The many traditions of Christmas

Christian celebration has multiple meanings, many still relevant today

By Myron J. Pereira

(UCAN) Like all great festivals, Christmas has many traditions, not just one. These traditions come to us through different sources, some of them oral, others written — like the Gospel accounts.Some of these customs are religious — such as the Midnight Mass, the Christmas Crib and carol singing. Still, others are secular — like the special foods associated with Christmas, and forms of socializing and gift-giving.

Thus it is with all great feasts, which have both a religious core and a social expression. And usually, it’s the social expression which dominates.At its core, the Christmas story is about the birth of a child, presented to us in various ways in the Gospels.

There is the all too familiar story of the Annunciation to Mary in Luke (1.26), and the less familiar — but as significant — narrative of the Annunciation to Joseph in Matthew (1.18). The birth of the Christ Child in Bethlehem (in Luke, ch. 2) is followed by the adoration of the shepherds.The birth of the Christ Child in Matthew (ch. 2) is followed by his “epiphany” (manifestation) to the world in the persons of the Magi — a story set amid intrigue, persecution, flight across borders and genocide.

Four stories, four traditions, each with a viewpoint of its own, pointing us to different aspects of the Christ birth story.There are also more “secular” stories about Christmas which emphasize yuletide and winter, pine trees and Santa Claus.

They have a greater popular appeal, for today Christmas has become a holiday season for all, an occasion for giving gifts, eating and drinking, and all kinds of boisterous revelry.In many ways the feast has been “secularized,” and so become more universally acceptable.

On the other hand, the Gospel stories of Jesus’ birth all share in a magical, otherworldly quality (angels, appearances in dreams, the predominance of women, mysterious visitors) which is at variance with our skeptical, empirical age.The Gospels share the mythopoetic ambiance of an earlier age, and their language is largely symbolic.

Modern believers — when they are not wholly agnostic — like to think that symbols belong to the primitive past of humankind, something which we have long put behind us.Such naivete ignores the fact that firstly, all language is symbolic, in as much as we use letters and ciphers to stand for more complex realities.In fact, the most universal visual medium of our age — cinema — has created a powerful system of communicative symbols which cuts across geographical and generational boundaries in its outreach.

And yet, the Christmas story, ancient as it is, highlights three issues of contemporary relevance.

* “Good news to the poor.” To the poor, everything is usually bad news. But Jesus changes this convention. Born in a stable, his birth is proclaimed first of all to poor shepherds. In later life, his ministry is directed first of all to the poor and the sick.

We learn from him how to accompany the poor, the sick and the broken in society.

* “Wise men from the East.” Inter-faith relations are the need of the hour. How to proclaim the presence of Christ to people of other faiths and cultures? How to listen to “stories of faith” from other cultures with attention and respect?

For this we need to “demythologize” our faith — that is, to take a critical look at the cultural aspects of our faith, change them if necessary, and reinterpret them for a new age.This often becomes a source of pain and confusion, loss and denial.

* “Take the child and his mother, and flee…” The refugee problem, the displacement of peoples because of employment and persecution, is arguably one of the biggest challenges in today’s world, and increases with every passing year.

The more we see ourselves as a global community (Olympics, UN, World Cup, tourism), the more we need also to cope with those who create barriers for the “other” — based on race, religion, gender and economic class.There’s a tension here which is not easily resolved.

* The birth of a child in an age of contraception. “The birth of every child shows that God has not given up on this world” (Tagore). The more technologically advanced a society becomes, the more its fertility rates drop. Childlessness, a curse in ancient times, is seen today as a preferred option, nay, a blessing.

This is because the focus in marriage has shifted from family and progeny to the mutual enrichment of the partners in a relationship.

Note, I do not say, the “married couple” because less and less is permanence in marriage held to be a value. What attracts our peers rather, is the freedom to engage and disengage in sexual relationships, which contributes to greater well-being.

While this may be seen as a positive gain for women, who have been the oppressed party in patriarchal marriage systems for centuries and across cultures, no doubt this changes society such as we have known it.So, to approach the feast of Christmas in a truly mature way, we need to move from preoccupation with external events and celebrations, and to focus on what the feast says to our heart — that secret place, the core of our being, the place of our secret desires, fears and anxieties, where we are healed, where we are saved.

Here the many stories of Christmas may dissolve into just one, a story which speaks to us, bringing us peace and grace. For this ultimately is why Christ was born.Jesuit Father Myron J. Pereira, based in Mumbai, has spent more than five decades as an academic, journalist, editor and writer of fiction. He contributes regularly to UCA News on religious and socio-cultural topics.