VOL. IX, NO. 6
DECEMBER 15, 1967

Holidays Follow Tradition
On the twenty-second of December school will be dismissed for the holidays. All of us will be overjoyed at the prospect of school vacation, celebrations, and gifts. But how many of us know why or how we came to have these holidays?

Of course, we all know that Christmas is the anniversary of Christ's birth. But why December 25? Why do we give gifts or have decorated trees or set up a manger?

Surprisingly, the date of December 25 was set by the pope in the fourth century because this was the time of the pagan festivals! The date coincided with the Mitheric feast of the sun god, the Roman feast of Saturn, and the winter solstice feast of the northern Europeans. The season also coincides with the Jewish feast of Chanukah (Or Hanukkah).

The giving of gifts stems both from the Roman Saturnalia and the tradition of the Magi, who gave symbolic gifts to the Christ Child at Bethlehem.

Decorations and Christmas trees have come from Rome, Egypt, and Germany. And it was St. Francis of Assisi who first set up a crech using real people to commemorate the glorious birth of Christ.
 Another of the feasts to be celebrated during this season is Hanukkah-the Jewish Feasts of Lights.

But how many of us know what the Feast of Lights is or how it is commemorated?

Symbolic traditions of this feast are the lighting of the Menorah and the giving of presents. Celebrations and services in the temples are numerous in remembrance of this feast.

We can all see then that our holidays are made up of feasts and celebrations of many types and of many origins. The only way to understand and fully benefit from these feasts is to know why they were established and why they have been preserved.

The holidays are more than simply free days of fun and celebrations.

The Christ Child was born on Christmas; do you know why?