Historical Accounts of Christmas
Date Added: September 23, 2008 06:29:51 PM
There are lots of things associated with the Holiday season. Months before Christmas, you will see Santa Claus images and costumes in malls and even the television shows are all about how colorful the yuletide season is. You will even see children in the neighborhood with sugar candy canes which has always been a part of Christmas celebration. All of these including gift giving, Christmas trees, lanterns and mistletoes symbolize the spirit of Christmas.
It is during Christmas that the world celebrates how God gave his son, Jesus Christ to mankind. Christians believe that Christ was sent to deliver the people and save them from the sins enveloping the whole world. He gave his own life for the salvation of all humanity. Even though the globe celebrates Christmas on the 25th of December, this is not the actual birth date of Christ. As a matter of fact, there was not much of celebration done during Christmas in the ancient times - not until the coronation of Charlemagne. It was then that a lot of people commemorated Christ's birth. From then on, different cultures already have their own way of merrymaking and observing Christmas. Along the way, there were already so many characters, scenes and stuffs that symbolize the holidays.
The Nativity Scene
This is perhaps the most important picture of Christmas because it depicts the sacrifice of God for the world. Most of the times, a lot of people do a remake of the Nativity scene to remind mankind about how Mary and Joseph took care of Jesus Christ. This shows that even if Christ is the son of God, he was still willing to give him for the deliverance of all the people.
The Three Wise Men
When Baby Jesus was born, the star of Bethlehem appeared to the three wise men and they followed it to reach the stable where the holy family stayed. These wise men offered three gifts to honor the King of Kings. Along with the shepherds who were the first to see Jesus, they were all pleased about the wonderful blessing of Christmas.
St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas is always associated with Christmas and it was in 1863 that Thomas Nast created a more popular figure of Santa Clause. It was believed that Santa Claus, along with his elves, creates unique gifts for obedient and respectful kids who have been nice all year. This is the reason why during Christmas, children hang their Christmas stockings so that St. Nicholas can drop their gifts.
People all over the world celebrate Christmas in different ways. This depends on what they accept as true as well as their customs, traditions and way of life. No matter what they believe in, it is important for people to remember what Christmas really means. The perfect way to celebrate the Christmas season is to thank God for all the blessings and sharing what you have with the people you love. It is then that you will get the real Christmas gift - the gift of love.
