CHRISTMAS TRIVIA
What does the word Christmas mean?
When Christmas was first established as a feast it was to be a prayerful observance of the entry of Christ into our world and human condition. So the Old English word expresses this religious celebration: "Cristes Maesse" or Mass of Christ. A fourth-century theologian wrote, "We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of him who made it". In many languages the word for Christmas expresses the aspect of birth. So in Spanish it's La Navidad and in Italian it's Il Natale.
CARDS
Christmas cards began with school children drawing pictures of biblical scenes and a message like "Happy Feast" or "I promise to be good" etc., and giving them to their parents before Christmas. In 1846 after the advent of the British postal system, the first Christmas Card was produced, showing a family celebrating a Christmas dinner in the centre and on each side were acts of charity picturing feeding and clothing the poor, with the message: "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You". They were by John Calcott Horsley and 1,000 were made.
FATHER CHRISTMAS
Father Christmas is a character who developed from several pagan gods. The Roman Saturnalia god was a giant who brought food, wine, joy and revelry once a year to all. Odin, a pagan god of Norse tradition, would sweep across the land during the winter. A fusion of these Roman and Norse deities, he is always portrayed as a giant with a robe lined with fur and holly with ivy or mistletoe on his head and carrying a Yule Log.
YULE LOG
In the Dark Ages people in cold northern climates stocked up for the winter and lived off the fat of the land in the months when work was impossible because of the weather. This period of hibernation was known as Yuletide. The burning of fires and bonfires was an important part of the Yule festivals. When Christmas replaced the pagan Yule festival the Yule log carried over. It was selected on Candlemas (February 2nd) and was found by the family itself. It had to be lit 12 days before Christmas by a piece of last year's Yule log and it had to last until Christmas where it was put out and a piece saved for lighting the next year's log.
CHRISTMAS CAROLS
The word "carol" comes from a Greek word meaning a dance that is accompanied by flute music. By the 16th century carols involved singing mainly Christmas songs or hymns often at festive gatherings. The older the carol the more likely it is to have a dance rhythm to it. The 18th and 19th centuries saw many carols written and the Victorian period has given us many of our traditional Christmas songs, although they often tend to be more reflective and even maudlin rather than bouncy. In recent years carols have made a comeback with composers writing more modern and often more punchy words.
GIFT GIVING
In the December 17th Roman festival of Saturnalia and the Roman celebrations of the New Year, gifts were given as good luck emblems and houses were decorated with greenery. The early Christians frowned on this pagan ritual, and wouldn't have any part of it. But this custom was so embedded in pagan mentality that many of the converts wouldn't give up the practice of giving gifts and so it became linked to the Magi's giving of gifts (January 6th) and later to St. Nicholas's gift-giving (December 6th). Gift-giving became widely accepted by the middle ages.
The most popular gift requests of boys and girls are for toys, but in the 19th and early 20th century it was fruit, nuts and sweets. Many of the early letters to Santa printed in the newspapers would include this request. Churches, of course, distribute goods to people in need at Christmas, while others to this day make up sacks of fruit, nuts and sweets to pass out to everyone on the Sunday before Christmas.
CHRISTMAS PRAYER
Almighty God and Father of light, a child is born for us and a son is given to us. Your eternal Word leaped down from heaven in the silent watches of the night, and now your Church is filled with wonder at the nearness of her God. Open our hearts to receive his life and increase our vision with the rising of dawn, that our lives may be filled with his glory and his peace, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. (Christmas Dawn Mass)
HOMILY FOR CHRISTMAS
We are so familiar with the Christmas story: the journey to Jerusalem, stopping off at Bethlehem, the stable, the angelic choir, the shepherds, the star and the wise men. And there's something comforting about the scene of Mary, Joseph and the child in the manger. Glory to God in the highest and peace to God's people on earth.
Parents often look at the smallest features of their new-born child, like fingernails, and marvel at how everything needed for growing into adulthood is already there at such an early stage. When we look at Jesus in the crib we could do the same but this would be to miss the point.What we see when we look at the infant Jesus is God's blueprint for being human. Jesus is God's way to be man, God's way to be woman, God's way to be human. We are not talking about physical features but about the values that direct human life and action. The life of Jesus is a pattern for us to follow. It's about serving others and thereby serving God. The baby in the straw will go on to show that we reach maturity in God's eyes by the way we treat others. We grow into full humanity by giving without reserve so that our fellow human beings may see something of the face of God in the way we treat them.
And so each Christmas summons us to go beyond the nostalgia for past events and to celebrate our commitment to being born again ourselves like the Christ-child. Christmas renews our pledge to making Christ born in our own lives so that we may give glory to God and peace to those who share our lives.
Christmas, therefore, is not only Christ's birthday. It's ours too. For on this day we are caught up into the mystery of God's love for the world, a mystery that is born not only each time a baby comes into the world but every time we allow ourselves to bear God to the world. For from this day forward God has entered our lives in the most intimate way. Jesus is God's way to be man, God's way to be woman, God's way to be human. And so are we.
Bouquets and Flowers For Every Event...
This information is intended for parents of school-age children and teachers who are imparting Religious Education within a Catholic school environment.
CHRISTMAS!
The contents of these documents are related to the present day teaching of the Catholic Church in relation to Doctrine, Liturgy and Catholic practices. There are also special sections on Catholic Marriage and arranging a funeral in the Catholic Church.
HOLY INNOCENTS (December 28th)
God of all life and goodness, we remember today the slaughter of the Holy Innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims, those who are abused or oppressed in any way. We pray for those who have caused children to be killed in the womb before birth. We pray for those children who have been trafficked for money, used for sex and mistreated for selfish exploitation. In your great power come to the aid of those who work to frustrate the designs of evil rulers, bring your light to those who trade on the weakness of the young and establish your reign of justice, love and peace. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
O Holy St Nicholas,
you bring joy to the faces of young children.
Put that same gospel spirit of childhood once more in my heart
and teach me to sow happiness all around me.
Your feast reminds us that Christmas is on its way;
increase my faith in the mystery of God made man.
You were a bishop and a shepherd;
help me to find my place in the Church.
O Holy St Nicholas,
patron of the poor and weak,
watch over all who come into our parish church.
Pray to Jesus for me that our children may grow
healthily in mind and body
and come to know the Christ-child as their friend, their saviour and their God.
Amen.
CHRISTMAS PRAYER
Lord, we are filled with wonder and awe
at your boundless generosity
in giving your only Son to be born among us.
You cheer us with the nearness of your godhead
and you give us a foretaste of the joy we will know
when the fullness of his glory is seen all over the world.
Through his co-mingling with our human nature
may Jesus open our hearts
to accept the freshness of life's gifts
which you offer us today and every day.
Your Son shared the humdrum of our daily routine;
may we share the glory of his risen life in fullest measure.
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THE CHRISTMAS CANDLE
Lord, I light this candle at Christmas for myself and those who are dear to me. May its flame be a reminder of the way you light up my days and warm my heart. May its fire burn away my pride, my selfishness, and all that keeps me from you. As I celebrate the birth of your Son, who came into the family of Nazareth, I pray to you for my own family and friends, both living and dead. Keep them in your love and let them feel your powerful presence. I leave this candle now as a token of the service I want to give you. May it continue to burn in all my thoughts, words and deeds today and for ever. Amen.