Dr Asangba Tzudir
The early Christian communities made a distinction between the date of Jesus birth and the celebration. The observation of the day of Jesus birth or for that matter birthdays particularly during the first two centuries of Christianity was strongly opposed being considered as pagan. And while the birth date of Jesus is not clear, 25th December first came to be identified with the birthday of Jesus by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 and which has become universally accepted today. From ‘the day of the birth of the unconquered sun’, a popular holiday in the Roman Empire celebrating the winter solstice as a symbol of the resurgence of the sun, to being Christianised as the rebirth of the Son. An a priori reasoning connects 25th December with the spring equinox as the date of creation of the world and the fourth day of creation when light was created as the day of Jesus conception i.e. 25th March. 25th December, nine months later then became the birthday of Jesus.
Though not the point, starting with how the date 25th December became popularized, in the contemporary turn, the very meaning of Christmas has become a loaded term and many forms of ‘associated images’ have come to be associated and normalized. From Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, Christmas carols, Santa Claus, gifts have come to shape the ‘larger’ meaning of Christmas. And being normalised in many ways it has become the source of joy and happiness.
However, like the earlier differentiation between the celebration and the birthday, seldom do we focus on the birthday or the birthday gets overshadowed by the celebration, that, the ‘associated images’ becomes the source of joy and also the reason to celebrate. What, generally finds lost in translation is the birthday, because for the whole of Christendom it is not simply the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
The birthday of Jesus is the celebration of a new meaning of love - of God’s unconditional love for humankind. In the fullness of time, God revealed his Love by embarking upon the greatest journey from Heaven to Earth took human form and gave the world His ultimate gift of love and redemption through self-sacrifice. The world saw love and peace that starry night in a manger in Bethlehem.
Christmas is not the ‘associated images’ but the celebration of the baby Jesus and His unconditional love for mankind. If not, Christmas will just be another cold wintry season where a X-Mas is celebrated. In our own weariness, cares and preoccupied ways, the Bethlehem stable may still seem to be far off, but it is precisely there to surrender our burdened souls even as the little baby Jesus cries out, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble at heart, and I will find rest for your souls.” Let us not celebrate Christmas, rather the birthday of Jesus who showed the world Love and peace and humility. The world still needs love and peace and humility and that’s what Christmas and the celebration of baby Jesus is all about.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
