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Christmas only exists because of and through the birth of Christ. It is therefore a factual statement to say that we would never have had Christmas without Christ. Whether the time of Chrsitmas can be celebrated without thought of or reference to Christ is of course a different proposition altogether.

Christmas Day, December 25th, is the date upon which, in the 4th Century AD, Pope Julius I deemed that Christmas would be celebrated and the birth of Christ commemorated. There were no records of the date of Christ's actual birth and therefore until this time, although the concept of Christmas was celebrated, there was no fixed date upon which people did so and thus the occurence varied hugely throughout all the months of the year, depending upon geographical location. Christmas at this time was of course a solely religious affair, when Christians celebrated the coming of their saviour in to the Earthly world. There was no commercialisation, no gifts exchanged between individuals and no decorations or trees erected to mark the occasion. It was a celebration of love, of purity and of coming redemption. For many, this is still the way Christmas is and should be seen today.

Down through the centuries, the celebration of Christmas - like every other human custom and practice - has been subject to evolution, experimentation and development. Christmas trees came about, decorations, the custom of exchanging gifts and of children receiving them from St Nicholas, Santa Claus or Father Christmas. All of these things in their own way - not in a deliberate sense but certainly in a notable one - detracted from the purely religious aspect of the celebration of Christmas. Rather than a spiritual event, Christmas slowly over this period of time became a more and more physical and materialistic concept and attendance at church and religious ceremony suffered as a direct consequence.

Further down the line and especially within the last century, as people have become generally better off in a financial sense, this materialistic side of Christmas has burgeoned in to a multi-billion dollar, pound, euro or whatever industry. Ever more elaborate gifts are exchanged and in far greater numbers each year, Christmas trees that light up like spacecraft decorate our homes, workplaces and streets, employers and social groups host parties which they request we attend; the list could fill this or any other page.

Globalisation has of course also seen cultural exchange between societies. Countries which a century ago could be described as a Christian country in most cases could not be described as purely such today. There are a great many religions in most First World countries these days, all with their own beliefs, celebrations and festivals. Although it is sad that this should affect the religious celebration of Christmas, there are many who deem it inappropriate for fear of causing offence.

All in all, I think we can therefore see that although Christmas in a pure sense could never have been and can never be without Our Lord Jesus Christ, the perception in society of the link between the two is becoming ever more ill-defined.

Learn more about this author, Gordon Hamilton.
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