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| PigMom's |
| 24 Days of The Symbols of Christmas |
This study can be used as a unit study or with an advent calendar. The items in parentheses are the items/pictures/symbols that could be daily attached to your advent calendar. RESOURCES-Many ideas and some direct quotes (with permission) from Karen Caroe�s wonderful unit study at http://homeschool.familyclassroom.net/Archives.shtml Also Celebrate With Joy by Sondra Burnett (1992), which can be purchased at www.joybookcompany.com , World Book, internet sources. ************************************************************************ The Roman Empire before Christianity celebrated the "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun.� But in A.D. 313, the Roman emperor Constantine made Christianity a legal religion. Eventually this celebration became the "Birthday of the Unconquered SON." It took a couple hundred years, but the celebration of Christmas was established around 529A.D. (?date?) The exact date of Christ�s birth is not known. The early Christians did not celebrate His birth because they considered the celebration of anyone�s birth to be a pagan custom. The first mention of the observance of Christ�s birthday appears around A.D. 200. For many years, several dates were used. December 25 was first mentioned in 336. Christians of Egypt celebrated Christmas on January 6. Many members of the Eastern Orthodox Churches still observe this date. Most scholars believe that Jesus was born between 4 BC and 1 BC For many years, people observed Christmas as a religious festival only: Christ�s Mass. But they gradually adopted more and more customs unrelated to the church. Most of the customs originated in cultures that existed before Christianity. In England during the Middle Ages, Christmas became the merriest day of the year. In 1643, the Puritans, who regarded such celebrations as pagan, outlawed the observance of Christmas in England. Colonists in New England copied the English laws. But immigrants brought Christmas customs from many lands and the old festivities soon were restored. 1) THE ADVENT WREATH (use an advent wreath or a cross on the advent calendar) Many people celebrate the Advent (the coming of Jesus� birth) with Advent Calendars and with Advent Wreaths. The Advent Wreath is a circle of greenery with 4 candles in the circle and one candle in the center. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God's eternal love for us. The 4 candles on the wreath are for each Sunday before Christmas. The center candle is for Christ and is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The lighting of the candles each week causes the light to grow brighter as the birth of Christ approaches. Bible: Luke 2:19 Discuss: the need for a quieter, slower season to think about the truths of God's word. Decide as a family how you can slow down, focus on Christ, and not get overwhelmed with the "hustle and bustle." Sing: Comfort Comfort Ye My People 2)BELLS (use a bell on the advent calendar) Bells are so joyful sounding. Bells have been used for religious ceremonies, to tell news, and to warn of an enemy�s approach. Since the AD 500�s, Christians have used them to summon people to worship. The ringing of bells at Christmas time is a holdover from pagan mid-winter celebrations. When the earth was cold and the sun was dying, people believed that evil spirits were very powerful. One of the ways to drive them off was by making a great deal of noise. As making a great deal of noise was also rather fun, the noisemaking ceremonies were entered into with much good will. Bells were a very useful part of this--a bell could be played while shouting or singing at the same time. Today the church bells ring throughout the world on Christmas Eve, not to drive evil spirits away, but to welcome in the spirit of Christmas with a joyful noise. In Scandinavia, bells signal the end of work and the beginning of festivity. In Italy and Spain, it signals the Midnight Mass. Bible: Psalm 100 Discuss: Do you ring the joyful news of Christ or are you a noisy gong? Sing: Go Tell It on the Mountain 3) CAROLS (use a trumpet for the advent calendar) A carol is a song the tells of Jesus� birth. Most carols are poems that were later put to music. "O Holy Night" is a carol. "Jingle Bells" is not a carol--it is a song. Carols were first sung in the 1200�s. During the Middle Ages, people began acting out the events of the Nativity as part of the development of special plays and carols played an important part in the plays. After this religious service, the carolers strolled down the street, still singing. Bible: Psalm 33:1-3 Discuss: What does God think about the praises of his children? What other verses tell us to praise and how to praise? Do: Break into teams and play "Charades" with the titles of Christmas Carols. Sing: God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen 4) GIFTS (gift) God sent His son and that's the greatest gift of all. Gifts also represent the significant gifts of the Magi. Where did we get the custom of giving gifts? A. Pagan Customs (Kalends & Saturnalia) The peasants throughout the Roman Empire and beyond developed a variety or rituals and customs around the Winter Solstice. Based on superstition, their hope was to return light and warmth to a dark and cold world, bringing a return of green and harvest. Gift giving and feasting were an important part. These ancient rituals founded Christmas trees, (Luther was years later), mistletoe, decorating with evergreens, caroling, the use of candles and Yule logs. The Church later used these practices with Christian symbols and meanings. B. Odin (Europe) The powerful pagan god Odin watched over the Winter Solstice festivities across northern Europe. He rode across the skies on his horse (another contribution to the flying of Santa), his long white beard flowing in the wind (a source of where he got his long white beard). C. Father Christmas (England) When the Roman soldiers occupied England in 43 A.D. they brought with them the god Saturn, who presided over the winter feast of Saturnalia. Over time he developed into Father Christmas, with his long scarlet robe and crown of holly--a totally non-religious figure who symbolized "Eat, Drink and Be Merry." He can be seen in England in Charles Dicken�s A Christmas Carol and in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). D. The Christ-kindl (Germany) In Germany children believed the Christ child rode on a white donkey, bringing presents on Christmas Eve. Each child was given "Christ bundles" (food, small toys, scarves, etc.) The Christ-kindl often left a birch rod to remind children to be good the next year. E. Saint Nicholas (Asia Minor/Turkey) Saint Nicholas served as bishop of Myra (Turkey) in the A.D. 300�s. He was famous for his generosity. Legend says that Saint Nicholas gave gold during the night to each of three girls who did not have dowries so they could be married as they chose and not to be sold as slaves. The Catholic Church calls him the patron saint of children. His Catholic feast day is December 6, and much of Europe celebrates that day as a special holiday. Eventually it was told that he would bring gifts to children on the eve of that day. Gradually he became accepted as the gift giver at Christmas time. F. Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) (Holland) After the Protestant Reformation, the Dutch were the main followers of St. Nick, known as Sinterklaas. He rode through the streets on a horse in his long red bishop robe, followed by Black Peter, a servant who is impish. Black Peter carried a trunk filled with presents for good children, and rods for the bad. Sinterklaas visits children and urges them to be good. G. Nicholai (Russia) In the late 900's, missionaries began to convert Russia. Saint Nicholas evolved into Nikolai Chudovorits (The Wonder Worker). One of his legends tells of him saving an infant from drowning. As the centuries wore on, the legends of Nicholai made their way to Siberia and the reindeer people, tribes in the Arctic Circle. It was here that Nicholas took on traits of a Shaman (part priest, medicine man and mystic) who served as a communicator between God and the people. Part of our legend of Santa traveling by reindeer and through chimneys comes from Nicholai. H. Jul-Bocken (Scandinavia) In Sweden gifts arrive via Jul-Bocken, the Christmas buck. Some believe this is the source of Clement Moore's reindeer in "A Visit From St. Nicholas." They also believe that Moore was influenced by the Swedish elf Jultomten in describing Santa. I. The Three Kings (Spain) Just as the three kings brought gifts to honor the Christ child, so we give in His honor. Children in Spain believed it was the Wise Men who brought them gifts on Epiphany Eve (January 5) . J. La Befana (Italy) and Baboushka (Russia) Italian children received gifts from La Befana, an old Palestinian woman. On their way to see the Christ child, the Wise Men had stopped at her home and asked her to come with them. She had been too busy with her housework to do so. When she changed her mind, they were gone, and she never could find them. Since that time she has wandered the earth on Epiphany Eve searching for the Christ Child. In her wake, she leaves gifts and candy in children's shoes, hoping to compensate for her mistake. Baboushka is the Russian version of La Befana--except that in some stories, she gives the Wise Men the wrong directions to Bethlehem. Now she travels from child to child on Epiphany Eve, placing gifts under their pillows, for perhaps one of them is the Christ Child. Through this she hopes to be forgiven. K. The baby Jesus. The birth of the Christ child was the greatest gift God could give. We give in response to His love. Bible: Matthew 2:10-11 Discuss: Which of these ideas about gifts really happened? (Saint Nicholas probably gave gifts; the wise men did, and God gave the Gift of all Gifts) The wise men worshipped Christ BEFORE giving gifts to him. We need to be worship comes before the shopping and giving of gifts. How can this be done? Do: Watch a video or read a book about one of these legends (Baboushka, The Gift of the Magi, La Befana). Sing: In the Bleak Midwinter 5--SANTA CLAUS (Santa) Santa Claus is a distinctly American symbol of Christmas. He gets his name from the early Dutch settlers in New York who called Saint Nicholas �Sinterklass.� As he became more American, he took on some of the nonreligious characteristics of the English Father Christmas. Some of Santa Claus�s characteristics date back many centuries. For example, the belief that Santa enters the house through the chimney developed from an old Norse legend. The Norse believed that the goddess Hertha appeared in the fireplace and brought good luck to the home. Our Santa Claus evolved over time in America. Think of all the different legends of the world and mix them all together, just as the people who make up our country came from all over the world to settle here. The Dutch, English and Germans especially contributed to this with intermarriage. With those marriages, cultures and traditions began to be woven together. For example: When the Dutch married the English...you had the Dutch Sinter Clause (St. Nicholas) combined with the English Father Christmas. When the Dutch Sinterklaas combined with the German Christkindl you got Kris Kringle. In 1822, Clement C. Moore, an American minister and poet, first described Santa�s fur-trimmed suit and his sleigh pulled by reindeer. The description appears in Moore�s famous poem �A Visit from St. Nicholas,� also called ��Twas the Night Before Christmas.� In the late 1800�s, Thomas Nast, an American cartoonist, did a series of drawings that established Santa Claus as the big, roly-poly figure of today. This legend of giving without expecting anything in return can be an example for us today. Bible: Philippians 2:1-11 Discuss: Who was the greatest giver of all? (Jesus) Do we have a giving attitude at Christmas? Discuss who we give gifts to at Christmas time and why. Do we give to the needy also? When should we have a giving attitude (all through the year). Are there other ways besides presents that we can show our giving attitude? What should be our attitude toward others and how can we--as a family--show forth that attitude at Christmas? Be specific. Make a plan and do it. Do: Read �Twas the Night Before Christmas.� Sing: Infant Holy, Infant Lowly |
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