Feeling the Christmas Spirit
Each year when the Christmas season gets rolling, my spouse and I enjoy listening to Christmas songs and watching Christmas movies We're also get a superb feeling once we watch the Christmas lights which magically begin looking on the bushes and lawns of houses everywhere we go. Our son is old enough to appreciate all this with us now and is presently calling every thing Christmas carols, such as the lights and films.
Through time I've arrived to learn there are particular phrases and phrases we hear almost exclusively about that time of year. In no specific order I'd love to provide you with some additional information regarding a few of the ones who have puzzled me previously.
Noel
Taken in the French phrase Noël, it essentially means"Christmas". The lyrics to the song"The First Noel" are all here.
Magi
The Magi are more commonly referred to as the"Three Wise Men" or the"Three Kings". They're the guys who were headed by the Star Of Bethlehem into the birthplace of Jesus. Matthew 2:1-12 clarifies their trip to Jerusalem, their assembly with King Herod, and their contributions to the infant Jesus after his arrival in Bethlehem. It is interesting to notice that the specific amount of Magi isn't specified from the Bible, three is often presumed because there were three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh). It's projected that the amount might have been anywhere from two to 12 Magi.
Frankincense
Frankincense comes in the shrub Boswellia Thurifera. Nowadays it is most frequently located in Somalia, Oman, and Yemen. The back of this tree is cut along with the sap oozes in the cut. This sap subsequently dries on the tree and can be harvested. This aloe vera is used to make incense, and can be mixed with other spices and herbs. As we use incense now, at the ancient world it had been used in houses in addition to in some religious rites.
Myrrh
Much like frankincense, myrrh is a incense made from the dried sap of trees. These trees are common in Somalia and eastern Ethiopia. Myrrh was extremely beneficial and has been used in embalming. It's said that the golden represented Jesus' royalty, the frankincense represented his divinity, and the myrrh represented his future death on the cross.
Manger
Usually found in a barn or stable, a manger is a box made of wood or stone that is used to feed animals. Luke 2, verse 7 tells us that after Jesus was born, his mother Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes and placed him in a manger because there was no room at the inn.
Swaddling clothes
In many parts of the world it is common to wrap an infant in cloth, either strips or a single piece. This cloth restricts the movement of the baby's arms and legs. It has been proven that wrapped babies tend to sleep better than those that remain unwrapped. At the time of Jesus' birth, many babies were wrapped this way.
Emmanuel (Immanuel)
This is the title of the Messiah at the prophecies of Isaiah in the Old Testament. In Hebrew, Emmanuel means "God with us" or "God is with us". The Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament particularly partners the Emmanuel as being Jesus Christ the Messiah.
Yule (Yule-tide)
Yule was initially a winter festival celebrated with Germanic pagans which over time was absorbed to Christianity. The word yule today most commonly describes this Christmas season. The people of several countries, especially in Europe, nevertheless celebrate Yule along with Christmas.
Nativity
This describes the time and conditions surrounding the birth of Jesus. In addition, we use the expression"Nativity scene" that may be a display with mannequins, or even a"live Nativity" with individual versions and live creatures. These are typically shown at a cave or stable setting.
Feast of Stephen (St. Stephen's Day)
The first martyr of the Christian religion was Saint Stephen. A martyr is a person who's murdered for their religion. In the event of Stephen, he had been stoned by an angry mob because of his belief in Jesus as the Messiah. St. Stephen's Day is celebrated on December 26 in the Western church and on December 27 from the Eastern church.
Wassailing
Originally in the Old English words"waes hael" which means"be whole" or"be healthy", wassailing was a pagan ceremony where individuals would bring big dishes of wine or spiced cider and sing to trees in the orchards. They'd pour the beverage on the roots of their trees to induce the trees to become fruitful for another harvest. Wassailing afterwards became a convention in which tenants could gather together and sing to the landowners, providing their blessings in exchange for food and beverage. This later became our Christmas tradition of visiting neighbor's homes and then singing carols.