Some countries believe that Christmas extends to "Twelfth Night", the 6th. January:
"Twelfth Night is a festival in some branches of Christianity marking the coming of the Epiphany and concluding the Twelve Days of Christmas.
It is defined by the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary as "the evening of the fifth of January, preceding Twelfth Day, the eve of the Epiphany, formerly the last day of the Christmas festivities and observed as a time of merrymaking".
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelfth_Night_(holiday)
Well, now, Twelfth Night had been and gone. So it is finally over!
Wassailing the Apple trees on the twelfth night to ensure a good harvest, a tradition in Maplehurst, West Sussex.
A Spanish Roscón de reyes, or Kings' ring. This size, usually serves 8 people. This pastry is just one of the many types baked around the world for celebrations during the Twelve Days of Christmas and Twelfth Night.
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Do you have a love/hate relationship with the holidays?
Video Transcript:
Do you have a love-hate relationship with holidays? Take Christmas for example. Most everyone appreciates time off work, being with loved ones, concerts, parties, wonderful food and exchanging presents with family and friends. What’s there not to like about these activities?
Yet as a whole, the season can be overwhelming. All of the effort, the activities and stress can leave us exhausted, wondering “What’s the point of it all?” Sadly, Christmas can be a time of discouragement and even depression for many.
So what’s the answer? Many say “put Christ back into Christmas”. Sounds good, but the reality is Christ never was in Christmas.
Look at the facts: Jesus wasn’t born on December 25
The bible doesn’t tell us to celebrate Christmas. It doesn’t ever use the word or give an example of Christians keeping it. The reality is that Christmas began as a non-Christian celebration going back to pagan sun worship. Jesus, the apostles, and the NT church never observed this holiday. Yet people today have mistakenly been taught that this is a Christian holiday.
But does this really matter? What difference does it make?
You may think, “I honor God in the way I celebrate Christmas.” But that’s not possible. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Other passages tell us to follow Jesus’ life style, to honor Him the way He wants to be honored. That includes observing the days that He observed. Do you know the biblical holy days that Jesus kept?
Isn’t it time to take a more meaningful approach than keeping secular man made holidays?
Isn’t it time to see Christmas for what it is and turn to God and worship him on His days? You need to find out about the Holy days of God. Take time to read your Bible and discover them for yourself!
For Beyond Today, I’m Steve Myers.
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God has given us seven annual festivals, or feasts, on which to worship and honor Him. His festivals are far more significant than this world’s holidays because they reveal His plan for humanity.
The Appointed Festivals
Lev:23-1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.Listed here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+23&version=NIV
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It is wet, dreary, windy, and cold, so I have had to bribe the dogs to go outside to do their thing, today.
4 comments:
Good informative post. I knew the history of Christmas, but most people never wanted to know. Maybe they will listen, now.
My oldest dog is deathly afraid of anything that goes bang or boom. Today started out with some thunder, so she wouldn't go out for quite a while. Rain and cold don't seem to deter them.
"I knew the history of Christmas, but most people never wanted to know. Maybe they will listen, now."
I doubt it! Every day should be a feast day, in the eyes of the Lord.
My dogs didn't even want go out first thing. I even gave them permission to pee on the covered pathway to the back yard, but they wouldn't. So they held it until the rain stopped.
My little foster Chihuahua hates the cold, and runs out as fast as he can, pees, and wants right back in. But if the sun is shining, he loves to lay down and bask in it.
Maybe we should focus more on the resurrection of Christ.
Do people today still celebrate the seven festivals? I would like to learn more about that.
Blessings, K
Thank you for your comment, Kathy.
Yes, I know there are lots of people who celebrate the seven festivals:
"Festivals kept today:
Jesus Christ set us an example by observing the biblical festivals, not because they were traditions of the Jewish people, but because, from the beginning, they represented His personal role in bringing the children of God into His spiritual family.
His apostles, walking in His footsteps, continued observing the same festivals. A considerable portion of Christianity observed them for centuries after His death. Looking into the future, we find a continuation of the same pattern. The prophet Zechariah tells us that attendance at the Feast of Tabernacles will be required of all peoples after Christ returns (Zechariah 14:16).
Today there are still Christians faithfully observing the same festivals Christ kept. These annual occasions were instituted to keep God's people, in all ages, aware of the key aspects of the mission and work of the true Messiah. They are, indeed, Christian festivals."
From: http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn12/keepfestivals.htm
I hope this helps, Best Wishes, Penny.
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