Festivity is in the air and a lot of people are still wondering what’s the big idea about Christmas?
Is Christmas all about eating, drinking, exchanging gifts, and making merry?
Or perhaps did someone just decide to choose the 25th of December as a perfect time for a holiday?
A lot of people including Christians and non-Christians are fully aware that Christmas is a time set apart to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Now, if you are curious to figure out if the birth of Jesus was actually on the 25th of December, you are not the only one.
Research shows that according to the Roman calendar, Jesus was born during the winter solstice.
The early Church chose December 25th to celebrate Jesus’ birth because it aligned with the winter solstice.
We cannot say that Jesus was born on the 25th of December, however, the day chosen is perfect
It flows with a lot of celebrations; first comes thanksgiving, then Christmas, and finally the new year. It is a continuous series of celebrations and merriment.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that a lot of businesses, as well as private contractors, choose this period for resting and vacations.
The story that surrounds the emergence of Christmas is divine and captivating.
It speaks of freedom, liberation, love, and God’s will for mankind.
The entirety of Christmas focuses on the story of love.
Not an erotic or conditional love rather, an undeserving love that leaves us sober whenever we think about it.
While Christmas might be a time to self-reflect and remember the greatest gift God has given to us.
It is also a time to celebrate the gift of salvation that God gave to us through Jesus Christ.
What is Christmas
Christmas is a time of celebration, festivity, love, kindness, merriment, and self-reflection.
25th of December was the day set aside by the early Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Like we earlier said, this doesn’t exactly mean Jesus was born in December.
However, biblical research and history show that Jesus was born in the winter solstice.
In the Roman calendar, the winter solstice falls within December hence, the reason this date was chosen.
While this is the general belief of Christians about Christmas.
There are also some cultural beliefs about the idea of Christmas, although, this belief system is popular among non-Christians.
2 wrong notions and myths about Christmas
Can there be some wrong ideas about the concept of Christmas?
Of course! Every popular day that is celebrated across the globe has more than one backstory.
Just like valentine’s day, there are different myths about the concept of Christmas.
- Christmas is just another work-free day
This is an inaccurate idea about Christmas. Although most organizations choose to keep 25th December as a work-free day, it doesn’t mean it’s just another holiday.
You can choose to work on Christmas day, no one is stopping you. This does not affect you from celebrating the day in any way.
Christmas is more about what you believe than what you actually do.
It is a consciousness about the true meaning of the celebration than the events or parties you organize.
The thought that Christmas is just another holiday belittles the essence of Jesus’ birth and our redemptive right.
- Christmas is all about sharing gifts
One of the major traditions that a lot of people engage in during Christmas is the exchange of gifts.
We give gifts to people for different occasions, it could be for;
- Birthday
- Wedding
- Anniversary
- Graduation
- Promotion and other celebrations.
It doesn’t have to be Christmas for you to gift your loved ones and the people around you.
If your idea about Christmas is majorly about exchanging gifts then your idea is missing the most important message.
The reason we exchange gifts on Christmas is to reciprocate what God did for us.
John 3:16 tells us “For God so love the world that he “gave”
The emphasis is on the word “gave” therefore, on Christmas we include gifting as part of our celebration to express God’s love.
What’s the big idea about Christmas?
Honestly, the big idea about Christmas is Jesus Christ.
The birth of Jesus is the big deal about Christmas to Christians.
Without the birth of Jesus, there will be no salvation.
Therefore, Christmas is a time for Christians to acknowledge the free gift of redemption that God gives mankind through his only begotten son, Jesus.
Most times on Christmas Day there is always a Christmas service.
Here, the priest or pastor talks about the essence and importance of Christmas. Christmas is a day chosen to remember God’s love to reconcile mankind to himself.
Hence, the 25th of December is a time to celebrate God’s gifts, as well as self, reflecting on how it influences our existence as Christians.
Prior to Christmas day, a lot of Christians organize carol services.
In carol services, Christians sing Christmas hymns, listen to bible reading about the birth of Jesus, share gifts, and engage in dramas that showcase Jesus’s birth.
All these activities are done to remember the price Jesus paid to save the world.
Christmas is all about God, his love for the world, and Jesus’s role in reconciling us to God.
3 Ways the right knowledge about Christmas can improve our celebration
Knowledge is power, the bible tells us that “people perish because they lack wisdom”
The right knowledge about Christmas improves our celebration on the 25th.
We treat people right; we honor the day and show reverence to God for the greatest gift of all time “Love”
- It fills us with gratitude
Without Jesus’s birth, there will be no salvation and man would be condemned for eternity.
The birth of Jesus gives us an option, we can choose to accept God’s love and live with the blessings it comes with.
This is enough reason to be grateful to God. As we celebrate Christmas day, we should be filled with a heart of thanksgiving and joy.
- Christmas ignites repentance and reconciliation
Jesus’ birth gave room for salvation; the bible says “no one can come to the Father except through me (Jesus)”.
Christmas serves as a reminder to all, that genuine repentance comes by accepting God’s love through Jesus.
Through Christmas messages, movies, and hymns a lot of non-believers can encounter God’s love this season.
- It creates a room for sharing kindness and love
We all know that Christmas is a period of sharing, giving, and exchange of gifts.
It is true that we can gift people whenever we choose however, on Christmas day we gift people with understanding.
Our gifts of love and kindness remind us of the ultimate price that Christ paid on the cross for you and me.
Conclusion
The big idea about Christmas is the birth of Jesus and the significant role it plays in our salvation.
Jesus’s birth shattered the chains of sin, guilt, and condemnation.
We can easily access God through our understanding of Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
As you celebrate this Christmas, do it with Joy and happiness remembering all that God has done to build a relationship with you.
Merry Christmas!
