The season of endless anxiety mindless chores unaltered money-mongering draining the last reserve of energy in a celebration masquerading as Christmas is the gift of December. The Christmas season is the ultimate event of the year purported to herald the Child Jesus in our lives and to adhere to the teachings and to renew, revitalize the faith in harmony to lasting peace and joy. The birth of child -the son of God-Word becoming man- to save humanity from utter perdition has drastically declined to a morass of sheer capitalistic fervor counting the nickels and dimes of the season to pad the profit of the companies. This utter display of fervent profit seeking motives displayed through the season in advertising to cajole shoppers to purchase unnecessary and unwanted items to herald the Advent- the birth of Jesus- is loathsome and as a means to amass wealth as an adulteration of the Christian faith.  The church follows in quick pursuit to avail the benefits of the season and to rake in dollars for the myriad projects for the year as the piety-filled hearts open up their purses to pour in money for causes as a reason of charity and self-pity. Do you celebrate Christmas? A question asked to gauge the person's charity or faithfulness is one that is heard at all quarters of human interactions. A recent video clipping now gaining currency from the UAE with an Islamic Sheikh extolling the celebrations and the benefits of  it-an official imprimatur- of the Christian tradition has rocked the inner core of the Christian faith and impelled me to seek answers for this "mother of all festivals".  A true Christian becomes much inclined to feel the pressure of the season and is compelled to check for biblical references to seek the true meaning of Christmas as the roaring sentiments of materialism runs rampant throughout our lives drastically adulterating human interactions in terms of money; the only outcome- misery, sorrow and remorse.

Where does this Christmas celebration begin? The Gospel of Luke talks about the birth of the Child and the much adored nativity scene-completed with the angelic music, the adoring shepherds, the Manger with mother Mary and Joseph in awe at the miracle of the birth. The Gospel of Matthew talks about the three wise men and John does not mention the event at all! There is no place in the bible for any Christmas celebration and Jesus nor did the disciples ever mention this as a celebratory event in the life of a faithful. Let us fathom the historical contexts for such celebration on December 25th as Christmas day. It will be a brutal truth to know the facts-the facts that for almost three centuries there was no celebration of Christmas as we now know of it. The birth of Jesus was not in the month of December nor remotely near to this season as the sweeping cold will not allow shepherds to be outside with their sheep's in the biting cold. To add further confusion it was the Roman emperor who officially sanctioned Christianity as a state religion-as he tried to make  home for the newly converted pagans to thisnascent religion- to adopt some of the old traditions and to lend it new credence by offering officialChristian support. The church went along meekly to appease the wishes of the emperor and to seek more members to its folk.

The historian Justin Martyr writes about no such celebration up to the first two hundred years of Christianity and Origen-another historian, states that there was no such celebrations or festivities during the first three hundred years of the Christian era..An old list compiled by Roman bishops, in A. D. 354 these words appear for A.D. 336: "25 Dec.: natusChristus in BetleemJudeae." December 25th, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea. This day, December 25, 336, is the first recorded celebration of Christmas.

 So this celebration of Christ-Mass as per the Roman church, of celebrating mass to commomorate this event arose as a convenient means of widening the tent to accommodate the newly converts.. Historians has established the birth day- festival of the Tamuz the Sun- God, the child of Nimrod-the originator of the tower of Babel- and Ishtar on December 25th as "Sol Invictus" which celebrated the victory of light over darkness and the lengthening of the Suns' ray at winter solstice. "Yule" referring to child in Chaldean language later becoming Yuletide in popular parlance. The adornment of "Holy-Day" to this traditional festivities gave it a 'sacred' sentiment for the faithful to celebrate the birth of the child-comminglingthe pagan tradition with the birth of the savior, both to form the genesis for the present day Christmas celebrations.The word 'mistletoe' means a 'false messiah' crept in later to add insult to injury! Then came the much adored Santa Claus the Saint Nicholas, later cropped to St. Nick. The name Santa itself is Satan reframed; as "old Nick" means the Devil in English language. Moreover, Nicholas is the old name for Devil in Germany and is heralded as a magician whose current status;beguiling smile, charming, adoring, plenty of gifts to satisfy everyone is more misleading than real. In the famous song "Santa Claus is coming to town"- He is the all-knowing, all-seeing person; omnipresent and omniscient, the qualities of God which the devil cherish as he promote equality with God. So what are we celebrating? The birth of the savior Yeshua. The name Yeshua- Yehoshua- was already corrupted to Jesus to rhyme with the all-powerful Zeus along with the compromised Christmas celebrations.

The History of the celebration in the Protestant church and the other churches is one of perplexing reality-a reality that true faith needs ardent vigilance and fervor to guard against the steady onslaught of

The devil to undermine it. The Church of England Directory of worship: 1644-45 January 4th

Outlawed the practice of the celebration of Christmas as there was no scriptural references to it!  Sola Scriptura- scripture only, the banner of the protestant churches lend support for their practices. In the Christian tradition the celebration of death is celebrated as the faithful departs for eternal bliss in heaven. Even the oldest church the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates January 6th the baptism of Jesus as Christmas to this day. In Matthew 28: 20- "Obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you to the end of the age" the very last words of the Gospel of Matthew.The puritans who reached America strictly forbade the practice and in Massachusetts there was a fine of 5 shillings for anyone celebrating Christmas.The American Presbyterian church vigorously resisted the increasing tendency of the Roman Church tosanctify the celebration and proclaimed "Christmas was nothing but a pagan festival covered with a Christian veneer". Paul to the Galatians Gal 4: 9- 11:Ye observe days and months and times and years, I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain". St. Paul says that the gospel dispensation commanded one to keep holy; except the Lord's Day which is the Christian Sabbath. The New Testament forbids filling Christian calendar with "holyday's which nothing are but holy, but an attempt to undermine the scriptures and advance the corruption of the faith. Biblical historians point to two birth day celebrations- The Pharaoh's and that of Herod's; Matt 14:6. "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them":  Ephe 5;11; "Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness"- states and prohibitively exhorts the faithful to follow the light The Word of the Lord- which is the Bible.

So in this age of constant chatter and communication the culture of pagan worship- the worship of money has taken sway over every affairs of the faithful and it brings more and more festivals and festivities in to the church. The recent celebrations of "Onam' a cultural festival of Keralam steeped in Hindu myth and legends in the churches is a topic that needs forethought before it gets rooted in the church calendar.

"Jesus is the reason for the season"- proclaims the banner. So what is left for the 'puritans and the ardent faithful of the savior Messiah-turn to the real meaning of the child and the miracle of God becoming a mere mortal man-the greatest gift to humanity. A gift oflife from the perishing life of sin by His divine grace. Are we willing to receive the child into our lives as Yeshua said; herald the child and become one to comprehend the meaning of the season? The angelic word to the shepherds were "fear not' and fear must be removed before calm, peace and joy of the Christ-Child can prevail in our life.

Are we willing to follow the path of the shepherds and usher in the simple message; herald the divine voices, follow the angel and thus cast away fear?Do not follow the masses as only the simple in mind- the shepherds were heralded by the Angel to witness this glorious event. The adoring magi's-the symbol of truth in wisdom- were given the opportunity to witness this onetime event, an epoch -making as the history of mankind is designated in the 'Anno Domini"- the beginning of the year of our Lord. "Thou shall not follow a multitude to do evil: Exodus 23; 2 says, and to seek the fleeting glory of the multitude is vainglorious. The scripture further says; "That which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to God": Luke 16:15. The new advent-the second coming is much awaited with hope in every generation and some sought it fervently and looked for signs. The incarnation is a great mystery and revelation of the truth is a gift to the faithful. Let us be faithful to the scripture and weed out pernicious practices of the idol worship in all spheres of Christian life and to prepare for the second coming-the end of the calendars as the second coming as revealed will be with all glory and power-the seat of justice and judgment. Are we preparing ourselves to renew the faith in the Word of the Lord as proclaimed or seek vainglorious attempts to seek support in traditions which have no legs to stand on but empty words ofmouthto support it? "Word of God is the only true and sufficient guide for the child of God". 2 Tim 3: 16-17. We are born of this world and mostly succumb to this world. The Child-Messiah was born in to this world as a mortal man but was not of this world and asked us to walk by faith, not by sight- 2 Cor 5:7. The Word and the world are not synonymous but at loggerheads with each other and in constant battle to upend each other.

Are we short-sighted to see the shimmering light, the songs, the sound and bell that sync in unison beckons one to the greed and the ensuing calamity or to hear the lonely sound of the bell that beckons you to divine angelic music that permeates each and every human heart to herald in peace, joy and harmony and await the Advent- the second coming. Let this advent remove all fear and herald in real peace, harmony and usher in a new year of hope for all humanity.