Christmas is a sacred holiday for Christians to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Though it is a Christian holiday, people from different religions also celebrate this holiday around the world. The word Christmas comes from “Criste’s Masses,” old english for “Christ’s Mass,” which means holding a special mass for Jesus.
Since Christmas is almost here, let us discuss the 14 best Christmas myths:
1. Jesus was born on Christmas Day
One of the most common myths and people around the world still believe in this myth that Jesus was born on Christmas day. The Bible doesn’t say any exact date of Jesus’s birth. From all the hints, the only thing clear is that Jesus was born during spring.
2. Mary rode on a donkey to Bethlehem
The Bible doesn’t say anything about Mary riding a donkey to Bethlehem. It only mentions that Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem together; it does not specify if Mary rode on a donkey or not.
3. Mary gave birth the night she and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem
In the Bible, there’s no mention of how long Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem before she gave birth. But from the hints in Luke 2:6, it is certain that it didn’t happen on the same day when she arrived in Bethlehem.
4. Christmas is the most important Christian holiday
We celebrate Christmas to honor Jesus’ birth, and it’s undoubtedly a very important event. But Easter is much more important and is celebrated more than Christmas. It’s the celebration of Jesus’ rising from the dead into eternal life.
5. Jesus was born in a stable
As we all learned that Jesus took birth in a stable as there wasn’t any room in the inn, it is not the truth. The misunderstanding happened because of poor translations of the original text. Translators might have translated the word ‘kataluma’ as ‘inn,’ but the original meaning of the word is ‘private room’ or ‘lodging.’
6. Santa Claus Is St. Nicholas
Although Santa Claus’ story might have been inspired by St. Nicholas, a Turkish bishop who used to leave money in stockings for poor people, he is not Santa Claus! People celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6.
7. Jesus was an only child
Jesus was the only child born because of the holy spirit. Nowhere in Bible it says that he was the ‘only child,’ though the Bible mentions that Jesus was the ‘firstborn,’ which indicates that Joseph and Mary might have had more children.
8. Jingle Bells is a Christmas song
Although we all sing Jingle Bells as a Christmas song now, it was never meant for Christmas. It was intended to be a Thanksgiving song. It was originally titled ‘One Horse Open Sleigh.’ Eventually, the lyrics were changed to fit Christmas.
9. Prince Albert invented the Christmas tree
Some tradition suggests Queen Victoria’s husband brought the Christmas tree from Germany to England for the first time in 1848. But people in Britain already made Christmas trees a tradition 100 years before the incident.
10. The Three Wise Men appeared at Jesus’ birth
In the Book of Matthew, it is written that the wise men came to Jerusalem from the East bearing gifts for baby Jesus. However, there was no mention of numbers only thing mentioned was that there was more than one wise man, also known as the ‘magi.’
11. Abbreviating Christmas as “Xmas” Is Sacrilegious
Many Christians might take offense when people shorten Christmas to Xmas; they think it’s taking the ‘Christ’ out of Christmas, thus disrespecting their savior. But the ‘X’ is actually a substitute for the Greek word Chi which represents Christ. There is no intention of offending.
12. A Star Hovered Over the Manger
The magi were following a star leading them to baby Jesus. Because of jealousy, King Herod ordered that all babies in the region younger than two years must be killed. This means Jesus was already in Bethlehem for some time at this point, so neither the wise men nor the star was hovering over the manger the night Jesus was born.
13. Christmas Tree Has Always Been Part of Christmas
Pagans already used evergreen trees for their festivals even before Jesus was born, but only during the Renaissance the trees became a symbol of Christmas.
14. Jesus was born in Year Zero
The Gospels of Luke and Matthew say that Jesus was around the time of King Herod the Great’s death. According to scholars, this took place in 4 BCE, which would put Jesus’s birth around that time, possibly as late as 6 BCE.
Conclusion
These myths may not be the truth, but maybe some of them just make Christmas even more fun. One thing about Christmas is it brings people close. Roasted chestnuts and marshmallows with your loved ones sure add some warmth to the cold December.
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