Merry Christmas

And I say so unabashedly. I don't care if you don't celebrate it. I don't care if you don't care much for it. And if you have any qualms about the season, you're a bad person. Because if even if you do not celebrate it, or even if you celebrate something else, you should know that this is a holiday of love and freaking joy. So if there is any day, or any season that you should be tolerant of each other, now is the time. And if a person says some holiday well-wishes to you, have the courtesy to say a simple "You too". Remind yourself that you are indeed a social being, the result of 4 billion years of evolutionary success, and that you part of a society. No. You don't get a cookie for being tolerant and nice toward each other because it's something you should already be doing in the first place.

Now, let's open your goddamn Bibles to Luke, Chapter 2. And for those who don't know, this is the part where Jesus freaking Christ was born. I am completely aware that this is not the only element of Christmas or even December, so just stop.

Now, the Nativity.



There are so many pieces art out there that captures the Nativity in various settings. Some even have the setting a cave. I'm not sure how that was concluded since there is nothing in the Bible that even alludes to it, but there it is. The Bible does not mention any other connection with Christ’s birth, only a manger. And they did so because there was no room for him in the guestroom. The Greek word used is kataluma, and can mean guest chamber, lodging place or inn. The only other time this word was used in the New Testament, it means a furnished, large, upper story room within a private house. Jesus was probably born in the house of relatives, but outside/under the normal living and guest quarters. And if he was born there (and if you clicked the link above of kataluma), you'd see that it is a room that is sometimes, underneath or beside the living quarters. Archaeologically, it is common in ancient Europe and Asia to have such quarters to house livestock overnight to keep from predators and the weather. And the inhabitants would have easy access to fuel for their hearth.

Now those three bearded guys. Are they kings? Wise men? The Bible does not say that any kings or camels visited young Jesus. It does report that magi) came, but it does not say how many. Since the word magi used in the Bible is plural, there were apparently at least two, and there could have been more—even several more. Also, the wise men clearly did not visit Jesus when he was still lying in the manger. The magi did not arrive until sometime after Christ's presentation in the Temple in Jerusalem. It is possible that little Jesus was walking and talking by then. And based on the calculations of King Herod and the magi, Jesus could been about two years old.

Next, Jesus may not have been born December 25. Although it’s not impossible, it seems unlikely. The Bible does not specify a date or month. One problem with December is that it would be unusual for shepherds to be "abiding in the field" at this cold time of year when fields were unproductive. It was also normal practice was to keep the flocks in the fields from Spring to Autumn. Also, winter would likely be an especially difficult time for a pregnant Mary to be waddling the long distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem (70 miles). A more probable time would be late September, the time of the annual Feast of Tabernacles, when such travel was common.

Still, the December celebration could be attributed to the conception of Christ. This would be perfectly symbolic in that this darkest time of the year—the time of the pagan Saturnalia, and the time when the sun (the physical ‘light of the world’) is at its greatest distance from the Holy Land. To have Christ be conceived at this time is absolutely perfect.

So, why do we celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December, if that is not when he was born? Because Rome dominated most of the “Christian” world for centuries, the date was chosen by the Roman Catholic Church. The original significance of December 25 is that it was a well-known festival day celebrating the annual return of the sun. December 21 is the winter solstice (shortest day of the year and thus a key date on the calendar), and December 25 is the first day that ancients could clearly note that the days were definitely getting longer and the sunlight was returning. The Church wished to replace the pagan festival with a Christian one. The psychology was that is easier to take away a traditional festival from the population, when you can replace it with a another one. No idiots, these Romans.



EDIT: Hey guys, do you remember Archetype written by our Inkfish7? Yeah, well. In their never ending pursuit to prove to me over and over how much that state is completely out of touch (no i don't take this personally, it just shocks the hell out of me every time i read a headline that involves texas), I give you this: Texas judge: Search warrants can be obtained based on prediction of future crimes