Christmas & Advent

The Christian year begins with the birth of a baby. No one knows the exact day Jesus was born, but the date of December 25th was specifically chosen and introduced to Christian believers in order to counter the pagan feast of the "sun god," which was a popular winter solstice festival held in Rome. Instead of trying to coax the sun to return North again, this Christian theological corrective was meant to celebrate the source of true light in our dark world: the Son of God.

It was not until the fourth century that people began to celebrate Christ's birth. In keeping with Old testament feasts and festivals, it was designated a feast day called the Feast of the Nativity. The celebration began with a special Mass in honor of the remembrance of His coming, first called "Christ's Mass," later simply "Christmas." It was Christ being celebrated, not the day!

Later, the four week period before December 25th was declared a sacred and holy season. It was called "Advent," which comes from the Greek through the Latin and means "to come." It was a special time, designed to remind us that the Old testament saints had anxiously awaited the Messiah for centuries, and to provide a period of preparation that would allow time for reflection before the celebration of His birth. Beginning four Sundays prior to Christmas day, our actions and activities should remind us of our need for Jesus.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

 

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Corrigenda Denuo
Is Christmas Christian? Here's a list of articles to discuss the topic.
Readings for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany
from the pastors of the CREC
Truth in the Tinsel
Advent ebook for young kids (affiliate link)
30 Items found Print
Active Filters: Picture Books, 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Hardcover
Amazing Peace
by Maya Angelou, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
from Schwartz & Wade
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Child's Christmas in Wales
by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg
from New Directions
for 2nd-4th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Child's Christmas in Wales
by Dylan Thomas, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
from Holiday House
for 2nd-4th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Christmas Trees
A New True Book
by Kathy Henderson
from Children's Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Crippled Lamb
by Max Lucado
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Crippled Lamb
by Max Lucado
Reprint from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Family Read-Aloud Holiday Treasury
by Selected by Alice Low, Illustrated by Marc Brown
First Ediition from Little, Brown & Company
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Picture Book Treasuries (Location: PIC-TRE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Gift of the Magi: Collectors Edition
by O. Henry, illustrated by Robert Sauber
from Unicorn Publishing House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House
Christmas Stories for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Jesse Tree
by Geraldine McCaughrean
from Eerdmans
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Jolly Old Santa Claus
from Ideals Publications
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Legend of the Poinsettia
by Tomie dePaola
from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Letters from Father Christmas
by J. R. R. Tolkien, introduction by Bailie Tolkien
Centenary Edition from William Morrow & Company
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$32.00
Night Before Christmas
by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Christian Burmingham
Heirloom from Running Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Night Before Christmas
by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Christian Burmingham
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Night Before Christmas
by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Tasha Tudor
from Checkerboard Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Night Before Christmas
by Clement Moore, illustrated by Jan Brett
from Putnam Juvenile
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Night Before Christmas
by Clement Moore, illustrated by Cheryl Harness
from Random House
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Night Before Christmas
by Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Tasha Tudor
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Night Before Christmas with DVD
by Clement Moore, illustrated by Jan Brett
from Putnam Juvenile
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Nutcracker
by E. T. A. Hoffmann
from Gramercy Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Nutcracker
by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Veronica Tennant
1st edition from McClelland & Stewart
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
One Wintry Night
by Richard Jesse Watson
from Baker Books
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas
by Chet Williamson, illustrated by James Rice
from Pelican Publishing Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Texas Night Before Christmas
by James Rice
from Pelican Publishing Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
There Was No Snow on Christmas Eve
by Pam Munoz Ryan, Illustrated by Dennis Nolan
from Hyperion Books for Children
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Tomie dePaola's Book of Christmas Carols
by Tomie DePaola
First Edition from Putnam Juvenile
for Nursery-4th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
When Joy Came
by Pauline Palmer Meek; illustrated by Shannon Stirnweis
from Golden Books
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect
by Richard Schneider
from Abingdon Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect
by Richard Schneider
from Abingdon Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$14.99