Putting the X back in Xmas?

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Gramster Rant: The Truth Behind Christmas Traditions

The trend of dismissing Christian holidays as "pagan" needs addressing. From Halloween to Easter to Christmas, there's a growing movement to diminish these celebrations' Christian significance. This mentality appears to be an effort to expunge Christmas from the public square and our lives.

Take "Xmas" for example. Far from being disrespectful, the "X" originates from the early church. Most people then couldn't read or write, so Christ's name was identified by superimposing the first two letters - X (Chi) and P (Rho) - creating the Christogram. Over time, this simplified to just the X, which still represented Christ's name. Even today's practice of "signing by the X" traces back to this tradition of marking Christ's name.

Consider Santa Claus - rather than rejecting him, teach children about St. Nicholas, a real defender of the faith who attended the Council of Nicaea. He forcefully defended Jesus's dual nature as fully God and fully man. Known for anonymously helping the poor, especially children, his secret gift-giving inspired traditions like hanging stockings by the fire after he reportedly tossed gold coins through a window, one landing in a drying stocking.

Before dismissing Christmas traditions, research their origins. More often than not, there's a meaningful Christian connection worth preserving and passing down to future generations.

Salvaged by God Deep Dive: Keeping Christ in Christmas

While ancient Druids may have brought evergreen trees inside during winter festivals, we don't worship the tree - we worship the One who died on the tree. The Christmas tree can represent Christ's cross when we maintain proper perspective.

Satan will always present counterfeits, but we don't need to fight them - we need to show the original. Just as the U.S. Treasury teaches people to recognize counterfeits by studying genuine currency, we should focus on the real meaning of Christmas: Jesus's first advent, perfect life, and victory through death and resurrection.

This truth will always trump secular elements when properly taught. We can redeem cultural traditions while maintaining Christ's centrality. Santa can be appreciated through St. Nicholas's Christian legacy. The Easter egg can point to new life in Christ. We don't need to reject these elements entirely, but ensure they don't overshadow Jesus.

The very first Christmas passage appears in Genesis 3:15, prophesying that the offspring of woman would crush the serpent's head - the initial promise of Christ's coming victory.

Advent's Rich Heritage

Advent calendars, invented by Gerhard Lang in 1903, were originally created to help children count down to Christmas while learning Bible passages. By 1920, they had become widely adopted in holiday celebrations.

The season of Advent represents the four weeks of preparing for Christ's coming, reflecting both the 400 years of prophetic silence before His first arrival and our own preparation for His return. While modern advent calendars may feature various themes, their original purpose was spiritual formation.

This exemplifies how many Christmas traditions have deep Christian meaning worth preserving. Rather than hastily dismissing customs as pagan or meaningless, we should research their origins and teach children their true significance. As our religious freedoms face increasing pressure, it's vital to appreciate and maintain these meaningful Christian heritage elements while we can.

Right On or Way Off?

"Christians who want to make the gospel message 'relevant' must always remember that the gospel is not about making God acceptable to sinners but making sinners acceptable to God." RIGHT ON! The gospel transforms sinners through Christ's righteousness, not by making God more palatable to human preferences.

"There ought to be a sign posted in every Christian bookstore that reads 'The views expressed in these books do not necessarily express the views of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.'" RIGHT ON! While Christian books can aid spiritual growth, discernment is essential as not everything labeled "Christian" aligns with biblical truth.