THE WORDS OF CHRISTMAS During these days of the Christmas Season, it seems appropriate to re-visit words like Christmas, Nativity, and Holidays and to remember the history and meaning of these familiar terms. Christmas is derived from the title “Christ” given to Jesus of Nazareth, from whom the Christian faith has arisen. The word “christ” is Greek for “anointed”, the parallel title in Hebrew being “Messiah”. The word “Christmas” has its roots in the Latin phrase meaning “Christ-day” which observes and celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth known to Christians as the Messiah, the savior of the world. Nativity scenes depict baby Jesus and his parents, Joseph and Mary, along with a gathering of shepherds, wise men, and angels. The Gospel of Luke, a book in the New Testament section of the Bible, tells of these groups being present. Animals are often included because the birth took place in a stable. Jesus was placed in a manger which is a feed trough where grain was placed for livestock. The word “nativity” means “birth” and comes from a Latin verb meaning “to be born”. Epiphany is a word unfamiliar to even many church-goers here in the United States. The word “epiphany” means the appearance or manifestation of a deity. In Christianity, it represents the day that the Messiah of God was revealed to non-Jews, often called Gentiles in the Bible. Epiphany is traditionally observed on January 6. Historically, Christians have celebrated Epiphany as the date the non-Jewish Magi (kings or wise men) from the East arrived to worship the child they perceived to be a king. At the time of their visit, scholars believe Jesus was somewhere close to two years old and not the new born so often pictured. As one evidence, King Herod ordered the murder of all boys under two years of age in Bethlehem in an attempt to retain his political dynasty. Nonetheless, the visiting Magi are positioned as part of the visitors in the portrayal of the Christmas story and are, therefore, included in Nativity scenes.(By the way, the Bible does say that wise men brought three gifts with them, but does not say there were three wise men.) Holidays is a shortened form of Holy Days and represents the days spanning Christmas Eve to Epiphany. This season is marked with special observances and celebrations of the coming of the Son of God into the world. Christmastide is a little used word these days, but occasionally we see it in older Christmas stories, poems, and plays. Christmastide is the period from Christmas to Epiphany also known as the Twelve Days of Christmas. Xmas often appears as a shortened form of Christmas. The X is the English letter which looks like the Greek letter Chi. The letter Chi is the first letter in the Greek spelling of the word Christ. Greek is the language in which most of the New Testament was written, and so the Chi, or X, is borrowed to make a shorthand version of Christ and Christmas in English. The modern idea that use of the X is an attempt to cross out Christ is simply that - a modern idea lacking historic, linguistic understanding. For centuries, scholars and theology students have used X for a shorthand expression of Jesus Christ. For public display, however, it would seem appropriate to use the full spelling of Christ’s name rather than using just his first initial. Although most scholars conclude that the birth of Jesus was likely not on December 25th, it is interesting that traditional observance of the Twelve Days of Christmas include New Year’s Day here in our culture. What better time to reflect on our lives and embrace the gift God gives to each of us - another year to love God and love one another. Rev. Dan Prout Nevada City, Californnia
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 01:54:51 +0000
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