Christmas – a time of frivolity, gifts-giving, gorging and if we’re really lucky: goodwill to all men (and everyone else). In a multi-cultural society you may be tempted to see Christmas as I do: an internationally popular celebration which should be available to all people, British or not, living in our fair nation.
Every year we see people come together, irrespective of their cultural and religious traditions to do what it is we all do, eat too much, receive gifts and spoil people that we want to love us forever. For those of us unable to observe Diwali, Eid and Hanukkah, Christmas represents a universal opportunity to share a celebration with all our friends and family members.
In spite of all the goodwill and general cheer, it would be impossible to go a complete Christmas season without coming across some teacher’s or bishop’s plea to remember the true meaning of Christmas and the sombre message behind it all.
Upon considering the symbolism of Christmas, you may, like me, remember the family disagreeing on quite which day is the appropriate day to un-retire the sad, withered and painfully plastic tree, covered in ancient tinsel and decorations that are, disappointingly, still not chocolate. Others will remember those who, less underwhelmingly, go to all the effort to being an actual tree into their house.
What could possibly inspire such a commitment to traditions? Where do coniferous, suspiciously Scandinavian trees appear in the story of the birth of our little lord and saviour?
“There are no records suggesting Herod ordered the slaughter of babies”
Even by Biblical standards, the nativity story is transparently fictitious. Although censuses occurred around 0-7 BC (the estimated time of Jesus’ birth), it would have been entirely contrary to Roman practice for people to require to move from one town to another, with no record of this. There are also no historical records suggesting Herod ordered the slaughter of babies and there are no historical records of three magi of any description going missing or following an unusual star (stars don’t really move in the sky and comets are rarely visible for so long).
Furthermore, we have no idea what time of year these events, in the Bible, would have happened. The evidence is so non-existent that we have no idea what time of year these events could have happened. However, if I can’t seduce you with historical inaccuracies, or pointing out that only two of the four gospel writers seemed to be aware of such an outlandish tale, and neither seems to be aware that the other has a different version of events, I shall ask you one simple question. Which of the four ‘eye-witnesses’ to Jesus’ life and ‘miracles’ witnessed this? Who present wrote it down?
“Pontificating over a fictionalised account of the birth of Christ is no truer a meaning than any significance we assign to our own traditions”
The Romans celebrated the winter solstice on the 25th of December. Later, the 25th of December became the Festival of ‘Dies Natalis Solis Invicti’ – Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The Christmas tree dates back to pre-Christian Scandinavia, which represents the hope of life and greenness in the bitterness of winter. Mistletoe was a symbol of friendship and vitality from Norse mythology (and the concept of putting a tree in a living space was popularised in Britain by Queen Victoria).
Yule is directly descended from an ancient Germanic tradition. Santa Claus comes from a Greek Saint, via German and Dutch traditions (try saying “Saint Klaus” in your best German accent), who can be proved to have done very little of merit, probably mixed with a dash of the Pagan god Odin – and, conversely to urban myth, the red-and-white costume was not invented by Coca-Cola.
“Christmas has taken on a plethora of other traditions”
Emperor Constantine, in his effort to make Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, tacked plenty of Christian words onto pre-existing Roman traditions to ease the transition. The same is true of Easter, and, less magically, the appropriation of ‘Sabbath’ on a Sun-day.
That’s not to say that Christmas is not significant to Christians. Over the last 2000 years or so, Christian institutions have taken the winter solstice to heart, allowed it to change along with the times and enriched it with their mythology. However, it has also taken on a plethora of other traditions.
It is a tradition central to the British way of life – pontificating over a fictionalised account of the birth of an ancient Palestinian is no ‘truer’ a meaning than any significance we assign to our own traditions. So we can all take no shame whatsoever in embracing a very true meaning of Christmas, namely, sitting down, having a mince pie and wishing each other a very, merry Christmas, to ward off the panic of January exams.
Dale Claridge
Image: Tonina Everett
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