Sunday, December 3, 2006, begins the four-week period in the Christian calendar referred to as Advent.
Advent, from the Latin Adventus, sc. Redemptoris, meaning “the coming of the Savior”, is the period of preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, or Christmas. The theme of readings and teachings during advent is often to prepare for the Second Coming while commemorating the First Coming of Christ at Christmas.
The four Sundays of advent are often traditionally celebrated with four candles, often on an Advent wreath, with one to be lit each Sunday.
Christmas, or Christmas Day, is an annual Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus, and traditionally observed on December 25. This date is merely traditional, in that the precise chronology of Jesus’ birth and death is still debated. Christmas has many aspects, both religious and secular, including the exchange of gifts, Santa Claus, decoration and display of the Christmas tree, and religious ceremonies.
The word Christmas is derived from Middle English Christemasse and from Old English Cristes mæsse. It is a contraction meaning “Christ’s mass”. The name of the holiday is sometimes shortened to “Xmas” because Roman letter “X” resembles the Greek letter ? (chi), an abbreviation for Christ. But this is my blog, I personally don’t like this in that many use it as a replacement of instead of a abbreviation for Christ, and is therefore not allowed on this blog.
Today’s general celebration of Christmas has several pagan holidays as part of its history, even though this is not how the event started. For me it is primarily a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and therefore a religious celebration; Christmas trees and the giving of gifts are purely secondary. This event is not “Happy Holidays” or “Winter Celebration” – it is “Merry Christmas” to me. If this offends you, or you feel the need to debate me here at my blog, then you should go elsewhere. Too many people, too many communities, too many businesses, and too many governments have already done enough “watering down” of this religious event for my tastes.
Merry Christmas is spoken here.
Christian, Advent, Nativity, Christ, Christmas
