"Merry Christmas" is a phrase with which we're probably all familiar. Most of the world, Christian and secular, has heard it all their lives. Christmas is often a time for family, gifts and food. That is what we're told, anyway, by the ads on TV and radio and many of the Christmas specials and movies that get airtime in our homes and in theaters. Don't misunderstand me, there's nothing wrong with any of it, as long as it's in proper liturgical context.
The focus of this article is on what that proper context was, and is, for historical Christianity, particularly the Faith as it is maintained in the Orthodox Church (sometimes called the "Eastern Orthodox" by westerners). In this article, I will delve into the theological understanding of Christmas, as well as the accompanying feasts of the Church in this time of year, why these feasts occur when they do, and what Christians can learn about their Faith from it.
The "Appearing in the Flesh"
There is evidence in ancient documents that point to a single, large holiday in the middle of winter that celebrated the "Appearing in the Flesh" of Jesus Christ. This event celebrated His birth, the visit of the Magi and His Baptism. All of these events have a common theme to them: they're human experiences. These events point to the fact that Jesus Christ was truly a human being. That God had "become flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). The battle in Christianity over these facts from the earliest days is well-documented in the forms of heresy such as Adoptionism, Gnosticism, Arianism, Docetism and others that denied either the humanity or divinity of Christ. These feasts particularly show forth the humanity of Christ, but also speak of his divinity (particularly the celebration of His Baptism, more on that later).
This single, big feast was carved up over history as the Church grew and these events have come to be celebrated on different days, though we can see the ancient connection of these feasts as a single "festal cycle" (together with the celebration of the Lord's Circumcision and the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple on January 1st and February 2nd, respectively) through the way this time of year is treated by the Church. Even more, to this day the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas and Epiphany/Theophany as a single holiday on January 6th. This cycle is preceded by a time of fasting in both the eastern and western Christianity. In the Roman Catholic Church, the four weeks before Christmas (which literally means "Christ's Mass") are known as "Advent" (or "the coming", from Latin). The color of the season is often purple, like during Lent, and Christians are called to be particularly prayerful during this time. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the 40 days before the Nativity, as it is called, are fast days. This "Nativity Fast" is an anticipatory time awaiting the birth of Christ, and is meant for prayer and almsgiving.
Christmas, the Twelve Days of Christmas, and Epiphany
Christmas day is kept with much solemnity. In the west, by a Midnight Mass (and several other masses throughout the day). In the East, the hymns of the feast take on a feel of Pascha, the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. The next twelve days are festive. In the east, no fasting is allowed (even on the usual Wednesdays and Fridays). In the west, these are known as the Twelve Days of Christmas. The thirteenth day is January 6th, and is another important holiday, known as Epiphany or Theophany. In the west, it celebrates the coming of the Magi and the giving of their gifts, which testify to who Jesus is. the gold shows his kingship, the frankincense his divinity (since incense is offered to God) and the myrrh is prophetic, for it is the spice used to anoint the dead. This tells of Christ's coming death and resurrection. Orthodox Christians are reminded of Pascha, even as this child has just now entered the world.
In the East, Theophany celebrates the baptism of Christ in the Jordan. For the Orthodox, this feast is more important than Christmas, and is very theological. Theophany shows that Christ comes to sanctify the waters of baptism. This is our precedent for baptism as Christians, because Christ, who is without stain of sin, cleans the waters and allows them to be a facilitator of His grace. It is the "baptism which doth now save us" (1 Peter 3:21). It is also celebrated as the realization of the Trinity, since the Father speaks from the clouds and the Spirit descends as a dove, revealing there all three persons at once. This feast also takes on much of the feeling of Pascha.
Candlemas and Circumcision
These feasts, though not seemingly held in the same regard as those above, make the same points about the humanity of Christ. These feast are important because they're actually nothing special. Every first-born son in Israel would experience these events, since they are required by the Torah. On January 1st, the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches celebrate the Circumcision of Christ, for this is the eighth day after His birth. This feast is not a Great Feast of the Church, but is situated right between two of the biggest, and testifies to the same message: Christ is human. He is as human as anyone, even submitting to the circumcision common to all Jewish boys.
On February 2nd, the Church celebrates Candlemas (as it is known in the Roman Catholic Church), or the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (or simply "Presentation", as it is known by the Orthodox Church). They celebrate the same event. Forty days after the birth of a first-born child, He is taken into the Temple in Jerusalem and a sacrifice offered to God, thanking Him for the child. The west calls this feast "Candlemas" (lit. Candle Mass) because the annual blessing of candles occurs on this day.
Both of these feasts are expressly human, and show that Christians believe in the ordinary humanity of Christ. His common humanity. The fact that He is human, just as we are human.
The Winter Pascha
Concerning the date of these feasts, why are they placed in the middle of winter? There are a number of theories. Christmas is likely to have found it's place on December 25th in the West in order to Christianize an old pagan holiday. Many of the rest fell in line because they are dependent upon the date of Christmas (the circumcision occurs eight days later, the Presentation forty days later). But why, originally, would this be found in the beginning of January?
The Tradition of the Church tells us. This is often called the "Winter Pascha." While Pascha itself occurs in the spring, showing us that Christ is the New Life of the world and testify to His power over death, these feasts occur in the dead of winter and testify to His humanity, because Christians see in these feasts that God has not abandoned us, and that in the shortest, darkest, coldest days...God appears, takes on human flesh, and begins the story of our redemption. It is in the darkest of days, that the Light of the World begins to shine.
Chris Medlock - Chris is a freelance writer, fiction author and blogger. For Suite101, he enjoys writing on politics, history and religion.
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