Heads up! This is going to be a long entry, not because I don't know how to summarize (well...), but because I feel that the information matters. :-)

Christmas is so full of wonder, meaning and tradition. But, where did all these things that we now call "Christmas" come from? 

The Biblical Celebration

• The Dawning of Light (Luke 1:78-79)
• The Fullness of Time (Galatians 4:4-5)
• The Mystery of Incarnation (1 Timothy 3:16)

What an amazing picture of Christ's coming to us. As John 1 says, He came to a sin-darkened world, He came as a Sunrise from on High and offered a free gift of salvation and liberation from servitude to the servants of darkness. Actually, John 1 says a lot more than that...worth a complete read.

The True Christmas Story

The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-20)
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

The Shepherds and Angels
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of Heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in Highest Heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to Heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Christian Meaning in Some Ancient Traditions

• December 25th is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed most commonly as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.
• Evergreen Trees are the symbol of eternal life. Martin Luther introduced them to the Reformation Church as a picture of our endless life in Christ, by bringing in a tree to his family on Christmas Eve lit with candles (Isaiah 60:13).
• Candles are a picture that Christ is the Light of the world (John 8:12).
• Holly speaks of the thorns in His crown (Matthew 27:29).
• Red is a color of Christmas that speaks of Christ's blood and death.
• Gifts are a reminder of the gifts of the Magi to baby Jesus. Each of them speak to a component of His incarnation: Majesty in life, Bitterest Agony in Death and He as Gods Perfect gift to us (Matthew 2:11).
• The Yule Log was a symbol by which all the men in the family would carry a log large enough to burn for 12 days into the house. They were identifying with Christ and His Cross. The fire was started with a fragment from the previous years (this refers to the eternal existence of Christ before His birth) log. It speaks of warmth, unity, joy and the security of endless life.
• Mistletoe is an ancient symbol from the Roman times. It was under Mistletoe that old enmities and broken friendship were restored.  So Christ was the One who took away the enmity and gave us Peace with God (Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1).
• Bells are associated with ringing out news. Christ is the good news, the best news of all.
• Christmas Eve is a time when we remember that Christ came in the darkest night of Earth's need to be the Light of the World.
• Shepherds who were watching lambs for use as sacrifices in the Temple, were the first to hear the great news that the Lamb to end all sacrifices had appeared.
• Christmas Pie is an old tradition that uses a Mince pie with various spices to remember the spices of the Magi. For centuries it was made in a manger shape. 

Some Modern Additions

• In 1822 Clement Moore wrote a poem for children that has never been forgotten. It was entitled, "Twas the Night before Christmas..."!
• Santa Claus is a Dutch word that is actually Sinter Claus...Saint Nicholas in English.
• Saint Nicholas was the supposed early Bishop of a church in Asia Minor (the modern country of Turkey). He became aware of some desperate needs in his congregation, and a family having to sell their children into slavery, so one night he came and left money on their doorstep...gold in a stocking.
• Christmas Cards started in 1844. An English artist named William Dobson, drew up some pictures in England for use at this season. They found local use there and soon spread to America. In 1846 Cole and Horsley saw the commercial potential of this growing tradition and started the production of what is now over a $1,000,000,000.00 industry, that sees 4 billion cards sent each year in America alone. 

This past November, I visited the Outer Banks. A favorite landmark of many who live and vacation there is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Here are some pictures of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, both the old and new locations. 

A few fun facts about the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse:

• The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina is the tallest in America, at 210 ft. tall.
• It was designed to assist sailors navigating the treacherous Diamond Shoals.
• There are 269 steps to climb.
• The Lighthouse was moved in 1999 to avoid erosion.
• Legend has it that during the design process of the new Lighthouse (the original was built in 1803, then renovated in 1854), an engineer in charge of the Lighthouse’s design had originally intended to give it a black diamond print, as an indication of the dangerous Diamond Shoals it bordered. Instead, the engineer accidentally mixed up the plans, and Cape Lookout’s Lighthouse now sports the black diamond design. Hatteras Island’s Lighthouse received the black and white candy cane stripes instead.
• The new Cape Hatteras lighthouse, the one that stands today, was activated in December 1870, located 1,500 ft. from the water’s edge, it served as an imperative navigational aid for ships for decades. Comprised of 1,250,000 bricks with an iron infrastructure, the Lighthouse has withstood generations of hurricanes with minimal damage.
• Erosion, however, was one weather phenomenon that even the sturdy Lighthouse could not withstand. In the summer of 1999, the Lighthouse was moved from its original location 2900 ft. back into Buxton Woods to its present location. The move took a total of 23 days (including 2 days when there was no forward progress) reaching its new home on July 9th of that year. 

Jesus is the gift that perfectly fits every heart,
and it is with His love that all celebration starts.

We rejoice in Him as we remember His birth
and thank God for sending His only Son to earth.

His life led from a manger to a cross on a hill
where He faithfully followed His Father's perfect will.

He freely laid down everything so that we could live,
and there is no greater treasure anyone could give.

Like a scarlet ribbon, His love wrapped around the cross
and He offered it all to us at the greatest cost.

​So each time we give gifts, we remember what He has done
and honor the perfect gift, God's one and only Son.