December 11th is the Prophet's birthday, beginning at sundown. Hanukkah shares Christmas Eve on December 24th. Christmas Day is the 25th and the first day of Kwanzaa is December 29th. So apparently there are many faith traditions that "share" December. Then my curiosity sent me to the internet and I found some interesting information.
Apparently the first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336 and a few years later Pope Julius I decared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on that date. When you examine the Bible there seem to be two basic reasons why Jesus couldn't actually have been born on that date......if you like the story. The tradition states that shepherds were in the fields watching their flocks....but shepherds would not have been in the fields in December....wrong season, wrong weather.
And then there is the part of the story that has Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem to register in a Roman census (Luke 2:1-4)...."but such censuses were not taken in the winter when temperatures and weather were very cold and roads were in poor condition. Taking a census under such conditions would have been self-defeating."
So.....Christians celebrate Christ's birth on December 25th as a matter of tradition and faith. And saying Merry Christmas on the 24th and 25th is perfectly appropriate. But does that mean that the whole month should be given over to celebrate this one special religious holiday?
Why do Christians feel it's such an insult when someone says "Happy Holidays" during the month. Why do they feel all greetings should be repectful of their traditions over everyone elses?
So who "owns" December? In America I actually think it's the malls.....they put up their holiday decorations in October and start playing Christmas carols in November and start advertising Black Friday Sales....and now Cyber Monday Sales.....and special Christmas coupon sales.
Don't kid yourself......the "meaning" of Christmas often gets buried under all of the brightly wrapped gifts piled under a decorated Christmas tree....until, on December 24th or 25th many people drive off to church to be reminded of one man, who had so little, and gave so much.
Do you honestly think he would be offended by people saying "Happy Holidays!" to others?
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