If we want to celebrate the birth of Christ, why not pick a new date and new name?

[ResidentAlien]

The very name Christmas comes from Catholicism (Christ's Mass). There are many people who eschew all things Catholic but seem to have no problem celebrating Christ's Mass. The date December 25 is the day of the winter solstice according to the Julian calendar used by the Romans. It was the day of the sun's rebirth.

So we see, December 25 has both Catholic and pagan origins. Many will argue that they are okay celebrating Christ's Mass because they simply ignore the Catholic and pagan elements and remember the birth of our Lord. But how does one ignore the Catholic and pagan elements when the very date and name reflect them?

I would suggest if Christians can't help themselves from observing our Lord's birthday, a new date and name should be chosen that doesn't reflect Catholicism and paganism; something that is separate and distinct from the world.

 

[Crystal2023]

I'm new around here but I read your post and I'm thinking- that it may inevitably do more harm than good. Because most people are stuck to their ways, most would pay little attention to a brand-new holiday that is meant for what they think is the same exact thing that December 25th is. Unless it was declared by someone very important, well respected and world renowned. Just my opinion.

 

[ResidentAlien]

I'm new around here but I read your post and I'm thinking- that it may inevitably do more harm than good. Because most people are stuck to their ways, most would pay little attention to a brand-new holiday that is meant for what they think is the same exact thing that December 25th is. Unless it was declared by someone very important, well respected and world renowned. Just my opinion.

Hi Crystal, welcome to the forum; thanks for sharing. I'm not expecting any overnight changes, just offering another way of looking at it.

 

[Dino246]

Good luck changing it. I don’t worry about the confused origins; I focus on celebrating the Incarnation.

 

[Locoponydirtman]

I think we could do something like that, but change everything about the calendar.
Make the first day of every month the new moon which makes for 28 day months. So the full moon always falls on the 14th. Then every month have one day called the eighth day that weekend become a three day weekend. Then at the end of the year there will be an 8 day week we can call holy week where we celebrate all our holidays. Now the first of the year can actually fall on the solar year, spring equinox.

 

[Eli1]

What if we made this into a denomination too?

The Christians who celebrate Christ’s birthday on December 25th.
The Christians who celebrate it in other days (many denominations here with different dates).
The Christians who don’t celebrate it because there’s no evidence.

Just an idea.

 

[Locoponydirtman]

No wait, make the last day of the year the shortest day of the year, and put holy week mid year, so that it begins on the longest days of the year.

 

[XavierJesusLovesIndia]

Christmas is the fulfilment of Hanukah. That's a Jewish Festival of Light from the Maccabees' time. Also called the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple mentioned in John's Gospel. Look it up. Hannukah was on Kislev 25th. Kislev roughly corresponds to our December. God chose December 25 for a reason. John's Gospel also clearly shows Jesus as the Light of the World. Light entered our world on the day the Jews kept as the Festival of Light. Christ is the True Temple of God, as the same Gospel says, when the Lord says: "Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

"Hanukkah[a] (/ˈhɑːnəkə/; Hebrew: חֲנֻכָּה‎, Modern: Ḥanukka, Tiberian: Ḥănukkā

listen) is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.[3][4]

Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

 

[XavierJesusLovesIndia]

Here is John 10:22 in the NLT:

"It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication."

 

[persistent]

I would suggest if Christians can't help themselves from observing our Lord's birthday,

I never give much thought to the Bible passages regarding the birth of Jesus and now find only Matthew and Luke record this. Is that significant? I only checked this in a book I have on Gospel Parallels. Don't know if signifies anything. Just wondering how much emphasis we should put on the day of Jesus birth compared to the crucifixion. As most of my life religion was not important but now is and these questions are something to consider. I see it bores some people but stymies me. And does this verse even apply?>>>>>>>>

Ecclesiastes 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

Seems the day of Jesus crucifixion is more important. Therefore, Christmas is not as significant to Christians. Christmas seems more of a secular celebration promoted by retail sales business but possibly in people's minds is more important than the day of Christ's crucifixion. Is that good or bad, is the question as I see it. Maybe, that is what you are getting at in this thread?

 

[ResidentAlien]

Maybe, that is what you are getting at in this thread?

What I'm getting at is Christians really seem to love Christ's Mass and it baffles me why?

 

[Snacks]

No wait, make the last day of the year the shortest day of the year, and put holy week mid year, so that it begins on the longest days of the year.

Then you’re asking the people in the southern hemisphere to celebrate on their shortest days of the year.

 

[Eli1]

Then you’re asking the people in the southern hemisphere to celebrate on their shortest days of the year.

And where do Flat Earthers fit into this?

 

[Cameron143]

I think we could do something like that, but change everything about the calendar.
Make the first day of every month the new moon which makes for 28 day months. So the full moon always falls on the 14th. Then every month have one day called the eighth day that weekend become a three day weekend. Then at the end of the year there will be an 8 day week we can call holy week where we celebrate all our holidays. Now the first of the year can actually fall on the solar year, spring equinox.

That's not bad at all.

 

[Cameron143]

No wait, make the last day of the year the shortest day of the year, and put holy week mid year, so that it begins on the longest days of the year.

You'll never get followers if you keep changing plans.

 

[Cameron143]

Then you’re asking the people in the southern hemisphere to celebrate on their shortest days of the year.

We can compromise by making tall people move to the southern hemisphere and short people can move to the northern hemisphere.

 

[CS1]

The false narrative of those who say they are Christian yet seek pagan stuff to discredit Christian tradition.

Truth.

The church and the word of God do not provide a date of birth OF CHRIST WE DO NOT KNOW.

The early Church choose December 25th to combat the existing Pagan holiday.

 

[Cameron143]

What I'm getting at is Christians really seem to love Christ's Mass and it baffles me why?

I'm up for a name change. Any suggestions?

 

[persistent]

What I'm getting at is Christians really seem to love Christ's Mass and it baffles me why?

I only know one or two Christians and many Catholics that say they are Christians and have only known the one or two by phone conversation, and only recently, so I'm not sure who likes what. The Catholics I know seem to like Christmas, but I never paid it much attention.

The few of the Catholics that I have been talking to seem to not be too familiar with the Bible just like I wasn't as a Catholic so what they and I would have based this on might be mostly secular type things. i.e. break from work But now, on this site, Catholics may be familiar with the Bible and have a different view.

My father was a Knight's of Columbus member and I never saw him with any Bible either and I just recently saw reference to KofC's and sounds like some elite group. But with my father, i barely knew him and only spent a short while at his home with him before he died and never saw a Bible there. But then I wasn't concerned with religion at the time. Sorry, not helpful in figuring out your question.

 

[persistent]

Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

I happened on some site or maybe on tv some people, maybe Jewish, claim that Christmas is a Jewish holiday. Did not listen to their explanation, but your post may explain their claim.