When did we begin to celebrate Christmas in Sri Lanka?

Archbishop Oswald Gomis The celebration of the Birthday of Jesus on the 25th of December commenced in 274 A.D during the time of the Roman emperor Aurelian. After nearly three centuries of persecution the Emperor Constantine himself embraced Christianity and granted religious freedom to the Christians by his memorable Edict of Milan in 325 A.D.

The two main preachers of Christianity in Rome initially were the two Apostles Peter and Paul. Concurrently the other Apostles were preaching elsewhere in the world as commanded by Jesus saying "Go ye and teach all nations." Some travelled the regions of Europe while others turned to the East. Among those who turned eastward was Thomas, the Apostle who at the beginning even doubted the resurrection of Jesus, but later confessed his profound faith in the Risen Lord.

History records that Thomas turned east. He first reached the eastern regions of Syria and Persia. From there he moved to India in the year 52 AD. He arrived in Kondungallur (earlier Cranganore) in Kerala, on what is known as the Malabar Coast. Indian history records that he established Christian pockets in seven places, viz, Kondungallur, Palayur, Kottakav, Kokkamangalam, Niranam, Nilakkal and Mylapore on the South Eastern coast of India. Thomas finally suffered death in Mylapore/Chennai. His mortal remains are interred in the Cathedral church in Mylapore and venerated to-date by thousands of devotees who visit the tomb regularly.

It is reported that his ambition had also been to reach China, but it had not materialized. Thomas has had remarkable success with his teaching in Syria and Persia. Records show that there were a large number of converts in these regions. In fact even today - 21 centuries later, the converts of St. Thomas' follow the liturgy of the Syrian Churches of Eastern Rites and at the same time keep their linkage and loyalty to the Church in Rome. They are known in India as the Syro-Malabar and the Syro-Malankara Churches to this day. In fact when Vasco da Gama arrived in India in 1498 he found no Christians in India other than the St. Thomas' Syrian Christians.

This has a special significance to us. It is part of our history that we too have had much connection with Persia in the early centuries of our history. The Persians were renowned traders who travelled both along the sea routes and the famous Silk Route to the east. The Silk Route had been the like of a modern highway that had kept its popularity for centuries in the past. Even the famous seventh century Buddhist monk Xuan Zang (also known as Hieun Tsang), did his epic journey to Nalanda in India in AD 628, along the barren Gobi dessert and the windswept passes of Central Asia along this route. The people of Persia being traders knew this route well; and having become ardent disciples of Jesus Christ carried their new found faith to all these ports and cities they visited. As a result we find several vestiges of their presence in many an eastern country like India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan and even China.

There has always been a belief that Thomas visited Sri Lanka. It is conjectured that he preached on the hill near the Colombo harbour, presently called Ginthupitiya. But there is no historical data to prove this, as is the case with many such visitors and events in ancient times. It could be reasonably expected of a person who had the desire to reach such a far away China in his missionary endeavour, to have visited the well-known island just across where he lived.

There is a Greek writer who emphasizes that Thomas came to Sri Lanka. Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopulos has written this before 1328 - the year of his death. In his monumental Church History up to the year 610, in 18 books dedicated to Emperor Andronikos II, he states that St. Thomas preached on the Island of Taprobane to the people of Brahamins. (Historia Ecclesiastica 2, 40). Even though this was written in the fourteenth century it is reliable because the writer Nikephoros being attached to the Hagia Sophia used the famous library of this church before it was destroyed after the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453. (Ref Oxford Dict. of Byzantium, 1991, 2207; G. Gentz - F. Winkelmann, Die Kirchengeschichte des Nicephorus Callistus X. und ihre Quellen, 1966). The Indian Christians who owe their faith to Thomas however have referred to this visit in some of their ancient hymns. But beyond this there is no known data.

There is ample evidence of Christian presence in Sri Lanka before the Portuguese invasion of the Maritime Provinces. The Cross in Anuradhapura is but one. The references of the Alexandrian merchant Cosmas called Indikopleustus (the man who sailed to India) c. A.D. 550, to a church and a Christian community in Anuradhapura, and of another Arab traveller Idroos to the same, clearly prove this fact further. Our own renowned archeologist Dr. Senarath Paranavitana confirms the fact that there was a considerable Christian community in the Island during the fifth and sixth centuries of the Anuradhapura period. (Ref - The Story of Sigiriya - Dr. Senerath Paranavitana)

Further evidence is that two Bishops have stayed for some time in Sri Lanka during the 14th century. The Persian community had dioceses as far as Pegu in Burma and Sarnam in Thailand with good working structures and some of the queens and even some Mongolian Chans have become Christians. Even though the Islamic world began to spread after the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 A.D., there were still large communities of Christians and Jews in Persia (Iran) and the other Middle Eastern regions. Seventeenth century Christian vestments portraying the Crucifixion, used by the priests who lived in the Iranian city of Isfahan could be seen even today in the Victoria and Albert museum bearing witness to this fact.

It is also recorded that Pope John XXII (1316-1334) established a diocese for the mission in India in 1329 under a Spanish Dominican Jordanus Catalanus de Severac. A group of these missionaries on their way to the tomb of St. Thomas in South India have passed by Sri Lanka. It is certain that the same Pope in 1318 entrusted the missionary work of Persia, Tschagatai and India to the Dominican Order in 1318 and the friars remained working there at least until 1360 in Quilon in South India. Jordanus is reported to have died a martyr in 1336. In one of his own reports he mentions that four Franciscans and five Dominican brothers gained martyrdom before him. With all that missionary activity in India it is very unlikely that Sri Lanka was totally neglected.

Plenty of trade had been carried out between South India and Egypt during the Hellenistic period and this had continued more actively under the Roman Empire. Pliny the Elder (c. A.D. 75), the anonymous author of the "Periplus of the Erythrean Sea", and Ptolemy (A.D.130) record increasing contact between the Romans and the countries of the east. (Ref. A History of South India - From Pre-historic Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar - K. A. Nilakanta Sastri p. 23)

The port of Mantivu (Mannar) is reported to have remained a trade emporium for South Asia for a period of at least ten centuries. The recent archeological excavations done there in the 1980s revealed plenty of evidence of this fact. One of the findings there was a Bulla with an inscription of the Cross on it. (Ref: Carswell, J - The Port of Mantai Rome and India: The Ancient Sea Trade.) Editors - V. Begley and R. D. De Poma). With such prominence it is unlikely that this Island was left unnoticed by the ardent visitors to India and other parts of Southeast Asia. Cosmas Indikopleustus mentions the arrival of Chinese ships bringing silk to Sri Lanka. And Fa-hien, who took ship from Tamluk to Sri Lanka, mentions that many Buddhist monks went from South India and Sri Lanka to China by sea, and settled there helping to spread Buddhism and translate Buddhist scriptures into Chinese. (Ref: A History of South India - From Pre-historic Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar - K. A. Nilakanta Sastri) In fact the territories of the South Indian region were not unknown in the West. There have been close trade and diplomatic connections between Rome and this region including Sri Lanka. The very fact that over two hundred thousand ancient Roman coins have been found in various parts of Sri Lanka readily prove that fact. The recent find of over one hundred ancient Roman coins in Boralessa (NWP) is a further addition to this.

It is also reported that "the Romans had a naval station with a commercial emporium at Arikamedu near Pondicherry. Perhaps it was at this time that St. Thomas reached Chennai (Madras). The souvenirs and places of pilgrimage attached to the apostle were additional incentives for the Portuguese to stay at and develop San Thome - Mylapore. (Ref: History of Pondicherry Mission - An Outline by Jean Lafrenez. English Edition - P. A. Sampathkumar & Andre Carof)

There is a palpable interest among historians and heritage lovers about the latest discoveries in Orissa, India. Most among them are the findings in Jaipur district which is considered the cradle of Vajrayana form of Buddhism. A team of archeologists led by Debraj Pradhan, Director of the Orissa Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies, believe that these new discoveries will confirm the visit of the Lord Buddha to Orissa. The team is also hopeful that they are on the threshold of discovering the ten stupas mentioned by the Chinese traveller Huen Tsang. More relevant to us here is the fact that archeologists have dug out Roman ornaments and pottery from the area which proves that Kalinga had connections also with Rome.

The frequency of sea travel could be noted even in the years before the arrival of the steamship. For instance there is an incident reported where three Jesuit priests (Frs. Possevin, Garet and Garofalo) trying to go across from Chandernagor to Pondicherry caught in a storm were thrown into the island of Ceylon in 1778.

From here they had reached San Thome in Madras (Chennai). (Ref: idem History of Pondicherry Mission - An Outline)

All this shows that the world was small even then. And in spite of limited transport and means of communication, the human spirit of discovery and exploration never failed. With more and more research being done presently there are new discoveries that give us fresh insights and new historical data. Some of these could challenge our traditional theories while others could well substantiate what has been only oral tradition.

The essence of all this is the fact that there were considerably large Christian communities at the time in this part of the world including Sri Lanka. What is relevant to us here is - When therefore was Christmas first celebrated here in Sri Lanka? Is it after the arrival of the Portuguese or before? This is a vexed question. One can only surmise but not answer conclusively.

The feast of Christmas began to be celebrated in Rome at some point before 336 A.D. As described above the Romans celebrated their Sun god's birth on 25th December from the year 274. Christians transformed that day to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ the Light of the world (Lux Mundi). The new believers especially were encouraged to celebrate the birth of Christ on that day as an alternative to replace their old worship. With the gradual preponderance of Christians in Rome the whole celebration became a Christian celebration and was then quickly introduced to other parts of the world.

Christmas was introduced to the Eastern Empire, beginning with Constantinople, at least before 380 A.D as confirmed by the 39th oration of Gregory Nazianzus who preached in 381 A.D. on the 'festival of lights'. It began to be celebrated in Antioch at about the same time in 386, as confirmed by the sermon of St. John Chrysostom. The Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. gave a lot of impetus to this celebration. With the regular communication between Persia and our part of the world the celebration could have also been introduced here during those early centuries.

Besides this, we have seen above the early arrival of Christians from Persia and South India. It is reported that Vinayadithya, the western Chalukya king (681-696), is said to have levied tribute from the kings of Kamera or Kavera, Parasika, Simhala and other islands. The settlements mentioned here makes it clear that the Parasikas (Persians) here have reference to a people settled between Kavera and Simhala i.e. between the Chola country and Ceylon namely to the north of Cape Comorin. (Ref: A History of Christianity in India - George Mark Moraes M.A., D. Litt., D.A. - pg 63-64) We have also had the arrival of Dominican missionaries from Spain in the fourteenth century. With Christmas having become a popular festivity in the Christian calendar it is unlikely that at least one or the other of these groups could not have introduced it here. At that time it could have remained very much a religious celebration, devoid of all the commercial elements that has enveloped it now.

Christmas was certainly celebrated here by the Portuguese after their arrival. It is recorded that dramas depicting the birth of Christ and the life of saints were enacted in Colombo and Galle on the occasion. (Ref: Ceylon Church History - Dr. W.L.A. Don Peter) The Dutch, who virtually wiped out the Catholic Church (not the Faith) from this country, would nevertheless have celebrated Christmas according to their Protestant tradition. As to what form the celebrations took is unknown.

The more meaningful and significant celebration of Christmas was introduced to Sri Lanka again by the Oratorian missionaries from Goa, India. With the revival of the Catholic faith under the daring missionary of Brahamin origin Fr. (now Blessed) Joseph Vaz, who arrived in Sri Lanka in 1687 a new and more indigenous Christian culture was introduced to the Island. The pioneer of this cultural revival was Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, a scholar priest who mastered both Sinhala and Tamil in addition to the Portuguese, Dutch, Latin and Konkani he knew, to contribute 22 books in Sinhala.

The scholarly Fr. Gonsalvez who arrived in Sri Lanka in 1705, wrote a number of hymns and plays on the theme of Christmas. Some of them are popularly in vogue even today. Naturally, at that time with the lack of the Secularism and Consumerism that we see dominant today, the feast of Christmas would have been something of a very different and desirable nature. Christ would have had His due place in it, and it would have proved to be a meaningful religious experience for the believers. Besides, it would also have been edification for the non-believers.

It is a far cry in a world that is fully drowned in secularism to hope for the pristine religious fervour of Christmas. However, since Christianity is a religion of hope, let us expect at least the good believers to restore the sacred values of this most sacred event to the extent that lies within their power.