Christmas is a time of Joy, Peace, and Giving! From the Nativity Story of the Bible, to St. Nicholas’s Gift Giving, to Joyful Traditions and Symbols, to Unforgettable and Powerful Christmas Carols, to exciting Christmas Lights and Decorations, to Times of Peace and Celebration!
Ancient Festivals Celebrated Giving
From the start of human civilization – there were winter festivals and they involved gift giving (Ancient Roman, Norse, and Celtic). These festivals and celebrations were pagan in their nature.
The Bible Story Celebrates Joy, Peace, and Giving
According to the biblical story, there was said to be a night of silence and peace the day of Jesus’s birth. It was a day of great Joy pronounced by angels and shepherds. The three wise men were curious and filled with joy – so much so that they brought great presents to the newborn child- this inspired giving.
St. Nicholas Brought Joy, Peace, and Giving
St. Nicholas lived during the trying times when the Roman Empire was actively persecuting Christians. St. Nicholas is said to have been a cherished bishop in the town of Myra, Turkey. St. Nicholas protected the innocent from Roman Persecutions. St. Nicholas’s abundant generosity also made him popular in his town and later he became known as the protector and saint of children. St. Nicholas has inspired many of the Christmas symbols we recognize today – such as Santa going down people’s fireplaces and hanging stockings by the fireplaces. St. Nicholas did not actually go down people’s chimneys, but he did throw stuffed stockings with goods and gold through people’s windows and down people’s chimneys.
The Tradition of Saint Nicholas/Santa Claus Grows
St. Nicholas went on later to inspire Sinter Klaus and Father Christmas in Northern Europe. Eventually Reindeers pulling Santa in the sleigh came into the story because of Northern European Winters and the fact that Santa had to have Reindeers and a sleigh to get through the snowy winters. Father Christmas became a jolly and happy figure in England and lead to many joyous celebrations throughout England.
Later the story of Santa Claus made its way to the USA; inspired by Dutch immigrants in New York (which was originally New Amsterdam) – they celebrated Sinter Klaus – which is where the name Santa Claus comes from.
Christmas Inspires Great Carols
The Christmas Story from the Bible has inspired many great carols that are known and remembered today. The First Noel, Silent Night, Joy to the World, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, O Holy Night. These songs were written by clergymen or monks. Other carols also have terrific stories behind them like “I’ll be Home for Christmas” or “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – these wonderful songs were inspired from people wanting to be reunited with their loved ones during World War 2. Other songs like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and 12 Days of Christmas also have special meanings though most people don’t generally realize this.
Christmas Inspires Great Literature
Christmas from the start has inspired acts of great charity and generosity (Saint Nicholas giving gifts and the 3 wise men giving gifts to baby Jesus). Charles Dickens augmented this with his timeless classic “A Christmas Carol”. In this story, Scrooge is labeled as an old miser who is uncompassionate and inattentive to Christmas and the human condition. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” greatly inspired Christmas traditions in the Victorian Era – Christmas celebrations grew ever more celebratory and robust after this book was written. Charles Dickens also shown light upon the afflictions of the poor and down trodden in his Christmas Carol book… i.e. Tiny Tim.
Christmas Brings Peace
Christmas is a time for peace and has brought peace to the world. The night of Jesus’s birth was said to be a “Silent Night”. During many periods of war Christmas has brought on a night of peace and more. The song “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was inspired by an American Preacher who was trying to heal his nation from the bloody American Civil War. Cease fires also happened during the American Civil War on Christmas – the carol “Silent Night” could often be heard and sung by soldiers.
O Holy Night inspired troops during the Franco-Prussian War to put down their arms at Christmas time and sing in a joyful chorus of O Holy Night – the fighting managed to cease for 24 hours while the men on both sides observed a temporary peace in honor of Christmas Day. And after that there is the famous Christmas Truce during World War 1 when German, French, and English soldiers put down their weapons and sung carols, exchanged gifts, and took time to gather their dead.
During WW2 Christmas chimed in the need for peace with many American songs (“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” or “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”) wishing that the soldiers of the war would come home. There is also a tale of another peace truce during WW2 when wounded American Soldiers at the Battle of the Bulge were housed by a German Woman during Christmas. Later Nazi Soldiers would show up and need housing as well. Later the Nazi soldiers would plot to kill the American soldiers, but decided on through the night for Christmas to be a night of peace. Oh how we wish Christmas could have prevented these wars in their entirety!
Christmas Brings Commerce and Abundance
Christmas is a motor that churns commerce as well. With the Christmas holiday there is trade, sales, and commerce. The holiday stimulates the economy and brings toys, goods, and comforts to our homes. The Exchange of goods is essential to the civilized world – and it is inspired by the first gifts that were given with the earliest Christmas Celebrations.
Great Christmas Quotes
“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?” – Bob Hope
“Mankind is a great, an immense family. This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.” Pope John XXIII
“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” – Calvin Coolidge
“May the god of hope fill you with all joy and peace” – Romans 15:13
