Christmas splendour

T V Perera

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son and you shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins.

Then Joseph being aroused from sleep did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him and took him his wife and did not know her till she had brought forth her first born son and he called his name Jesus.

Mathew 1 18:25

Religious event

The annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ which occurred in a manger in Bethlehem, is celebrated on December 25 as a religious and cultural event by billions of Christians throughout the world. They visit churches, chapels, cathedrals spread all over, for midnight church-service to celebrate the birth of the Christ in union with their colleagues and fellowmen. Christmas is the traditional season of good cheer, and the spirit of festivity is found to be in abundance with shopping centres putting out colourful festival decorations and the streets gaily lit up with electric bulbs.

On the joyful day non-Christians are invited to parties by Christian friends and the day sees people visiting relatives, friends and neighbours to share with them the seasonal cake and wine followed by the lavish-spread lunch and dinner. The celebrations continue until the season draws to an end. Popular modern customs of Christmas include gift giving, caroling, church celebrations, special meals, displays of various decorations including the Christmas tree, nativity scenes, mistletoe and the holly.

Santa Claus becomes ‘a must’ feature in any Christmas celebration. Santa Claus also known as Father Christmas who according to folklore, is a plump, white-bearded, jolly old man dressed in red, traditionally brings children presents on Christmas Eve. He travels on a sleigh which flies through the sky and is drawn by eight reindeer whose names are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder (or Donner) and Blitzen. Santa Claus is gaily depicted as a portly joyous, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white cuffed red trouser and black leather belt and boots.

According to a tradition which can be traced to the 1820s, Santa Claus lived in the North Pole with a large number of magical elves. Since the 20th century, in an idea popularized by the 1934 song ‘Santa Claus is coming to Town’ Santa has been believed to make a list of children throughout the world categorizing them according to their behaviour (naughty or nice) and to deliver presents including toys and candy to all of the well-behaved children in the world and coal to the naughty child on the single night on Christmas eve. He accomplishes this feat with the aid of the elves who make the toys in the workshop and the reindeer who pull his sleigh.

History

In Britain, Father Christmas dates back at least as far as the 17th century and pictures of him survive from that period portraying him as a jolly, well-nourished, bearded man dressed in a long, green coloured fur-lined robe. He typified the spirit good cheer at Christmas and was reflected as the “Ghost of Christmas Presents” in Charles Dicken's festive classic ‘A Christmas Carol’, a great genial man in a green coat lined with fur, who takes scrooge through the bustling streets of London on the current Christmas morning, sprinkling the essence of Christmas onto the happy populace. In the United States and Canada, children traditionally leave Santa a glass of milk and a plate of cookies, in Britain and Australia he is sometimes given sherry and mince pies instead. In Sweden and Norway children leave rice porridge. In Ireland, it is popular to give him Guinness or milk along with Christmas pudding or mince pies.

Gift giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involves heightened economic activity both among Christians and non-Christians and the era has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businessmen. In many parts of the world, the economic impact of Christmas has become a factor growing steadily over the past few centuries. Among countries with a strong Christmas tradition, a variety of Christmas celebrations have developed incorporating regional and local culture and for Christmas, in particular, Christmas records the highest annual church-attendance period.