Lima Rotary takes an interesting look at the way different faiths celebrate the holidays.
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Pastor Chip Bullock told us that even though Christ was most likely born in the fall, in the 4th century, Pope Julius decided to make December 25 the day the Christian church celebrates Christ's birth in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of all of the existing cultural and pagan festivals that celebrated the winter solstice. "It worked. In the 4th century it spread to Egypt, into the 6th century, Europe. Really, by the middle ages, most of the celebrations in December were not considered winter solstice, they were considered celebrating the birth of Jesus." Chip also reviewed the other five major religions' celebrations. He told us Judaism does not celebrate Christmas, instead Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, which is a celebration of the rededication of their temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE. Muslims don't celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus, but many Muslims in the west will join in the secular celebration including parties, meals and gift giving. Buddhists embrace the spirit of the season, especially gift giving, though they do not celebrate Christmas. Hindus have a diverse approach to Christmas. Culturally it's a celebration of family and gift giving, and some see Jesus as an avatar of a divine being and will honor him. In China, Taoists do not celebrate the birth of Christ, but they embrace the cultural celebration of the season and treat is as a time to gather with friends and family, especially as a romantic occasion for couples.
"Where we have landed today is a robust cultural celebration that still, in America, centers around the idea of the birth of Jesus Christ."
Chip began his program with a fun Christmas trivia contest, won by Landon DeMoss. Congratulations!