What is Christmas?

by Christianne M.
from Virtuous Daughters, December 2007~Volume 7, Number 9

What is Christmas? Is it just a national holiday? Where did it come from? First of all, what does holiday mean? 

According to Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary, a holiday is a holy day. Here are the meanings of a holy day:
 
Holyday, n. 1. A day set apart for commemorating some important even in history; a festival intended to celebrate some event deemed auspicious to the welfare of a nation; particularly an anniversary festival devoted to religious solemnities; as Christmas holy days. 2. A day of joy and gayety 3. A day of exemption from labor; a day of amusement.
 
Here is the meaning of Christmas:
 
Christmas, n. 1. The festival of the Christian Church observed annually on the 25th day of December, in memory of the birth of Christ, and celebrated by a particular church service. The festival includes twelve days. 2. Christmas-day
 
I believe that Christmas is a holiday or holy day that the world has taken over. It concerns me that they are trying to take our Beloved Saviour out of it. A couple ways they do this is by calling Christmas, x-mas, and also by having “santa claus,” gifts, trees, lights decorating their houses, food, and parties being the whole focus of Christmas.

We Christians need to reclaim this holyday and treat it as a holy day in which we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

One way we can redeem the day is by praying. Also, instead of buying extravagant gifts for family and friends, give the money you would have bought a gift with to a mission organization. Or you could sponsor a national pastor or orphan. There are even some organizations that take donations for “gifts” for needy people in other countries.

Another way to redeem the season is to evangelize. My dad says that at Christmastime, a lot of people are more open to the Gospel. On the first Christmas, God gave His only begotten Son. We can give the message of His Son, too.

​This was not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to encourage you to think of creative ways to redeem the season. May we keep Christ as our center at Christmastime and also throughout the year.