Christmas to me has no Christian aspect, I re-choice it as it brings my family together. I do enjoy giving gifts, drinking wine and laughter. To me it invites people to travel those journeys to be together, if Christmas was not there marked on our calendar’s of life this would not happen.
Christmas trees sparkle every where – the evergreen fir tree has traditionally been used to celebrate winter festivals (pagan and Christian) for thousands of years. Pagans used branches of it to decorate their homes during the winter solstice, as it made them think of the spring to come and warn of spirits. The Romans used Fir Trees to decorate their temples at the festival of Saturnalia. Christians use it as a sign of everlasting life with God.
It is thought the first first person to bring a Christmas Tree into a house, in the way we know it today, may have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. A story is told that, one night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. It was so beautiful, that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas. This my friend I will leave you to research and conclude yourselves the history of the Christmas tree.
I love a tree, seeing the lights and decoration, but there is also a deep part of me who is aware that trees was a living spark of the divine cut away from Mother Earth for my enjoyment. I do choose to over ride this concern with in me for my own pleasure and my family’s. As I write this I am thinking I’ll have a fake tree next year, because as I get deeper into my spiritual journey, I am becoming more a ware of all life, including our fir trees.
What about the gifts we all love to give and receive, but what is the history behind them? Christians see gift giving as a symbolic homage to the Three Wise Men’s tributes to the baby Jesus. But gift giving this time of year dates to an even older tradition. Pagans in Europe and the Middle East gave presents at several winter festivals, including Saturnalia, a raucous Roman festival in honor of Saturn, god of agriculture, which began on Dec. 17. During this week long holiday in the cold, dark dead of winter, pagans would lift their spirits by drinking to excess and giving one another gifts, such as pottery figurines, edible treats like fruit and nuts, and festive candles.
I also use Christmas as an excuse to eat more, drink more and then say in January I will diet. But I have also realsied that this is my self using Christmas as an excuse to over load my body and get away with it. So in January yes I am going to start a new journey with a lady called Kim on a healthy eating plan and way of life. NOTE I did not call it a diet.
I also hear a lot about the loneliness at Christmas, my heart goes out to those that have lost loved ones and struggle this time of year, as there is an other gap in the family gathering, one less card to write, one less present to give. But I know my family and friends that have passed home are with us, they re-choice when they see the family love and bonds. We also are very aware of those on their own. I always find this aspect difficult, as we have an old Aunt, who will not come at Christmas, she chooses to be on her own. BUT my prayers go out to the lonely and the people on the streets, I send them healing and ask spirit to guide them to a happier live path.
Well I will conclude, we all have busy life’s, but should we not meet regularly with our loved ones and celebrate our love and unity as a family and friends. Can we have a summer Christmas added to our calendar where we all meet up in 6 months, now that would be fun, but I for one would not over eat, no tree and the gift would be just love.
Happy Christmas to you all
Love and blessings xx