Christmas truth and lies

Well, it is written in Matthew 13:24-30

Mat 13:24 He put out another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel among the wheat and went his way.
Mat 13:26 But when the blade had sprung up and had produced fruit, then the darnel also appeared.
Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then where have the darnel come from?
Mat 13:28 He said to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, No, lest while you gather up the darnel you also root up the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. And in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather together the darnel and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my granary.

Darnel = poisonous weeds that look like grain but its black in color.

Well, its Christmas, every year people look forward to this occasion. Its 25th of December as all knows it. Well..for some reason...are people getting the right reason to celebrate Christmas or have they allowed the darnel to grow in their fields?

1) Its Christmas not Xmas for everyone's info...
The meaning of Christmas as defined by the Original Catholic Encyclopedia as "Christ's Mass". Yes..its Christ + mas not X + mas. Its all about Christ we are celebrating that is why is called Christ's mass. If we take away Christ and replace it with an X, then all is left is nothing but a wrong reason to celebrate Christmas that's why people who have no idea what Christmas is calls it Xmas and thus mass together without any purpose or reason. In today society people wanted to take Christ out of Christmas but whatever is established by God can never be de-establish by man as Christmas lights and decoration (1) quote that X is the Greek word to represent Ch which is the 1st letters of Christ's name.

2) Christmas is about Santa or Jesus?
Well a few weeks ago I saw this article on the internet about the billboards by American Atheists and the Catholic league which can be found in:

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/30/dueling-billboards-face-off-in-christmas-controversy/?hpt=C1

"You know is a myth, this season celebrate reason!" by the American Atheist

"You Know It's Real: This Season Celebrate Jesus." by the Catholic league

Funny thing is that the background of the billboard for the American Atheist is the background picture of the wise man traveling to see Jesus. What it shows to me is this: What is the myth? What is the reason? Not mentioned but the background of the 3 wise man traveling to see Jesus seems to suggest that the only reason is none other than Jesus. The Catholic league posting shows us that what is real is to celebrate Jesus. If its the myth they are mentioning about, the only myth that anyone would probably agree on is Santa Clause as even the article "Santa Claus: The real man behind the myth" (2) calls Santa as a myth in its title itself.

If we look into various sources we will see that why is Christmas celebrated? Its to commemorate the birth of Jesus. When Christmas was first celebrated back in the 4th century, the purpose was to commemorate the birth of Jesus (3). There has been no citation regarding the origin of this celebration to do with Santa Clause at all in relation to the birth of Christ.

If Santa got nothing to do with Christmas in the beginning, why is he a figure? The origin of Santa can best be described by Patti Wigington (4). In this article we can see that Santa Clause even though is to remember saint Nicolas but it has many influences from the heathen belief of Odin, the Germanic deity and the belief that Odin's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir that brings gift. Saint Nicolas generous givings being used as disguised to hide the pagan belief of Odin has silently creep into Christian society as a figure in Christmas and as times pass, Christians fail to realize that honoring Santa Clause as a figure during Christmas is in actual fact having a belief that the pagan god Odin but in the name of Saint Nicolas aka Santa Clause.

In conclusion to this matter of Jesus or Santa?, we conclude that Christmas is about Jesus and not Santa.

3) Symbols of Christmas
-Christmas tree
The tradition of having the Christmas tree during Christmas can be traced back to the 15th and 16th century in Europe where guilds set up a tree in the town and people dance around it. (5) The Christmas tree was only decorated in 1584 in Russia (6) Christmas tree itself does not really carry much symbolic meaning but its decoration do.
-Star or angel on top of the Christmas tree
The star and angel on the Christmas tree is usually placed at the top and it represents the star of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-9) while the angel represents the angels that bring the news to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-18).
-Candy cane
The candy cane as explained by pastor John Simpson during Eagle point Christian Fellowship Christmas dinner 2010 as "The candy cane has the shape of the shepherd staff. It reminds us of how the shepherd seek after the Savior. It is white in color because it is made of peppermint. White represents purity. Only Christ can make us pure (Isaiah 1:18) and everyone who wants to be pure must go to Jesus. Red represents the blood of Jesus which only by the blood of Christ we can be made pure. The green color represents life that will come only from Christ (Romans 6:23). If the candy cane is reversed its the letter J. J for Jesus. Jesus is the only reason for Christmas and its marked by the candy cane."
-Christmas lights
Christmas lights and decoration mentioned that since the 17th Century, people have lit their Christmas trees to sit by its comforting glow (7). Wikipedia mentioned that "Early Christians were persecuted for having worship gatherings ("mass"). A candle in the window signified where worship would be occurring for Christians in a community." (8)
-Bells
"In the case of Christmas, bells are typically rung to herald the holiday season, celebrate good cheer, and on Christmas Day, to rejoice in the birth of Jesus." Christmas lights and decoration. (9)
-Caroling
Caroling origins are unknown but its probably associated with Luke 2:13 with the angels singing because its the only record of the 1st singing during the birth of Christ.
-mistletoe
Mistletoe is described as "a parasitic plant, it grows on the branches or trunk of a tree and actually sends out roots that penetrate into the tree and take up nutrients. But mistletoe is also capable for growing on its own; like other plants it can produce its own food by photosynthesis. Mistletoe, however, is more commonly found growing as a parasitic plant. The mistletoe that is commonly used as a Christmas decoration (Phoradendron flavescens) is native to North America and grows as a parasite on trees in the west as also in those growing in a line down the east from New Jersey to Florida. The other type of mistletoe, Viscum album, is of European origin. The European mistletoe is a green shrub with small, yellow flowers and white, sticky berries which are considered POISONOUS." and "From the earliest times mistletoe has been one of the most magical, mysterious, and sacred plants of European folklore. It was considered to bestow life and fertility; a protection against poison; and an aphrodisiac. The mistletoe of the sacred oak was especially sacred to the ancient Celtic Druids. On the sixth night of the moon white-robed Druid priests would cut the oak mistletoe with a golden sickle. Two white bulls would be sacrificed amid prayers that the recipients of the mistletoe would prosper. Later, the ritual of cutting the mistletoe from the oak came to symbolize the emasculation of the old King by his successor. Mistletoe was long regarded as both a sexual symbol and the "soul" of the oak." by Mistletoe its history, meaning and traditions. (10) This shows how pagan belief is associated to the mistletoe and that how Christians should not hang the mistletoe.

4) The date for Christmas is 25th December?
Christ's birth was never mentioned in the Bible as the exact date and month. There was no early records in the Bible either of celebrating the birth of Christ. It was only celebrated centuries later. The date 25th December was in fact proposed by St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Christmas lights and decoration)(11). If we look at facts, the shepherds would not be grazing their flocks as mentioned in the gospel of Luke chapter 2 during winter months as shepherds will gather the flock into a small enclosure.

In conclusion:
Do not let the counterfeit tares from the devil grow in our field. Let truth prevail (John 8:32, Hosea 4:6). You know Jesus is real and the myth Santa is false so celebrate Jesus, the One and only reason for Christmas

references
1) http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/christmas-origins.aspx
2) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34525202/ns/technology_and_science-science/
3) http://www.history.com/topics/christmas
4) http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/yulethelongestnight/p/Santa_Claus.htm
5) Friedrich Amelung, Geschichte der Revaler Schwarzenhäupter: von ihrem Ursprung an bis auf die Gegenwart: nach den urkundenmäßigen Quellen des Revaler Schwarzenhäupter-Archivs 1, Die erste Blütezeit von 1399–1557. Reval: Wassermann, 1885.
6) Balthasar Russow. 1584. Chronica der Provinz Lyfflandt
7) http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/christmas-lights.aspx
8) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_lights
9) http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/christmas-bells.aspx
10) http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/history/mistletoe.htm
11) http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/christmas-origins.aspx