Wishing all our readers a Happy and Peaceful ... - Newbridge Parish

By Breda Reid
• EDITORIAL •
“At the heart of the stripped down,
arrested, cold stillness of winter there is
huge movement secretly at work”
John O’ Donoghue author of Anam Cara.
love this description of winter by John O’ Charles Dickens and the American writer, Washington Irving,
I Donoghue. It portrays a season which, are credited with restoring the Christmas season to one of
although appearing to be dead, is in fact hatching the onset merriment and festivity in Britain and the U.S. after a period of
of spring in its frozen depths. The middle of winter has long sobriety and sombreness. In The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon,
been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before gent, Irving, through a series of stories about the celebration
the arrival of Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth of Christmas in an English manor house, creates an image of
in the darkest days of winter. Many races rejoiced during the Christmas as a peaceful, warm-hearted holiday bringing groups
winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them together across lines of wealth or social status. Also around this
and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours time, in 1843, Charles Dickens published his classic holiday
of sunlight. Could this be the reason for the early Christian tale, A Christmas Carol. The story's message of the importance of
Church’s decision to place the birth of Christ in midwinter just charity and good will towards all humankind-struck a powerful
following the winter solstice, the rebirth of the sun?
chords with readers and showed members of Victorian society
Western Christians first celebrated Christmas on December
25 around 340.AD, after Emperor Constantine had declared
Christianity the empire's favoured religion. The Bible offered
the benefits of celebrating the holy day. The tale has been viewed
as an indictment of nineteenth century industrial capitalism and
indeed its message resonates more than ever today.
few clues as to the exact date of Jesus’ birth: Celebrations of the Whether December 25th is the actual date of Jesus’ birth or
Nativity are not mentioned in the Gospels or Acts; the date is not does not matter in the greater scheme of things. What is
not given, not even the time of year. There is speculation among important is that we remember the message of the angels at
scholars that by appropriating the 25th December, sacred to his birth, so that we might have “Peace on earth and goodwill
the Romans as their Saturnalia festival, the early Church was to men”. This year, like the awakened Scrooge let us honour
successful in taking on the merriment, lights, and gifts associated Christmas in our hearts, and try to keep it all the year. Let us live in
with it and incorporating them in the celebration of Christmas. the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall
Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were strive within us. Let us not shut out the lessons that they teach. We
plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside can sponge away the writing on the stone!
down. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could That’s all for now, I hope you and your families have a
join in the fun. (Sound familiar?)
The traditions most of us have incorporated into our Christmas
today come mainly from the Victorian era. We cover our cribs
with cotton wool snow even though there is no mention of the
white stuff in either of the two gospels featuring the nativity.
Many of our Christmas cards portray snowy scenes from the 19th
century. The first Christmas tree in these islands was introduced
by Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert who brought the
custom from Germany while the first Christmas card was sent
in 1843. Christmas crackers were invented almost by accident
by Tom Smith in 1847. In 1823 the famous poem “A Visit
From St Nicholas” or “T'was the night before Christmas” was
published introducing the 8 reindeer and sleigh. They became
happy, holy and peaceful Christmas.
famous again in the Song “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”
sung by Gene Autrey and no.1 in the charts in 1949.
Christmas at the Crib in St. Conleths Parish Church Newbridge.
Photo. Jimmy Fullam.
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