Before I came to know Christ in my journey of life, I really enjoyed and loved Christmas. I was highly influenced by the celebration of this festival, not in the context of our nation, but being influenced by its celebration in foreign nations. I was attracted by the way of exchanging gifts, Santa Claus, snowy environment, jingle bells, and many other Christmas decorative items. I was then a little child and had thought that why this festival is not celebrated in Nepal like in other nations. I used to see Santa Claus rarely in my country during a celebration of Christmas. I had a keen interest to meet Santa Claus in my life. Thus, I was not happy with the way this festival was celebrated in Nepal.
However, when I marched ahead in my faith journey, my thoughts and worldview went just opposite! The difficult situations I coped with a religious environment and the objections local people, relatives and friends raised about my conversion put me into sadness and curiosity. Whenever I introduced myself as a believer in Christ, people used to fire bullets of challenging questions. Sometimes, I had to face humiliation and remain speechless. I was rather growing in my academic levels and consciousness of my mind. Due to attending church once a week, attending children fellowship, I learned what Christian faith actually is. My perception about a celebration of Christmas now and then became very different. I studied the Bible, prayed, involved in research about religions and truth. Gradually, I began to realize that my perception about Christmas during my childhood was wrong. I felt sorry for that.
When I understood Christian faith and what Jesus did in my life, I feel glad to share my testimony and make him known to people wherever I go. However, I came up with a serious problem in our society that no one was conscious of the message of Christmas. Regarding festivals of eastern religious systems, we can really grab clear messages. When we discuss Christmas, people in our country usually think of entertaining and exchanging gifts along with foreign culture. They think of Santa Claus, and parties. I was one of such person who had the same worldview. Yet, I became sad when people were not familiar to Christian faith. My friends, relatives, and others just focused on gifts, stuff, Santa Claus and Christmas trees but no one had keen interest to know who Jesus is.
Being a sensitive person, I was sad with the system of its celebration. I came up with questions regarding the use of Christmas trees, Santa Claus and so on. I wanted to know what significance they carry for this festival. When I was studying plus two, I was not happy with their uses. I wanted that people in our country know Jesus. Using these stuff for a celebration of Christmas is okay just to entertain. Their uses in the foreign nations may make sense as most of their generation was rooted in Christian faith. They were aware of its message. Thus, there was no problem in using that decorative stuff. However, in the context of Nepal, use of these decorative items is leading our people not to the Savior but to the thought that it is a foreign culture full of joy. Still today, there are many people in our country who are not familiar with the message Christmas carries for them. We are not handed over the responsibility just to entertain people in this festival; rather we are handed over the challenging responsibility to preach the gospel and discipleship.
We all want that people know the meaning of Christmas. Christmas is not just a festival that falls on 25th December every year. The true Christmas is to let God be born in our hearts. It is our duty to make the Savior known to our neighbors. It is not just a day for decorations, exchanging gifts, sharing happiness and so on, that are common to most religious festivals. I don’t discourage the use of Christmas trees, Santa Claus, etc. or its celebration. Rather I am arguing whether we should be using them on the basis of their origin, history, purpose, and development. It is better to ponder in our minds if they carry some allegoric or say a symbolic message or not and if these decorative items do carry figurative, allegoric or symbolic meaning that reveals Christian faith. Then it is our duty to make those revealed among our neighbors. We need to check if we ourselves are in the wrong in our celebration processes rather than opposing the protests we do face from our neighborhoods in the name of faith.
While I searched on the meaning of symbols used in Christmas celebration, I had gone through different articles and study materials. I found people using different symbols from point of their perspective to signify Christmas during its celebration. Some of these symbols used and their meaning as people used it for the purpose of signifying Christmas are enlisted as:
Holly: It represents immortality, a trait that God has given to each human being. We are all destined to live forever, either with the Lord or separated from Him. The sharp-toothed edge of the holly leaf reminds us that the crown of thorns with which the soldiers mocked Our Lord during His Passion. They laughingly hailed Him as king, never realizing that He is, indeed, King of the universe. As a Christmas symbol, the red holly berry represents Christ's blood, shed for all people including those who reject Him.
Gifts: Our greatest gift is Jesus who gave himself to us. God also gives us the gifts of the Holy Spirit which help us to follow God's direction in our lives. The seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Piety, Fortitude, and Fear of the Lord (Awe of God's Greatness and Power).
Fruits: It recalls the twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These Fruits result from the activity of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Benignity (Kindness), Goodness, Long-Suffering (Patiently Bearing Suffering over a Long Period of Time), Mildness, Faith, Modesty, Purity, and Chastity.
Mistletoe: Mistletoe is a Christmas symbol of our love which derives from and exists only because God loves us. God, Who is Love, created us in love and caused us to be able to love. Christians are humbled before these words of St. John the Evangelist: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him” (1 Jn. 4:16). Just as mistletoe may not acknowledge the tree which sustains it, so people may not acknowledge that the love of God sustains them. But if mistletoe were taken from the tree and any person removed from God’s love, both would die.
Evergreens: It symbolizes perseverance and resiliency to adversity. They remind us of Jesus' words, "The ones who persevere to the end shall be saved." Our faith must remain vibrant in all spiritual, economic, political, and social environments.
Christmas tree: It represents the original Tree of Paradise, the burning bush which spoke to Moses, the branch of Jesse from which Jesus was born, the life-giving tree of the cross of Christ, and the tree which St. John the Apostle saw in the Book of Revelations whose leaves have medicine for the people and which yields fruit each month for the healing of the nations. Because it is green year-round, the evergreen tree represents hope. Its needles and its narrow crest point upward, turning our thoughts to heaven. Because the tree is cut down and then erected again, it is a symbol of Christ’s resurrection.
Tinsel: When we want to give our all to Christ, but we think that we have nothing of value to give, God gives value to our offerings. God does not measure worth by worldly standards but by spiritual ones. Give Christ you're all and He will consider it more precious than gold.
Candles and Christmas lights: Candles and Christmas lights represent Christ, the Light of the World. "I am the light of the world. No follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness; no, he shall possess the light of life" (John 8:12). "The light shines on in the darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it" (John 1:5). Candles and Christmas lights also remind us that we are to be light to others, to show them the way to Christ.
Bells: They remind us that Christ is the High Priest. Those priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in office, but he [Jesus], because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away. Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them. It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself. (Hebrews 7:23-27).
Candy cane: The candy cane is shaped like a shepherd's crook, reminding us that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, came into our world at Christmas. The red stripe symbolizes Christ's sacrifice and the white background His purity. The candy cane reminds us of Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant who was led like a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7) and by his stripes you were healed (Isaiah 53:5). Candy canes have a peppermint flavor, reminiscent of hyssop which had medicinal purposes. The Psalmist prayed, Lord, cleanse me with hyssop that I may be clean (Psalm 51:9). Jesus came to heal our ills and to purge us of sin. The peppermint flavor reminds us that our healing came at the price of Christ's life. When Jesus was crucified, a bystander stuck a wine-filled sponge on a branch of hyssop to give Jesus a drink. After tasting the wine, Jesus said, "Now it is finished," and died (John 19:29-30). The candy cane is meant to be broken and shared, just as Jesus' Body is broken and shared at every Eucharist.
Gingerbread man: Gingerbread people remind us of God's creation of Adam in the Garden of Eden, and God's creation of each of us. Spices, reminiscent of those mentioned in the Old Testament, make the gingerbread man the color of earth (Adam was created from the dust of the earth). God created us for eternal union with Him after we die. Gingerbread people remind us to look beyond ourselves to our Creator with whom we will one day be united.
Santa Claus: Saint Nicholas was very generous to the poor, but most often anonymously.
Sugar and Christmas candy: The sweets we consume at Christmas remind us of the sweetness of God's Presence, come into the world on Christmas.
I have presented this piece of information not as an authentic or actual historical and theological meanings of those symbols but to give a brief description that how people in their culture have used them with the purpose of representing a message of Christmas symbolically so that we can grab the hidden meanings behind these Christmas stuffs. If they are to be used, we need to reveal what they symbolize for us. Some arguments come forth regarding the use of decorative items drawing back their foundation as pagan as well. Our concern here is not about their history, origin, purpose, and development but about their allegoric meanings. We do not focus on these things much but the personal relationship with God and making the Savior known to lost souls. It is possible that people in past had used them with the very purpose of presenting the meaning of Christmas in that way which has, however, no connection with the principle of Christian faith and doctrine literally.
Finally, Christmas is not just God’s being incarnate in Jesus, but God is willing to be born in people like you and me.[i]The purpose of Christmas is of course joy, loving, sharing and caring. However, it is to know Jesus as our ultimate purpose and fellowship with him is our highest calling. It may not matter with culture and system requirement to celebrate this festive but it matters if we are making the Savior known to lost souls or not.
By
Kevin Shrestha
Ktm Valley CBS, BE Civil Student
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