When it comes to Christmas traditions, all you have to do is ask the person next to you and you are sure to hear some that differ from your own. There are even the few who defend their traditions like sacred beliefs. I once had a lady get offended at me as a pastor for having a Christmas tree in my home. This was of course before she realized we were putting one up at the church also.

I know that many of our Christmas traditions have questionable origins. Actually, back in the early 1700s, when the United States were the Colonies, the settlers in Williamsburg celebrated Christmas with customs they had brought from England. There was no Santa Claus (a Dutch tradition), no Christmas trees (a German tradition), no Nativity creche (an Italian tradition), and no chimney stockings (an American tradition).

 Christmas in Colonial Williamsburg was primarily a holy day, but the atmosphere was not solemn. Churches and homes were decorated with greens, while candles burned in all the windows to welcome carolers. There was a public celebration, too. Musicians played special concerts, and fireworks and cannon were exploded to heighten the general merriment. Feasting was in order with dishes of roasted fowl and hare, pudding, ham, oysters, sausage, shellfish, often capped by whole roast boar on a platter. A few gifts were also given then as part of the Christmas celebration, but not nearly on the present-day scale.

Regardless of your traditions this Christmas, whether you put up an artificial tree or a real one, whether you put lights on your house or turn all your lights off to save money, remember that Christmas is still a Holy Day when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So please keep in mind, however you chose to celebrate is not as important as the one who we are celebrating… Christ our King!

Greg Richards is Senior Pastor of Life Church in Kaufman. www.yourlifechurch.com