Christmas

Today is Christmas Day. Merry Christmas......

Christmas is the day, the birthday of Jesus Christ.

It is celebrated on December 25, but this date is not known to be Jesus' actual birthday, and may have initially been chosen to correspond with either the day exactly nine months after some early Christians believed Jesus had been conceived, a historical Roman festival, or the date of the northern hemisphere's winter solstice. Christmas is central to the Christmas and holiday season, and in Christianity marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days

Although traditionally a Christian holiday, Christmas is also widely celebrated by many non-Christians, and some of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins, including Christmas trees, lights, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, Father Christmas (known as Santa Claus in some areas, including North America, Australia and Ireland) is a popular mythological figure in many countries, associated with the bringing of gifts for children

Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. Christmas has lost its true meaning, that is the celebration of the birthday of Jesus. It has become a very commercialized festival, where the true meaning was unknown or ignore by many who celebrate Christmas. It is more a festival of Santa Claus and Christmas Tree......

The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038. "Cristes" is from Greek Christos and "mæsse" is from Latin missa (the holy mass). In Greek, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ, and it, or the similar Roman letter X, has been used as an abbreviation for Christ since the mid-16th century.Hence, Xmas is sometimes used as an abbreviation for Christmas. So, the people replace "Christ" with "X", as more people celebrate Christmas are non-Christian, a process to "de-christian" the festival. Christian still use " Christmas" as the centre of the festival is Jesus Christ.

The true meaning of Christmas



In Christianity, Christmas is the festival celebrating the Nativity of Jesus, the Christian belief that the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament's Messianic prophecies was born to the Virgin Mary. The story of Christmas is based on the biblical accounts given in the Gospel of Matthew, namely Matthew 1:18-Matthew 2:12 and the Gospel of Luke, specifically Luke 1:26-Luke 2:40. According to these accounts, Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem. According to popular tradition, the birth took place in a stable, surrounded by farm animals, though neither the stable nor the animals are specifically mentioned in the Biblical accounts. However, a manger is mentioned in Luke 2:7, where it states, "She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Early iconographic representations of the nativity placed the animals and manger within a cave (located, according to tradition, under the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem). Shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem were told of the birth by an angel, and were the first to see the child.

Many Christians believe that the birth of Jesus fulfilled messianic prophecies from the Old Testament. The Gospel of Matthew also describes a visit by several Magi, or astrologers, who bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant. The visitors were said to be following a mysterious star, commonly known as the Star of Bethlehem, believing it to announce the birth of a king of the Jews.The commemoration of this visit, the Feast of Epiphany celebrated on January 6, is the formal end of the Christmas season in some churches.

The spirit of Christmas
Christians celebrate Christmas in many ways. In addition to this day being one of the most important and popular for the attendance of church services, there are numerous other devotions and popular traditions. Prior to Christmas Day, the Eastern Orthodox Church practises the Nativity Fast in anticipation of the birth of Jesus, while much of Western Christianity celebrates Advent. The final preparations for Christmas are made on Christmas Eve.

Over the Christmas period, people decorate their homes and exchange gifts. In some Christian denominations, children perform plays re-telling the events of the Nativity, or sing carols that reference the event. Some Christians also display a small re-creation of the Nativity, known as a Nativity scene or crib, in their homes, using figurines to portray the key characters of the event. Live Nativity scenes and tableaux vivants are also performed, using actors and animals to portray the event with more realism.

A long artistic tradition has grown of producing painted depictions of the nativity in art. Nativity scenes are traditionally set in a barn or stable and include Mary, Joseph, the child Jesus, angels, shepherds and the Three Wise Men: Balthazar, Melchior, and Caspar, who are said to have followed a star, known as the Star of Bethlehem, and arrived after his birth

Christmas Song
1. The popular Cristmas song O Come O Come Emmanuel originated in the 12th century as a Latin chant during Advent season in the Catholic church. It was translated into English by John Mason Neale in the 1800's and has since that time become a favorite among church hymns. It has been recorded by such notable artists as Steven Curtis Chapman, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Rebecca St James, Neil Diamond, Clay Aiken, Whitney Houston and others. We hope you enjoy our performance of this beautiful Christmas song. Lark & Spur.



2. Heart of Worship


3.CHRIST IS BORN (Christmas Carol sung in Aramaic: the language of Christ)


4.An Arabic Christmas Carol (Byzantine Hymn of the Nativity)

This is in the old Arabic , the written form a relatively hard dialect the hardest of all the Arabic dialects.



4. Come All Ye Faithful(Hayyo Ya Mhuyumne) , Chaldean Neo-Aramaic Christmas Song


The Place Jesus was born - Bethlehem
Bethlehem (Arabic: بَيْتِ لَحْمٍ‎, About this sound Bayt Laḥm (help·info), lit "House of Meat"; Greek: Βηθλεέμ Bethleém; Hebrew: בֵּית לֶחֶם‎, Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread") is a city in the central West Bank, approximately 10 kilometers (6 mi) south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism. Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. The town is inhabited by one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, though the size of the community has shrunk in recent years due to emigration.

Bethlehem has now a Muslim majority, but is also home to one of the largest Palestinian Christian communities. The Bethlehem agglomeration includes the towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, as well as the refugee camps of 'Aida and Azza. Bethlehem's chief economic sector is tourism which peaks during the Christmas season when Christian pilgrims throng to the Church of the Nativity. Bethlehem has over thirty hotels and three hundred handicraft work shops. Rachel's Tomb, an important Jewish holy site, is located at the entrance of Bethlehem. The only mosque in the Old City is the Mosque of Omar, located in the Manger Square

In 1948, the religious makeup of the city was 85% Christian, mostly of the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic denominations, and 13% Sunni Muslim. By 2005, the proportion of Christian residents had decreased dramatically, to about 20%. The 85% Christian Palestine population has declined to 20% due to emigration, and influx of Palestine from other places during the war.

The majority of Bethlehem's Christian inhabitants claim ancestry from Arab Christian clans from the Arabian Peninsula, including the city's two largest: al-Farahiyya and an-Najajreh. The former claims to have descended from the Ghassanids who migrated from Yemen to the Wadi Musa area in present-day Jordan and an-Najajreh descend from the Arabs of Najran in the southern Hejaz. Another Bethlehem clan, al-Anantreh, also trace their ancestry to the Arabian Peninsula.

The percentage of Christians in Bethlehem has been steadily falling, primarily due to continuous emigration. The lower birth rate among Christians as compared to Muslims also accounts for some of the decline. In 1947, Christians made up 75% of the population, but by 1998 this figure had declined to 23%. The current mayor of Bethlehem, Victor Batarseh told the Voice of America that, "due to the stress, either physical or psychological, and the bad economic situation, many people are emigrating, either Christians or Muslims, but it is more apparent among Christians, because they already are a minority."





Nazareth - the childhood home of Jesus
Nazareth (pronounced /ˈnæzərəθ/; Hebrew: נָצְרַת‎, Natzrat or Natzeret, Arabic: الناصرة‎ an-Nāṣira or an-Naseriyye) is the capital and largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel. In the New Testament, the city is described as the childhood home of Jesus, and as such is a center of Christian pilgrimage, with many shrines commemorating biblical events.

So, you now understand Christmas....Christmas is not an ordinary holiday; it is not Christmas tree, it is not Santa Claus. It is about peace ,it is about love and it is the birthday of Jesus. Happy Birthday Jesus. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, not in any western or oriental countries, but the western influence on Christmas celebration is excessive. Jesus was born in Asia Minor, a central place between Asia, Europe, and Africa. The location is in today's Palestine, grow up in Nazareth, died and risen in Jerusalem(both now in Israel). There should be Date Palms, not Christmas tree; should be Shepperd not Santa Claus; no snow but wild grassland and sand dunes; no reindeer but camel....

.....anyhow Christmas is not only the celebration of ordinary birthday, it is the remembrance of Jesus in spirit and joy....whatever way you celebrate, remember the celebration is for Jesus Christ, his birthday, it must be celebrate in joy, love and peace.

The meaning of Christmas is JOY;
J for Jesus, it is Jesus's birthday, you put HIM first in all celebration;
O for others, it is the day for love, you put others before you; love thy neighbor.
Y for you, you put self last, but have self love and be thankful for the goodness you have enjoyed over the year, prepare with hope for the coming days...coming of Jesus.

Joy is God's peace to the world, peace to yourself; if you understand the real meaning of Christmas, it is Joy, love, peace and hope.

Merry Christmas....., Merry Christmas....

Peace to the world......