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Christmas 2024
December 25th is one of Christianity’s most important holy days, a commemoration of the birth some 2000 years ago of Jesus Christ, revered by Christians as the Incarnate God, the Savior, the Light of the World.
The actual date of the birth of Jesus is unknown, and the precise origin of assigning December 25 as the birth date of Jesus is unclear. But the date falls very close to the Winter Solstice. To many ancient people around the world, the turn from the fading of the winter light toward the lengthening days of the coming spring was symbolic of the promise of nature’s renewal.
And as Christians believe that Jesus is the light of the world, it would seem logical to early Christians that this was the right time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. After the year 221, December 25 gradually became accepted as the date of Jesus’ birth, and soon, Christian writers began to make a connection between the rebirth of the sun and the birth of the Son of God.
But at the very heart of it, the Christmas story is message of hope, love, peace, and joy. It is a universal theme running through other faiths, or no faith at all. It reaffirms the universal call to all human beings that we must care for one another, look out for one another, love one another.
And so, at Christmas time, Christians are meant to spread, by word and deed, a message of peace and love for all humankind, of charity, of joy and hope. Christmas time is a time to show love and appreciation for family, friends and neighbors, and to treat strangers with kindness and generosity.
“During this season of reflection and renewal, many of us will sing “O Holy Night,” said President Joe Biden at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in early December. “A phrase in the song is, ‘His law is love; His gospel is peace.’ My wish for you and for the nation, now and always, is [that] we continue to seek the light of liberty and love, kindness and compassion, dignity and decency.”