#Bible #Family Two Christmas Traditions
The lesson on the 20th had two parts.
FIRST
One class member researched and presented explanations for the origin of four Christmas traditions in the Church. Here's part of what was shared about "The 12-days of Christmas." You can read the whole explanation by clicking on the URL at the end. That text includes some speculation on the origin of each gift in the "12-Days of Christmas" song.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Dennis Bratcher
The Twelve Days of Christmas is probably the most misunderstood part of the church year among Christians who are not part of liturgical church traditions. Contrary to much popular belief, these are not the twelve days before Christmas, but in most of the Western Church are the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25th until January 5th). In some traditions, the first day of Christmas begins on the evening of December 25th with the following day considered the First Day of Christmas (December 26th).
In these traditions, the twelve days begin December 26 and include Epiphany on January 6. The origin and counting of the Twelve Days are complicated and are related to differences in calendars, church traditions, and ways to observe this holy day in various cultures.
In the Western church, Epiphany is usually celebrated as the time the Wise Men or Magi arrived to present gifts to the young Jesus (Matt. 2:1-12). Traditionally there were three Magi, probably from the fact of three gifts, even though the biblical narrative never says how many Magi came. In some cultures, especially Hispanic and Latin American culture, January 6th is observed as Three Kings Day, or simply the Day of the Kings (Span: la Fiesta de Reyes, el Dia de los Tres Reyes, el Dia de los Reyes Magos; Dutch: Driekoningendag).
Even though December 25th is celebrated as Christmas in these cultures, January 6th is often the day for giving gifts. In some places, it is traditional to give Christmas gifts for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Since Eastern Orthodox traditions use a different religious calendar, they celebrate Christmas on January 7th and observe Epiphany or Theophany on January 19th.
www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html
SECOND
Family Christmas Traditions were shared between the presentation of the Church traditions. I offer one of my wife's family traditions as she was growing up (and even after all three children were married with kids of their own.)
Wife's Family
- Being of recent German roots, my wife's mother made lebkuchen, a form of German molasses cookie. It was a lengthy process that started the day after Thanksgiving when the cookies were cut into shapes, baked, "covered" with a melted sugar glaze, and decorated with sprinkles, redhots, or nuts. After they cooled they were stored in sealed containers with half an apple in each container.
- On Christmas Eve, stockings knitted by my mother-in-law were stuffed with trinkets, a tangerine, with a lebkuchen cookie sticking out the top.
- On Christmas morning, stockings were always opened before breakfast of poppy seed coffee cake, eggs, and bacon. Then all presents were opened in one... at... a... time... in sequence.
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