by Lynda Phillips

Created on: January 03, 2010

CHRISTMAS 2009: HOW TO GET INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

This year I focused on the real meaning of Christmas, not as it was created by the Gentiles, but as it came from God’s words in the Bible. I think most of us by now know Jesus was not born on December 25th, but probably closer to the third week in September.

Scholars have narrowed the date of the bright star when Jupiter and Saturn merged as being closer to September 25th.

Jews have a holiday of Atonement that the spirit of gift giving comes from. During Atonement, Jewish people used to make a sacrifice on the alter of the temple, to atone for any sins committed in the past year. If they had an issue with any person or persons during that year, they were to go to them first, and apologize as a way of atonement, and give them a gift of atonement. This is to be done before the alter sacrifice could be honored. Also during this festive time, the people of Israel gave gifts or money to needy people in the community. This seems to be a tradition we pulled from them, as some American citizens help kids with Christmas through private organizations, and personal contributions to a good cause, but there is no mass atonement effort, either on the alter or personally. Most citizens buy gifts for their immediate family members; their children, spouses, parents, a love interest for the moment.

I’ve also learned that the Jewish people have their Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah during our Christmas time. This festival is in honor of cleansing and lighting the Manora with one oil lamp. It was to take eight days to make more oil, and once lit, the Manora had to stay lit during the eight days. Through an unexplained miracle, the Manora remained lit during the entire eight days, its one light, never going out. To this day, Jews the world over celebrate the Festival of Lights, lighting a Manora in their window, every night before sundown except on a Sabbath Saturday when it’s done after sundown. From this Gentiles have pulled the Christmas lights, hung around their windows, houses, and strung on Christmas trees. Often parks, zoos and church grounds have light displays, mixed with themes from the Nativity in old Bethlehem, and often Santa Claus and his reindeer.

This year I wanted to do Christmas closer to the meaning it is supposed to have. I talked extensively with a Jewish friend of mine to get their meaning. Afterwards, I thought of someone I had offended a year or two ago, got in contact with her to apologize,

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