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The Death and Rise of Christmas
In the 1400s and 1500s, the Nativity scene was painted but not long after there was the reformation and the birth of Protestantism. This movement considered Christmas a pagan practice. No wonder Bro. Joshua of the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Kansanga dismissed the idea as a “Catholic church ritual.” He told me, “Roman practices crippled into Christianity and we (Baptists) pray on Christmas as any other day.”
He reminded me that Christmas is not biblical since when Jesus was born is not stated anywhere, though the fact is he was born.
As Protestantism caught up, in 1600s Christmas was outlawed in England and some parts of the English colonies in America. But it wasn’t long before people continued to exchange gifts as their customs were.
In the 1800s, other traditions came in and once again Christmas was popular. People decorated their homes with Christmas trees, sang carols like Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ and exchanged gifts, this time with something more - the birth of the Christmas card.
On the record, in 1843, John Calcott Horsley created the first Christmas card. It featured a drawing of a family enjoying Christmas with smaller drawings showing people helping the needy. Horsley card sold 1000 copies. And today Christmas cards are one of the favourite customs of sending holiday greetings and a billion dollar industry worldwide. Thus, Christmas has elements of togetherness of families and acts of charity.
The religious story of Christmas
The gospels of Luke and Matthew talk of the visiting angels to shepherds proclaiming the birth of a child outside Bethlehem. And Matthew emphasizes the magi or the wise men from the east coming to see Jesus and offer gifts to the baby. The two may have no basis of proof, and though documented, we cannot take them as more or less like the legends of Kintu and Nambi or Labong and Gipir.
In tradition, the season starts with a Sunday nearest to November 30, and this is the first Sunday of Advent (meaning coming), a four-week period of preparing for Christmas. In churches, a crèche is displayed, with it is a scene of nativity showing figures of Mary and Joseph praying over a child Jesus. Around them are shepherds and wise men, giving rise to the perspective that the Christmas scene is for: the closeness of the family, the visiting of friends, the giving of gifts and the praying as one wishes.
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Mike
Mike Ssegawa
ssegy2001@yahoo.com
A Journalist with Daily Monitor, Uganda. I have a passion for development, especially for the youth.
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