Merry Christmas!

...or should that be, Happy Holidays? It seems that recently there has been a trend in the English-speaking world to promote the use of Happy Holidays as a Christmas greeting, instead of Merry Christmas. Personally, I have nothing against it, but I think some people or corporations are making the switch because they want to be "politically correct," and don't want to make it look like Christmas is a religious holiday. So the question must arise, is Christmas a religious holiday?

First of all, let us examine the name "Christmas." Obviously the word has its roots in the word "Christ," and today's authorities tell us that the word is a contraction of "Christ's Mass." This gives us an important clue regarding the origin of the Christmas holiday: it was begun by the Catholics. However, the tradition of having a holiday at the time of the winter solstice was existent long before Christmas was begun. The Germanic peoples had Yule, the Romans had Saturnalia, and people all over the world had celebrations at this time of year. Traditionally, it has been said that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ. However, it is unlikely that December 25th was the actual date of His birth, and even if it was, God has not commanded His people as Christians to celebrate any religious holidays. Most likely, the date was chosen by Catholics who were trying to convert pagans, who reasoned that it would be easier to attribute Christian themes to the already-existent celebrations instead of abolishing them.

Although our holiday Christmas began as a religious holiday, the Christmas of today has been shaped and molded by Germanic traditions, as well as the ancient legends of Saint Nicholas. Familiar Christmas icons such as holly, mistletoe, and the Yule log are all from the ancient Yule feast of the Germanic tribes. Also, we today tell of Santa Claus, a man who carries gifts to children all across the world. Today we seldom think of a nativity scene when we hear the word "Christmas." Instead we envision a jolly old chap driving a team of flying reindeer through the air, landing on people's roofs and delivering presents.

So what is the true meaning of Christmas? Some say it is Jesus Christ, some say it is the spirit of giving. Which is true? I think that it is best that we adhere to the Christmas that we have all known throughout the years, one of Christmas trees and Christmas songs, of presents and Santa Claus. I do not believe it is right for us to observe a religious holiday established by men, and unauthorized by God. However, I see nothing wrong with the word "Christmas." In our English language it does not mean anything but the holiday which we ascribe to it.

Although Christmas itself has nothing to do with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that does not give us authority to forget about Him. To members of the church, He is the Son of God, who was crucified on the cross so that the sins of the world might be forgiven. Instead of seeking to further Christianity through the promotion of making a holiday religious, we should instead seek every day to teach and preach the Gospel to those who are lost, that they may find the truth from God's Word.