Christmas is an annual festival, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.
Many Christians consider December 25 to be the date of the birth in Bethlehem of Jesus Christ.Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world’s nations.
Much of the Christian world is celebrating Christmas, with services held across the world to mark the birth of Jesus.
As Ghana joins the global community to mark the day, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Reverend Dr. Cyril G.K. Fayose, says the significance of celebrating Christmas must not be lost on any Christian as a means of appreciating the special gift that God gave to mankind.
He said: “It is absolutely necessary to celebrate and revere what we hold dear in our spirituality –so celebrating Christmas is just honouring and revering what we believe have been done for us”.
He said even though it was true that Christ Jesus, the reason for the celebration, was not born in December, and the Bible did not prescribe such a celebration, the period of celebration, which had been transformed over the years, helped Christians to “relive the special gift” which God sent to the world.
Referring to John 3:16, Rev. Fayose said, God loved the world so much that He sacrificed His only begotten son for its salvation, which necessitated a celebration.
“We mark this occasion to lift the name of Christ Jesus- just as, we, human beings also outdoor and mark the birthday of our children when they are born”.
Rev. Fayose said Christmas also signified God reaching down to mankind and entering the world to reconcile himself with the fallen human race, hence, the need for Ghanaians to promote reconciliation and peaceful coexistence, especially in hotspots such as Alavanyo-Nkonya and Dagbon.
He said through the birth of Jesus – and thus through Christmas – the forgiveness of God was revealed, behoving mankind to forgive those who might have offended them over the year.
Wishing Ghanains a Merry Christmas, Rev. Dr. Fayose, urged politicians and citizens who had stepped on each other’s toes, to forgive one another and enter the New Year on a fresh note.
The celebration of Christmas has come under criticism over the years from those who opine that it was not biblical or was an appropriated pagan festival. However, the tradition is celebrated by Orthodox Churches in January.
The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies.
When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then further disseminated the information.
Although the month and date of Jesus’ birth are unknown, by the early-to-mid fourth century the Western Christian Church had fixed the date of Christmas as December 25, a date that was later adopted in the East.
The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins.
Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath, Christmas music and caroling, lighting a Christingle, viewing a Nativity play, an exchange of Christmas cards, church services, a special meal, pulling Christmas crackers and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly.
In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season.
