Probably most of us look forward to Christmas, the memories, the family, friends, and food, the traditions. Ever wonder where some of those traditions started and why?
Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #184 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.
In the past 2,000+ years since the humble but majestic birth of Christ the Savior in Bethlehem, people the world over have celebrated this event with now thousands of Christmas traditions.
The Bible does not provide specific practices for us to follow regarding the celebration of Christmas, as it does, for example, regarding communion or baptism. But as with all things in our lives, believers should assure our practices and traditions align with or do not violate Scripture.
Christmas traditions include the Nativity story or Christmas crèche, Advent, Christmas trees, Christmas carols, special foods and family gatherings, gift-giving, and varying traditions developed by different Christian groups worldwide.
“In the Middle Ages, Christmas celebrations were rowdy and raucous—a lot like today’s Mardi Gras parties. By the early 1800s, Americans made Christmas a family holiday for warmth, tranquility, and peace. Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870.”
“The Christmas crèche, also known as the Nativity scene, “a beloved Christian Christmas tradition…originated in Italy during the 13th century, when St. Francis of Assisi wanted to create a live representation of the Nativity story…The Nativity scene holds deep symbolic meaning for Christians. It reminds believers of the central message of Christmas: the love and grace of God.”
“The Nativity story is more than just a religious Christmas tradition or a way to celebrate the holiday season. It is a reminder of the profound and powerful message of Christianity – that God loves humanity so much that He sent His only Son to earth to save us. The Nativity story reminds us of the importance of humility, kindness, and compassion, values that are at the core of the Christian faith.
The Nativity story also reminds us of the miracle of the Christmas season – that even in the darkest days of winter, there is hope and joy to be found.”
My Good Wife and I are blessed with four children. When they were little and on into their college years, we developed a family tradition around the Nativity scene.
Early in our marriage before we had children, we began buying individual, 4”, realistic-looking Nativity set figures at the big Sears store at the mall. As I recall now, we purchased these over two or three Christmases. Once we had a full set, I made a manger or barn out of spare lumber, a piece of old paneling, and sticks—yes, sticks from trees in our yard. Then I added a brown felt cloth for the ground and sprinkled fake straw. Voilà, we had our manger scene.
Every year, day after Thanksgiving, we’d find the manger and its Nativity figures and then I’d unwrap them one by one as the kids took turns placing them in the manger. Mom unwrapped a few figures too or watched nearby. We always saved the Baby Jesus until last and rotated each year who got to place the Baby in the manger. Our tradition did not take long, but it was fun and a big deal for the kids. This kicked off the Christmas season with a focus on the meaning of Christmas and the message of the nativity.
Our kids were spread out in age, a daughter and son two and one-half years apart, then 4 years, and another two sons two and one-half years apart. So back then, I’d come home and ask, “Where’re the kids,” meaning the older, followed by, “Where’re the little boys?”
It was one of the little boys that introduced a funny story. One day after the placing of the figures in the manger, I walked into our bathroom, then found my wife and said, “There’s a cow in our tub.” One of the little guys stole a cow from the manger scene, carried it awhile, then pitched it in the tub. Thankfully, it did not break. Not even a chip.
Interestingly, when they were wee little like that, all the kids tended to focus on the Baby Jesus and could frequently be found carrying the Babe around in the house. Something about the Baby attracted their little hearts.
Later with our children and now with our grandchildren, you can peak into the Nativity scene and perhaps find Yoda or a dinosaur or maybe an elephant. It’s all in good fun.
In Frankenmuth, Michigan, we are blessed with Bronner’s CHRISTmas WONDERLAND, reputedly the world’s largest Christmas store. “Founded in 1945 by Wally Bronner, Bronner's CHRISTmas WONDERLAND is visited annually by over two million people.” We visit this store every few years simply to walk through the acres of lights and ornaments and Christmas wonder.
My favorite stop is the Nativity section, wherein Bronner’s features a not-for-sale collection of several Nativity sets from around the globe, along with many varieties one can purchase. The interesting thing about the global Christmas crèche representations is that the people in the manger scenes look like the people or cultures or countries that created them. In other words, there are Korean and central African, SE Asian, Eskimo, South American, and Pacific Island people in the manger scenes, representing the key characters of the biblical story.
Some people reject this, saying it is somehow improper because the real Nativity characters were Jewish. Some go a step farther and criticize this as “cultural appropriation,’ the supposedly imperialistic commandeering of others’ cultures for your own designs. Some see this as a threat to the biblical account.
But I do not. I like this. In fact, when one can see oneself in the Advent and the redemptive story it portends, I think this is a wonderful application of Scripture.
This said, perhaps not all Christmas traditions are worthy, so how should believers evaluate the appropriateness of Christmas practices and traditions? We might “lament how friends, families, churches, and in some ways, we ourselves get drawn into the craziness. Folks would get to the end of the season worn out, in debt, overweight, and with this weird and depressing sense that they’d missed the point of Christmas.”
One key doctrinal source of direction is what’s called “Christian liberty.” This doctrine allows for differences in practice among believers, but at the same time provides direction for our evaluation. Did we inherit our traditions from our culture? Are they harmless or harmful? The Scripture says all things are lawful for us, but not all things are helpful or build up (1 Cor. 10:23-29).
In some countries, certain Christmas traditions are mixed with pagan ideas that are presented alongside or integrated with Christian teaching. It’s difficult to understand how the German Christmas demon figure called Krampus that supposedly visits children and punishes badly behaving ones is at all edifying or good for children. It certainly is not biblical.
Or we could get carried away so much with the secular emphasis on gift-giving and lights and materialism, that we lose sight of what we sometimes call “the real meaning of Christmas.”
For a while in the US, a secular movement tried to remove religious references from Christmas entirely – saying “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas,” nixed playing religious carols in stores or public spaces, and removed Nativity displays from county courthouse lawns, etc. It’s now a cliché, but we do, indeed, need to “Keep Christ in Christmas.”
Another tradition: though he is a kind-hearted, merry old soul, some argue the Santa Claus tradition should not be celebrated with children.
“The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back to a monk named St. Nicholas who was born in Turkey around A.D. 280.
St. Nicholas, a Christian saint known for his kindness and generosity. gave away his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick, becoming known as the protector of children.
St. Nicholas first entered American popular culture in the late 18th century among Dutch families in New York…In 1822, Episcopal minister Clement Clarke Moore wrote a Christmas poem called ‘An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas,’ more popularly known today by its first line: “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The poem depicted Santa Claus as a jolly man who flies from home to home on a sled driven by reindeer to deliver toys.” It’s all harmless fun.
Clearly, Christmas is a special time. I wish you a Merry Christmas and pray you and yours enjoy many worthy traditions. If not, I encourage you to start some traditions for your family.
Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. Or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers for more podcasts and video.
And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.
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