When Merry Christmas Became Happy Holidays; Is There A War On The Spirituality Of Christmas
Christmas used to have a set meaning, a commemorative time for Christians to celebrate the Birth of Jesus, and while the history of Christmas runs deep there have been questions and concerns about a “War On Christmas.” Is there an underlying cold war against the Christmas holiday? Perhaps there are signs for you that there is a blatant, all-out offensive on Christmas, or maybe you feel that Christmas is the same as it ever was.
However, there have been accusations that the spirituality of Christmas has been eroded and such a case is made with evidence like banning non-secular Christmas music, banning nativity scenes and other religious symbols, and the disappearance of the word “Christmas” from the season.
Is political correctness and constantly living in the gray, rather than recognizing there may be a clear black and white answer on a subject, the best thing to do on this or any other issue? If one person says the sky is blue and another the sky is red should we compromise and just say it’s purple or do we accept that both sides can’t be right?
In an article on CNN.com, Peter Sprigg, a senior fellow for policy studies with the Family Research Council stated, “everyone [has] the freedom to celebrate what they want.” He goes on to say that this idea of making everyone happy, in terms of the Christmas season may be, “stifling the celebration of the majority because it might be offensive to the minority.”
The other side of the argument feels there is absolutely no attack on Christmas, and Christians themselves are voicing some of the opposition for the idea on the “War On Christmas.” Many feel that concerns over the disappearance of Christmas, concerns that have reached the halls of Congress, are unwarranted and any move by Congress to hinder the “War On Christmas” would be a violation against the separation of Church and State. So, these people are saying they don’t want Congress to help stop the “War On Christmas” since there really is no war and it’s a collision between two entities (Church and State) that shouldn’t occur.
Others see the idea of Christmas as a relative notion; you make the holiday mean what you want. They believe there is no reason or basis to believe in any doctrine of Christianity at all (i.e. God or Jesus Christ), so the whole spirituality aspect of Christianity is a useless debate and should be nonexistent.
Also, those who are against the spirituality of Christmas cite that a belief in such an absolute truth, again meaning there is a God, Jesus walked the earth and was who He said He was; this idea of absolute truth is wrong and breeds intolerance of other ideas and beliefs.
So, is the spirituality of the Christian celebration of Christmas being attacked and is the idea of Christmas being eroded away? Is there anything wrong with saying “Happy Holidays” versus “Merry Christmas?” Should any of spirituality be associated with Christmas at all? What are your views on the Christmas holiday in terms of its original Christian foundation and how Christmas is viewed today?
(No matter what side or opinion you take, only civil comments will be posted. Disagreement is fine, hate speech isn’t. Thank You.)
Christmas is not an original Christian foundation, it was the result of a sort of compromise in the fourth century. Roman priests decided that this late December date was best to celebrate the birth of Jesus in an attempt to “Christianize” the already celebrating Pagan masses.
That spirituality is associated with Christmas is no doubt, and the birth of Jesus is a valuable Biblical truth. I just think that we are in a season where everything that can be shaken is being shaken. I believe that Christians (whom I am one) need to be honest and realize that there’s a lot of mixture involved in celebrating a Christian Christmas. What does God think about mixture? What does the Bible say?
Tanner is correct. The first recorded evidence of a “Christian” Christmas taking place on December 25th isn’t found until the time of Constantine in 336 AD. Translation: For the first 300 years nothing resembling Christmas existed for Christians. Constantine’s original piety was associated with the sun, and pagans would have recognized their own solar cults in the church practices of orienting cathedrals to the east, worshiping on “Sun Day,” and celebrating the birth of their deity at the ancient winter solstice.
Did you know that Yule (i.e., the winter solstice which pagans still celebrate today) is Christmas primordial predecessor and goes all the way back to Babylon? Actually, our modern Christmas Season’s immediate predecessor was the Roman Saturnalia (mid-Dec to Jan 1st winter revels), and our modern Christmas Day’s immediate predecessor was Mithra’s Winter Festival (The Nativity of the Unconquered Sun). The Catholic Encyclopedia itself credits The Nativity of the Unconquered Sun as claiming strong responsibility for our December 25th date. The Church’s amnesia doesn’t negate the historical fact that throughout antiquity, the celebrated birthday of the sun gods was the ancient winter solstice – Dec. 25th – before the Roman shift in time. It’s time for everyone to re-examine things in our lives that may not be accurate or working all that well.
Enjoyed the thought-provoking article. There’s many other points I could make but I have already run out of time and space. Having researched everything Christmas for over 10 years, I authored “Santa-tizing: What’s wrong with Christmas and how to clean it up.” It’s available on Amazon, if you’re interested.
Typical Right-Wing Fanatical Nonsense!!!
Christmas is a fraud done by the Pope in the 4th Century to get Pagan’s to accept their God by making the transition less painful. Hence, the baby Jesus was miraculously born on the 25th of December- the same day as persian god Mithra- god of light and wisdom. BTW, Mithra also had a virgin birth, baptism, shepherds who adored him, bread and wine, etc.
If Christians want to force Jesus down our throats than they should maybe go all the way and celebrate Mithra and stop alluding to the phoney Jesus crap they force down our throats as if it was FACT!
Sheesh man. DO SOME RESEARCH!!!!
There has been quite a bit of bluster these last few years about the phrase “Merry Christmas” and how it is being replaced by “Happy Holidays” and such. In fact, this is nothing new: there are many holidays in this period of the year. I am a member of an American religion, and we have been celebrating Winter Festival for over one hundred years now. My Jewish friends celebrate Channukah. Most cultures in northern Europe, and others who faced long dark winter nights, acknowledge Winter’s solstice. Indeed, the celebration of Jesus’ birth was pasted onto existing Pagan festivals by the Christian fathers who sought converts among the Germanic and Celtic tribes.
As for me, I say to “Merry Christmas” to all who wish to hear it. To those who celebrate Channukah, I say “Happy Channukah” and to those who celebrate neither–or both–I might say “Happy Holidays.” Such behavior is now disdained as “PC.” When I was young, our mothers used to call it good manners.
I must say that I am confounded by those who celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace by threatening shopkeepers with economic destruction should they fumble over a “Merry Christmas.” If you wish to keep Christmas holy, then consider giving more to the poor or being more tolerant. We all find both difficult, but I cannot think of better ways to keep the holiday holy.
To Cheman:
Christmas wasn’t the time of Christ’s birth, it’s the time we celebrate it, you’re right on that point, however:
“While there are several sources that suggest that Mithraism included a notion of rebirth, they are all post-Christian, the earliest…dates from the end of the second century A.D.”2 (Bill Wilson, compiled by, The Best of Josh McDowell: A Ready Defense, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993, p. 167.)
All the doctrines of Christianity exists in the Old Testament where we can see the prophetic teachings of Jesus as the son of God (Zech. 12:10), born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), was crucified (Psalm 22), the blood atonement (Lev. 17:11), rose from the dead (Psalm 16:10), and salvation by faith (Hab. 2:4). Also, the writers of the gospels were eyewitnesses (or directed by eyewitnesses as were Mark and Luke) who accurately represented the life of Christ.
Considering that the writers of the New Testament were Jews who shunned pagan philosophies and that the Old Testament has all of the themes found in Christianity, it is far more probable that if any borrowing was done, it was done by the pagan religions that wanted to emulate the success of Christianity.