A Cross Posting from 'The Catholic Geeks'

My response to 'Christmas is Pagan'.

The Roots of Christmas: From Pagan or Not From Pagan

I wish I was making this up.

Where Did the Advent Wreath Come From and What Does it Mean?

As it is often the case with many traditions that we hold dear to our hearts the Advent wreath has pagan origins and as with many Christmas traditions practiced here in America, this came from Germany.

Evidence shows that the pre-Christian Germanic peoples used wreath with lit candles in the cold dark Winter as a sign of hope for the future warm and extended sun lighted days of Spring.  Similarly, in Scandinavia lighted candles were placed around a wheel and prayers were offered to the god of light to, in a sense, turn the ‘wheel of the earth’ back towards the light of the sun.

As often seen in the Church, especially in the first few centuries, we would take the pagan practices and Christianized it.  This practice of ‘Christionzation’ took what was intrinsically good in the pagan tradition and essentially baptized them into the Church.

By the Medieval period, say about the 16th century or 1500s, the wreath with lighted candles was adapted for Advent as part of a spiritual preparation for Christmas.  Both German Catholics and Lutherans practiced this tradition.  What we would recognize as the Advent wreath took shape in the 19th century or 1800s.  The original wreath started out with a candle for each day of the season, Sundays being big white candles and the rest were smaller red candles.  Over time it simplified to just each Sunday having a candle and sometimes Christmas Day having its own.  This practice was brought over to the United States in the 1930s by German immigrants.

Advent is a time of reflections and preparation and the wreath works as both a reminder and a meditation of what is to come.  It’s easy to perceived the reminder aspect of it, lighting each candle as Christmas gets closer, so let’s focus on the meditative aspect.

It must be understood that the Advent wreath is full of symbols.  This is not a bad thing; symbols are used to help us focus giving us a tangible aspect for the abstract. The act of lighting the candles, with an additional one each week in tandem if the liturgical colors on the candles, represents our expectation and hope of Christ’s first coming, His birth.  That hope and expectation also includes Christ’s second coming at the end of the world.  Remember, everything about Christmas points towards Easter.

This has evergreen, holly leaves, pine cones, and fruit.

To the physical wreath itself:  Traditionally the wreath is made of different types of evergreens wrapped into a circle; the circle has not beginning or end and the evergreen is green throughout the year representing the eternal life of Christ, and his eternal never ending rule.  The wreath can also include holly, pine and yew all of which is symbolic of immortality.  The holly also is symbolic of the crown of thrones worn by Christ at His Passion; there’s also a neat English legend that states the wood of the cross was holly.  Pine cones, seedpods, and nuts can be added for a representation of Christ’s Resurrection. Cedar for strength and healing. Fruits for the nourishing fruitfulness of the Christian Life.  All of this as a whole is Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who became man was victorious over sin and death by His Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Let us not forget the candles.  As I’ve mentioned before the candles bear the color of the liturgical season; three purple and one rose (not pink).  These are the same colors for the Lent season (again, pointing towards Easter); purple is a reminder of prayer, penance and preparatory sacrifices and good works undertaken during this season (sounds like Lent, doesn't it?). Rose if for Gaudete Sunday, gaudete is Latin for rejoice, this Sunday is the midpoint of Advent and we are close to Christmas.

There’s also some traditions where each candle has a meaning. In one tradition:
Candle #1: Hope, Prophet’s candle representing Jesus’ coming
Candle #2: Faith, Bethlehem candle representing Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem
Candle #3: Joy, Shepherd’s candle representing the joy at the coming of the birth of Christ
Candle #4: Peace, Angel’s candle representing the message of the Angels ‘Peace on Earth, Good Will towards Men.’

Another tradition:
Candle #1: Patriarchs
Candle #2: Prophets
Candle #3: John the Baptist
Candle#4: Mother Mary

Happy Advent!!

(This is a rough transcript of a lecture I gave to the RCIA class at my church.)

Christmas Songs

"Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year ….."
            - 'Christmas Time is Here', Charlie Brown Christmas

Yes it's that time of year in which I hide as much as I can from the secular Christmas. I was shocked to find that some radio stations that play the non-stop Christmas music for the season did not even have the decency to wait until after Thanksgiving (US) to start playing 'Jingle Bell Rock'. I shudder (a lot).

This year is especially hard to enjoy the overly joyous occasion considering the year I had to content with ( the loss of my nephew and of a job to name of few). But I fully intent to have a good Christmas – when December 25^th comes around.

I will confess that I do listen to the radio stations that have non-stop Christmas music, mostly because most stations in my area play music that I do not really enjoy. One song has caught my attention, and I don't really remember it being played on the radio in years past. Namely this one: Prayer of St. Francis, (sometimes mistakenly called 'Make Me a Channel of Your Peace').  A nice, simplistic, beautiful hymn when done right.  Thing that I do not get is why is this considered a Christmas song?  My Church has often sang this song for one reason or another, but never for Christmas and I, myself, have never really considered it a Christmas song.  A head scratcher this one.

Which leads me to another point that has plagued my (sometimes) thinking mind for some years.  I find it interesting that the only time God can be mentioned in any causal conversation that won't lead to arguments or death threats is during the month of December.  Just about little more than half of the Christmas songs deal with the Incarnation and God the Father.  It's probably the safest time to be Catholic when so much Catholic Theology is being sung on the radio.  Don't believe me! Well let's take a look, shall we (please note I will focus on songs that are oft played on the radio):

Silent Night:  This German carol basically recites what occurs in the Gospel in a sweet, simple tune.  It sings of the Virgin Mother, the shepherds the angels speak to, and there's even a subtle reference to Easter.

Twelve Days of Christmas: Even though I think it's neat, I really don't believe that this song was written by English Catholics during the days of heavy persecution in Great Britain to teach the faith in secret.  For one thing, partridges are not native to Great Britain and I believe that they weren't on the island as of yet when the song was written.  But that's not the point!!  The point is it got you thinking about English Catholics and different aspects of the faith.  So ha!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman: An oldie but goodie English carol that, like Silent Night,

recites the events of the Gospel.  Here we are told that this event brings us 'comfort and joy', also harkening to Easter.

The First Noel/Nowell: This carol sings of the Announcement of the birth of Christ, both of the Christmas Star for the Magi and the Angels speaking to the shepherds.  This is not played as often as the other carols aforementioned, but it is heard and I have yet heard a version that has made my ears bleed. :)

Ave Maria:  This one actual surprises me with the frequency I hear it on the radio.  I am referring to the Franz Schubert version of the song.  Though not originally intended for the Latin prayer, Ave Maria, (original lyrics Ellens dritter Gesang) the prayer slipped into the melody with moving and uplifting results.

These are just a few examples of songs that I have found, and I am sure there are more out there that I have not mentioned.  But this is just to get you thinking.

I must be going now, the clink and the clank I hear is the notice that my parents have begun pulling out Christmas decorations from the attic and my cue to hide before I'm overwhelmed with merriment!!

Happy Advent!

I Survived Christmas And What I Learned

As you may recall from a earlier post secular Christmas is not in my top ten favorites things in the world, but it's not in my top ten hate list. I actually enjoy Christmas Day for the actually reason of the holiday.

As I opened my gifts with my family, I realized that I really need my own place. Do not get me wrong I am grateful for my parents for letting me stay with them, rent-free, after my graduation from college (May 2010). Because of this I am able to spend the money I earn towards my loans which I cannot wait to pay off. But any person who has gone off to college then come home for the holidays knows the plight of readjusting to the rules of their parents. This has been my biggest challenge since graduation. But my current financially situation does not allow me the luxury of moving out.

This realization came to light with the aid of my parents via their gifts. How many people can say they got a microwave for Christmas? Very few I imagine.

On a completely separate note, my New Years resolution: lose weight. I know it's not original, but it's something that I have to do. I'm over weight but not obese (Thank God), but I need to lose about forty pounds to be in my ideal weight for my body type. I have started today; on the recommendations of a dear friend I've invested in those 'Shape-Ups' sneakers, and some hand-weights to hold. The sneakers were a bit weird to wear but when walking I could feel the difference from regular sneakers. We shall see as the year progresses.

I also hope with this oncoming year to pick a little German. My mother's family is ethnically German and I have always been interested in my German roots. I have started listening to Disney songs sung in German to pick up on the pronunciation. When studying French in High School I found that listening to songs (Broadway-esque style not pop) helped a great deal; reason being that in singing to syllables are elongated and over enunciated so you hear the word clearer. But I digress, I've always wanted to pick up some German if any; another reason in the story I'm writing (see earlier post) some of my main characters are German thus I need to know German so the characters can speak in their native tongue.

Until next post, God Bless!

Christmas: A Time For .......Joy?

Christmas: A Time For .......Joy?

Christmas to me has been a holy day to celebrate when the Word of God took on flesh. But to many others it's about gift, cookies, Santa, end of the year sales, and decorating. Radio stations begin playing Christmas songs, both secular and religious, before the month of December start has even begun. After living through 20 some odd Christmases I can say without a doubt that I hate Christmas.

I hate the decorations that blink on houses as you drive by, the commercialism that bombards me when I turn on the television, everything just fills me with dread. I have, surprisingly a good reason.

I would first like to say that I am far from being a Scrooge. I enjoy giving gifts to people, I do not even need Christmas as an excuse to do so. I value the real meaning of Christmas with all my heart. But when it comes right down to it I'm just burnt out with secular Christmas. Being forced to decorate every year with decoration that are so disgustingly cute made me cringe, it also took out the joy I once had in the holiday. When I went off to college I was forever happy that by the time I got home for Christmas the decorating was overall finished. I dread this time of year because it is at this point where I fight and argue the most with my parents. Both my parents enjoy Christmas, one more then the other; they watch the Christmas themed movies and listen to the music as soon as the radios have switched. I come home to the demands of 'Turn on the Christmas lights,' and 'We have to watch a Christmas movie.' Their love for Christmas has lead me to my Christmas burnout.

I have come to a point in my life in which I must skip Christmas or else I will lose any inkling towards the holiday. I hate Christmas. I wish I didn't, but when a small irritation is blown up and pushed in one's face repeatedly, what can one do?