December 2014 ~ The All Image

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas - Christmas is celebrated each year in December by many thousands of people worldwide. Coming up to this special day on December 25th, it is common for people to greet others by saying "Merry Christmas". This is done to wish them a safe and happy holiday.

Looking back on the history of Christmas takes us all the way back, just over 2,000 years, to the birth of Jesus Christ. The celebration of Christmas day was initially to join with others in remembering the birth of the Savior of the world.

The actual word 'Christmas' means literally "Mass of Christ". Although Jesus birth occurred over two millennia ago, Christmas itself was not celebrated for many years. Historically, a fourth-century saint, Saint Nicholas, gained a reputation as a secret gift-giver. It is told that Saint Nicholas used to place coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him.

Since the times of Saint Nicholas, Christmas has continued to prosper and become popular with people of different faiths. Although beginning with Christians, Christmas is now celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike. Although the ways that people celebrate Christmas may differ, depending on their faith, it is true to say that Christmas is a time of goodwill, kindness and wishing "Merry Christmas" to others, more than any other time of year. Gift giving still continues, even as the folklore and traditions that came from Saint Nicholas back in the 4th century demonstrated.

There are many that say that Christmas has in fact become too commercialized and that it now focuses more on receiving rather than on giving. Either way though, Christmas is here to stay and the giving and receiving of gifts and wishing "Merry Christmas" is a big part of it.

The holiday greeting of 'Merry Christmas' was first used in 1565, written in the Hereford Municipal Manuscript. Since that date it has continued to be used around the world during the weeks leading up to Christmas day each year. The initial meaning of the word 'merry', as used in this holiday greeting, meant 'pleasant' or 'agreeable'. These days 'merry', as used in merry Christmas, tends to mean 'jolly', 'joyous' or 'happy' more than 'pleasant'. Today many families give gifts to each other on Christmas Eve and then have a big family celebration and meal together on Christmas day.

Merry Christmas

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Feliz Navidad

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Once Thanksgiving is over it is time to get into full-fledged Christmas mode. Why not take the opportunity to spice up your holiday season this year by celebrating Christmas Spanish style! You could plan a trip to Mexico or Spain to enjoy the festivities and experience how another culture celebrates Christmas or you could simply recreate your Christmas into a cultural experience right in the comfort of your own home by adopting some of the traditions.

A Spanish Christmas follows many of the traditions that the rest of the world engages in at Christmas. In Spanish-speaking countries Christmas Eve, or la Nochebuena, is celebrated on December 24. Typically, families get together to enjoy each others company and indulge in special meals, food and drinks. Traditional dishes are served however these traditional foods can vary depending on which country you are in. For instance in some countries the traditional dish may be tamales and empanadas. In Spain the main dish is turkey while in some South American Spanish-speaking countries cold dishes are served as Christmas occurs during their summer time.

The festivities for Las Navidades usually start in the beginning of December and can last all the way until the first week in January. Of course Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the exchanging of gifts and this is no different in Spanish-speaking countries during Las Navidades. Like English-speaking countries, the Spanish-speaking countries participate in the exchanging of gifts on December 25.

A great way to really celebrate a Spanish Christmas is to learn Spanish. Of course during this season it is very appropriate to wish someone a Merry Christmas. To do this in Spanish you would say Feliz Navidad, just like the song!

Feliz Navidad 2011

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Christmas Eve

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Christmas Eve Fish Dinner is, without question, the most important, the most festive, the most familial, the warmest and most memorable family gathering. For me, Christmas Eve Dinner surpasses every other holiday, As important and delightful as Thanksgiving of Easter or even Fourth of July might be, nothing approaches the ineffable depth and richness of Christmas Eve Fish Dinner offered a table unlike that of any other holiday.

But before I go further, let's consider the name of this dinner. Among some Italians that I have questioned it is called "Feast of the Seven Fishes," for other families, including my own, it was simply Christmas Eve Fish Dinner. There was no specific number of fish involved. Carol Field' Celebrating Italy, a most thorough study of Italian holidays, notes that Christmas Eve dinner calls for fish but makes no mention of the number of fish dishes. Moving my investigation of the Christmas Eve dinner to Google Italy, I found that it is generally called "Il Cenone della Vigilia" (The great dinner of the Eve.) No Italian site I found made mention of the number of fish. I have the sense that the notion of seven fish may be Italian American and even here only among certain families.

The next question I considered was the type of fish. Almost every reference I found and all the people I interviewed had numerous variations. Among most Italians sites two fish appeared most often, baccalà and eel. Among traditional Italian Americans the two most common dishes were baccalà (usually in a cold salad recipe) and fried smelts. In many younger and less traditionally bound Italian Americans all the old time fish were gone. The new fish platters now included shrimp and fried fish and even fish sticks. Italian Americans are not alone in modernization. It seems that even in Italy the younger generations recoil at the notion of such fish as eel.

While what this dinner is rightly called and which fish are those to be presented seems to vary from region to region and family to family a few things about Christmas Eve fish dinner, go unquestioned. Christmas Eve fish dinner was the one dinner no one missed. Christmas Eve fish dinner was at the home of the patriarch or matriarch. Every child and grandchild was present. The power of the Italian American Christmas Eve dinner overwhelmed all other cultural influences. While the fish dinner may have been rooted in Italy it spread its branches to include and embrace not only those non-Italians who had married into the family but all those of other ethnic backgrounds who were friends beyond the family. Everyone with any association to the family was invited to the Christmas Eve fish dinner.

Christmas Eve

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Christmas Tree

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Christmas Tree

You may not realize this but the history of christmas trees did not begin in America, England or even Germany. In fact America was one of the last continents to catch on to the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree. The history of christmas trees begins long before the birth of Christ and even before the Egyptian civilizations.

Many historians and anthropologists agree that the history of christmas trees begins in post-primeval times, just as agricultural societies were developing across the globe. Christmas did not exist. It was simply, in one culture or another, a pagan celebration of the winter solstice. The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year which usually occurs on the 22nd or 23rd of December. The boughs of evergreen trees were brought indoors to protect inhabitants from the evil spirits that could cause starvation and illness.

Ancient peoples also scattered evergreen boughs over their floors, doors and around the windows. In fact, the tradition of hanging an evergreen garland comes from the tradition of hanging evergreens over the mantelpiece to keep witches, ghosts and spirits from traveling down the chimney and into the house.

Evergreen boughs were also used to keep away illness. Scents such as pine, juniper and balsam are still used by aromatherapists today to fend off illness and winter depression.

Even the ancient Egyptians were thought to play a role in the history of christmas trees. Of course there were no evergreen forests in ancient Egypt but during the solstice they filled their homes with palm rushes to protect themselves from evil and celebrate the return of their Sun God Ra.

European and Mediterranean cultures also have episodes in the long saga that is part of the history of christmas trees. On the solstice, known as Saturnalia, the Romans decorated their homes with evergreen boughs. This honored the God Saturn whose domain was agriculture. Further north, the Celtic Druids used evergreens on the darkest day of the year to symbolize eternal life. These trees were not decorated as we know them today. They were not much more decorative than the famous Charlie brown christmas tree. This is because the function of these evergreen boughs was more protective than celebratory.

By the 12th century indoor trees were brought inside. Nobody is sure why but originally Christmas trees were hung upside-down from ceilings at Christmastime. This was a popular custom in Central Europe. The upside down tree was seen as both as a symbol of Christianity and a pagan symbol. At that point Christianity was not wide spread and the tree may have been a nod to both pagan and Christian traditions.

Christmas Tree

Christmas

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My family always has a Christmas tree every year because it was the popular thing to do. We have ornaments, holly wreaths, presents and everything else that goes along with the Christmas celebration. I know it was borderline but in that everyone liked it so much and it's supposed to be in honor of our Lord's birthday I went along with it all these years. This year I have looked at the weight of Scriptural evidence that has caused me to reconsider how harmless and good this holiday is. Just where in The Bible does it tell us not to celebrate Christmas?

In the first place, Christmas is not a Bible Doctrine. If our blessed Lord had wanted us to celebrate His birthday, He would have told us when to celebrate it and how to celebrate it. But Christ never told anyone to celebrate His birthday. Furthermore, we know from the Bible and from church history that the apostles and the early church never celebrated Christ's birthday.

The Bible is God's complete and final revelation to man, and it tells us everything we need to know for our spiritual lives (II Timothy 3:16). We don't have to go outside the Bible for anything. God's Word tells us how we're to worship, how we're to give money for the support of the Lord's work, how to evangelize the lost, how to observe the Lord's Supper and everything else pertaining to the Christian life. But not once in the Bible does God tell us to celebrate Christmas! We're told to remember the Lord's death, but nowhere are we told to celebrate His birth.

God's people are supposed to be Bible people. We are supposed to live by the teaching of the God's Holy Word. So the very fact that Christmas is never mentioned in the Bible is sufficient reason for us not to have anything to do with it. But that's not all.

Christ Not born on December 25

The second reason I not to celebrate Christmas is that Christ was not born on December 25th. Notice:

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." Luke 2:8

Don't miss the point: the shepherds WERE IN THE FIELDS taking care of their flocks on the night Jesus Christ was born. As the shepherds were watching their sheep, the message came to them of the birth of Jesus Christ.

It's a well known fact that December falls in the middle of the rainy season in Palestine, and the sheep were kept in the fold at that time of the year. The shepherds always corralled their flocks from October to April. They brought their sheep from the mountainsides and the fields no later than October 15th to protect them from the cold, rainy seasons that followed that date. So the birth of Christ could not have taken place at the end of December.

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Joe Cocker

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Joe Cocker is an English rock and blues singer who was born in Sheffield, England. His parents are Harold Cocker, a civil servant and Madge Cocker.

He is rated number 97 on Rolling Stones 100 Greatest Singers list. As any good singer who achieves success he has paid his dues. Joe's first singing experience was at age 12 when his older brother invited him onstage to sing during a gig.

In the 1960s the great Ray Charles was one of Joe's main musical influences both in his singing style and stage presentation. If I were asked to classify a couple of real good soul singers of that era it would be Ray Charles and Joe Cocker. When someone sings soul and does it well, you the listener can feel it. This is especially the case with Joe as he moves and rocks his arms and body that just oozes with soul.

In terms of bands Joe's first group was called the Cavaliers. After a year they eventually broke up and Joe went to become an apprentice gasfitter. But as was his destiny he still pursued a career in music.

After that he formed another group called Vance Arnold and the Avengers. They mostly played pubs in Sheffield but got a gig to support the Rolling Stones for an appearance at City Hall.

Cocker released his first single for Decca records. It was a cover song of the Beatles' "I'll Cry Instead." He then teamed up with Chris Stainton to form The Grease Band. After moderate success in the US he recorded another cover of a Beatles song "With a Little Help from My Friends." The thing that propelled this hit was that they had it rearranged to suit Cocker's style of singing and one music festival that went down in history as one of the most memorable..

Joe had played various venues but the one that really accelerated his singing career was when he and the Grease Band played at the original Woodstock Festival in August of 1969 in New York. And by the way, when speaking about "With a Little Help from My Friends", when he sang the song at Woodstock the crowd seemed to adopt it as their anthem.

In the 1970s he formed a new group called Mad Dogs and Englishmen. This was a large group of musicians with some notable names. Leon Russell was the pianist and band leader, and Claudia Lennear and none other than a lady that knows a lot about singing, Rita Coolidge were the backup singers. He also released an album I Can Stand a Little Rain which charted well most notably due to a single on it which was Joe's cover of a Billy Preston song "You Are So Beautiful." Over the course of several years a lot of Joe's recordings have been cover versions of other artists' songs but he had good success with them as he adapted them to his unique singing style.