A Christmas Poem

A Christmas Alphabet

A is for Animals who shared the stable.
B is for the Babe with their manger for cradle.
C is for the Carols so blithe and so gay.
D for December, the twenty-fifth day.
E for the Eve when we're all so excited.
F for the Fun when the tree's at last lighted.
G is the Goose which you know is fat.
H for the Holly you stick in your hat.
I for the Ive that clings to the wall.
J is for Jesus, the cause of it all.
K for the Kindness begot by this feast.
L is the Light shining way in the east.
M for the Mistletoe, all green and white.
N for the Noels we sing Christmas night.
O for the Oxen, the first to adore Him.
P for the Presents Wise Men laid before Him.
Q for the Queerness that this should have been
     Near two thousand years before you were seen.
R for the Reindeer leaping the roofs.
S for the Stockings that Santa Claus stuffs.
T for the Toys, the Tinsel, the Tree.
U is for Us - the whole family.
V is for Visitors bringing us cheer.
W is Welcome to the happy New Year.
X Y Z bother me! All I can say,
     Is this the end of my Christmas lay.
     So now to you all, wherever you be,
     A merry, merry Christmas, and many may you see!

Author Unknown

From Christmas Poems, Stories and Carols
Random House Value Publishing Inc., 1995.

'Why Not Question' : Christmas - Myth and Truth

The blogger of 'Why Not Question' celebrates Christmas as a nice family holiday but has removed much of the religious significance it once held.

Why?

Because the blogger understands the truths about how the holiday truly came to pass and the traditions it has encompassed over the years.

Myth : Christ was born on Christmas day.
Truth : The shepherds were in the fields with the sheep. This only happens during lambing season. More than likely Jesus was born sometime in the fall. Estimations by Biblical experts places the birth sometime in September. December would be much too cold for the shepherds and the sheep. Sheep are very fragile and die easily from the elements.

Speculation : Christmas was invented by a certain religious group in order to entice the pagans into the church by embracing the Solstice.

Myth: There were only three wise men and they were present at Jesus' birth.
Truth: The Bible never gives a specific number. It simply says Magi and tells about the three gifts given. The Bible specifically says Mary and Joseph were in a house - NOT the stable. It also says that Harod killed all male children under two years old and indicates that a great deal of time had passed between the birth and Magi's arrival.

Myth: A huge star was present.
Truth: There were a series of astronomical conjunctions and that caused quite a stir in Rome. The Jewish people were the only ones who had no such knowledge, they didn't pay any attention to the stars,emphasized by Harod having to call the religious leaders to find out what the Magi were talking about.

There are quite a number of other myths and truths mixed in with Jesus' birth and Biblical scholars are researching to find out what really was going on historically. It doesn't detract from the savior's birth. Instead, it adds to the current Christian's understanding of what truly happened and brings the Word of God to life far more accurately - destroying the mythos that has sprung up over the centuries.

Christians should celebrate the truths coming to light because each new historical fact proves Jesus was born, is a real person, and not a myth.