Christmas from my persective.

Since I don't know old Christmas songs very well, I find it difficult to interpret them.  I find myself a little frustrated with the older songs.  I have to admit they are my least favorite part of Christmas.  I didn't grow up with these songs so they don't carry that nostalgic feeling for me as they do for most Christians.  So, I find myself fumbling along like a blind person in a maze.  Don't misread me here, I do love Christmas.  I love what it is all about.  I really enjoy the traditions our family is in the process of making.  I wouldn't give them up for the world.  I also wouldn't give up the childhood I had either.  Learning about all the Old Testament Hebrew holidays and getting to experience them. I feel this was an invaluable part of who I am.  I am able to see full circle of how those Old Testament celebrations and traditions related to and foreshadowed the coming Messiah.  I feel blessed to have had that background.  I almost feel sorry for those who have never celebrated Feast of Booths.  Which Jesus himself celebrated and is where he declared himself the Messiah!  Or never got to have some Days of Unleavened Bread treats.  I learned how to fast by the age of 13.  I mean really fast.  No food or any liquid besides water from sun up to sundown.  First few times was torture!  But I look back on it now as a valuable learning experience and I like that I can connect these things with how Jesus grew up.  He celebrated these same holidays!  Its like I got a glimpse of Him and what his life was like.

Strangely, I knew a lot about a holiday I didn't celebrate growing up.  I remember learning about how Jesus was actually born closer to fall than December.  And I learned the reason Christmas is celebrated in December is because Christians didn't know exactly when Jesus was born so they decided to celebrate Christ's birth on a pagan holiday.  That is the reason we didn't participate.  I don't see it that way anymore.  My persective is this; yes, it is on the same day as the old pagan holiday, but it was to done, so that the Christians could be lights to the world around them.  It was a way to use their own pagan celebration and turn it into a day of worship to the Son of God.  And that is worth celebrating.  Merry Christmas everyone!