You wrote a bunch but what is your point on Chrismas?

I personally don't celebrate Christ-mass (although if someone kindly invites me round for a feast at that date I will not say no!). The puritans rejected it as a Popish superstition and I have had great opportunities to wittness to people when they here I don't celebrate it.

One question: "Santa" is the spanish feminine word for saint. Is Santa Claus therefore a man dressed as a women or a women dressed as a man?

I agree with Chad and Jeffrey1974. Just my opinion---but I worship the Lord Jesus every day. On Christmas, I celebrate His birth and spend extra time with the ones I love, the family God gave to me here on earth. He came here to earth Himself as a little babe. And I am so thankful for that! But most of all I am thankful for the sacrifice He made for me, shedding His blood and dying on the cross for me. A person could debate on this also, because many people focus on Easter bunny and not the death and resurrection of Christ. as the verse said before--"If you celebrate, celebrate unto the Lord. If you do not celebrate, do that as unto the Lord." This verse, to me, is good advice.

I don't teach my kids that santa claus, or the easter bunny, are real. I think it's wrong to tell kids these pretend figures are real. The Lord God is our Master, our hope, and our eternity. And even better, He's for real.

Maybe the Roman church took a pagan holiday and turned it into a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus, similar to what happened with the holiday that pagans used to honor their fertility goddess, Ishtar, which became our Easter.

Whatever happened, it is very appropriate, in my opinion, to pick a certain annual date to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Puritans went too far in many things, in my opinion.


SLE

KJV,

On your Santa Claus question: It all started with St. Nicholas, the 4th century bishop of Myra, Lycia (in Asia Minor) who was a very generous person. He was the patron saint of Greece and Russia, children, charitable organizations, and merchants. A cult grew around him, based on miracles he was supposed to have performed. But, that cult disappeared in all the Protestant countries of Europe except Holland after the Reformation.

The Dutch brought their belief in St. Nicholas to New Amsterdam (New York City) in the 17th century.. In the Dutch language, his name is Sint Nikolas which morphed into "Sinterklaas" (Santa Claus.).

Info drawn from Merriam-Webster. com


SLE

I thought it largely came from Anglo-Saxon and North European Paganism and Shamanism; with Father Christ-mass being an outsider (cross dresser) like many traditional Magick workers.

When the victorians modified Christ-mass from its slightly popish orientated church roots to an outlet for cheap goods, which were a by product of the industrial revolution, they modified it and added most of the phenomena we associate with the festival.

I don't think we should be trying to put Christ back into Saturnalia (its Roman name), as he was never in there and it is deceptive to try to make out he was.

The verses about about worshiping on different days and food offered to idols, I believe in the context, is talking about God ordained Jewish obsevances; not Devil ordained pagan festivals, traditions and superstitions.

It is easy to claim these verses as an excuse for participating in something that is a sham and a lie, but if Christians search their hearts, I think they will admit they're main reason for observing it is for personal pleasure.
If this is not the case try fasting and praying about it and giving it up for a year, or maybe doing evangelism instead?

I do not know if it's true, but
I read not too long ago that Kris Kringle, translated = Christ Jesus.
Makes you think, huh?

While it is very interesting to know the background to the day, I don't think the exact origins really matter that much. What's important is the perception and how the real message can be brought out more In some ways it's Christianity's best moment to show its benfits and virtues to others all around the world - and that's got to be good...

If there is no chance for poor to celebrate with us then there is no meaning for Christmas. Christmas is the feast of the poor. Jesus becomes one with the poor to save the poor sinners. So if we avoid the poor and just enjoy ourselves the christmas there is no meaning to it. My best Christmas was walking the Himalayas for 5 days to reach a remotest to village and give them the word of God and bring them to Jesus. On that 120 of the accepted Jesus... What a wonderful christmas? Being with the poor and bringing the good news to the poor.

I've never had any issues with Christmas.

It doesn't matter when the Christ child was born. The fact is that I celebrate His birth on December 25th. And since none of us living today, or anytime in the past 1,500-plus years were present on that most blessed of days, it is impossible to be certain when our Lord and Saviour was born.

Pagans celebrated Yule on or around December 25th. Pagans celebrated a lot of things all throughout the year. I'm certain if one looked hard enough he or she could match a pagan festival to every single Christian holiday on the map.
So, that renders the pagan origins debate moot to me.

I and my family use the weeks leading up to December 25th and the day itself to focus more than usual on the blessings of the Lord and the ministry of His life. We take time to thank God for all of our blessings large or small, and center Christ firmly at the root of our celebrations.

Now if the Holy Spirit convicts you to not celebrate Christmas, than that's between yourself and the Holy Spirit. As for me and my house, we will continue to use the holiday to honor Christ in all His magnificence and (to borrow a line from Dickens), I say God bless it.