Twenty Five Days of Christmas died. I had written more than half of my posts in advance, but I planned to write the other half as I went. But, finishing my degree at Criswell, and my brother returning home unexpectedly, combined to prevent me from being able to finish. So, next Christmas I will resume this chain of posts, and finish them this time.

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This article is actually somewhat of a sell for one of the future articles, because I am going to revisit the theological implications of this event later in the month. So, what was this event? The Christmas Truce in 1914.

Pope Benedict XV had urged for the warring nations to make peace for Christmas, but was refused (officially). However, there were widespread truces across the Western Front--the soldiers battling simply refused to fight each other. About one hundred thousand soldiers participated.

This story is well known, and frequently recounted in Christian circles about the power of Christmas. But, for the believer, this type of behavior should not just be restricted to one day of the year. To hear more, keep visiting, as I will deal with more issues, and get deeper in-depth as we get deeper into the month!

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It appears that the Christmas tree was first used at Christmas time in the mid 1400s. By the middle of the 16th century, there were several German churches that displayed Christmas trees, and by the 17th century, they were gaining widespread appeal. By the 19th century, the custom had spread across Europe, even going as far as Russia.

Why is the Christmas tree displayed at Christmas? Well, as with the Christmas lights, there are multiple reasons, none of them conclusive. The first, is that as an evergreen, the tree shows the continuation of life, or as a twist on that one: the tree shows the undying nature of God's love. Another suggestion is that the three corners of the tree represent the three persons of the Trinity. The final suggestion is that it was simply done because of the beauty and freshness of the tree, to cheer a house in the dead of winter.

Twenty Five Days of Christmas

This is one of my favorite Christmas carols. I think it captures the sense of anticipation among Israel while waiting for a savior. In addition, it is simply a beautiful melody. While you listen, consider what it must have felt like to be in bondage, but looking forward to a Hope.

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Christmas Lights

Why do we hang Christmas lights every year? I mean, I always get the warm and fuzzies when staring at a well lit house at Christmas--it is actually one of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season. But why do we do that?

The short answer to that is that we don't know. There are multiple theories: the fir tree was a sign of God; or, the lights were simply to light up gloomy houses; or, the lights were so that St. Nicholas could see his way into the house. But, all of these are just theories.

What we do know is that the tradition started in the 17th century, and was firmly taking grasp within a hundred years. At that time, the Christmas tree would be lit by candles. Around 1890 is when candleholders were first used to attach the candles to the tree (before this, they were melted onto the tree). The first building to be lit entirely by electricity was the Savoy Theatre in London in 1881. The first electrically lit Christmas was owned by Edward Johnson in 1882--he was Vice-President of the Edison Electric Light Company, so the newspapers ignored it, thinking it was a publicity stunt. After President Cleveland sponsored an electrically lit Christmas tree in 1895, Christmas lights started sweeping the nation, and by 1930, the lights had become affordable for most people. Over this time, they had slowly started being used to decorate more areas as the price dropped, leading to what we see today, such as this truck. Merry Christmas!

Twenty Five Days of Christmas

Merry Christmas! I know, it is not Christmas yet, but it is the First of December, which often signals the start of the Christmas season for many people (those who don’t start it the day after Thanksgiving). I love Christmas, it is my favorite season of year. And because of that, I am starting the Twenty Five Days of Christmas. Each day, I will put up a short blog on a topic that is related to Christmas. I will start with a few modern things, such as, “Why do we put up Christmas lights?” But as Christmas Day draws closer, I will shift into more serious discussion on some of the background of the world that Jesus was born into, and then some of the specific imagery that is used in the Birth Narratives. So, Merry Christmas, and I hope you enjoy the next few weeks.