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Christmas
14 ~ FireFlyz
Christmas is a time
of giving, of peace
and joy. It is also a
time that is filled with
traditions that have
become the norm
for many people.
Christmas offers a
mix of religious and
secular traditions and
their origins are as
mixed and varied as
well. Fireflyz looks at
some of the myths and
legends surrounding
this season of goodwill.
For centuries,
Christmas has
been celebrated
as the birthday of
Jesus Christ. This
date still remains
a raging debate.
Yuletide Tales
TwelveDaysOf Christmas
This is probably one of the commonest
Christmas songs sung across theworld.
The ‘12 days of Christmas’ refers to the
celebration betweenDec 25 (Christmas)
and Jan 6 (Epiphany –when the threewise
men are believed to have visited baby
Jesus).
There, however, seems to bemore to this
song than this. Since the 1990s, there have
been reports that ’12 Days of Christmas’ is a
catechismsong devised between 1558 and
1829 in England to teach young Catholics
their religion.
During this period, the practice of
Catholicismwas considered a crime in
England and the song is believed to bear
secret references to the basic tenets of the
religionwithout landing the singers in
trouble.
DateOf Christ’sBirth
For centuries, Christmas has been
celebrated as the birthday of Jesus Christ.
This date still remains a raging debate.
The Bible does not refer to an actual date
as Christ’s birth date, nor was the current
calendar used in Christ’s time. According
to Luke 2:7-8, the shepherds
werewatching their flocks in the
fields while Jesus was born.
This watching of the flocks
would onlymake sense if Jesus
Christ was born in spring or in
fall, as the sheepwould not have
been out in the coldermonths.
Ancient scholars were divided
in their calculations of Christ’s
birth date.Many suggest it
may have been sometime in
June. It is also believed that the
Church adoptedDecember 25 as
Christmas to replace the pagan
solstice (Yule) with a celebration
of its own.