The Feast of Christmas

by Joseph Kelly

Many Christians struggle to balance the religious and secular elements of Christmas, but the history of the feast shows that this is nothing new. The religious Christmas has changed over the centuries and, contrary to many critics, is thriving today. This brief, accessible account will explain The first Christians did not celebrate Christmas at all. The earliest mention of the feast occurs in the fourth century. In the Middle Ages Christmas moved into northern Europe where it became a major winter festival, competing with the pagan Yule. During the sixteenth century some Christians objected to Christmas because they claimed it had no biblical foundation. In England and New England the Puritans made it a crime to celebrate it! The modern secular Christmas arose in the nineteenth century, but the religious Christmas continued to grow in popularity and meshed well with the developing emphasis on Christmas as a day for family and friends. In today's world, rampant consumerism threatens the religious Christmas, but it continues not only to survive but to flourish, taking on new life and new forms. By tracing these and other aspects of the religious celebration of Christmas through the centuries, Joseph F. Kelly does much more than provide us with interesting facts. He reassures us that though the religious Christmas may not be in its traditional form, it is indeed alive and well, and has a bright and promising future.

121 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[Victoria (TheMennomilistReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the beginning of my reading this book (which I've wanted to read it for about four years), I was a little bored and a little upset. While this is a pretty good history about the ways Christmas has changed over the years and the origins of it, it failed to give a history of what Jewish people who are converted into Christians say about the history of Jesus' birth, which is how it should have started out. I have read a few books on the origins of Christmas over the years and am a Jewish Mennonite Christian who celebrates Hanukkah tied in with Jesus, though I was raised celebrating Christmas with focus on Jesus alone (I know, that is weird, but it is a long story unrelated to this book). Jewish Christian historians tend to state that Jesus was actually born in late September or early October time, never on December 25th, yet Joseph Kelly insists Jesus was proven to be born on this day. He fails to give the account of how Caesar's birthday was actually that day and that is why the Saturnalia feast took place during that time (which he barely even talks about Saturnalia other than that it was why Puritans didn't celebrate Christmas).

I will say that throughout the book, Joseph Kelly gives a good account about the historical changes. While he stated a couple times that the original Christians did not celebrate any feast in regards of the worshiping of Jesus the baby or his birth as a celebration, again, he doesn't ever really state why, but just says they focused on his death (though again, he fails to state they focused a lot on his resurrection).

Once we get to the portions about the Middle Ages, I think this book gets really interesting and I got sucked into it at that point. I really enjoyed learning some of the things he stated that I knew just a slight about. He did really well balancing the information about Protestant and Catholic beliefs without favoring one (and he is a Catholic himself).

Not bad, pretty enjoyable, but I think he could have made this book a bit bigger with more details.
Overall I think it is good to reflect on Christ and why he was brought to the earth and to focus on the miracle of his birth. If you do that by celebrating Christmas, good. I do agree so heartily with Mr. Kelly on how consumerism has pretty much ruined the beauty of it, but not wholly. I liked his sentiments a lot.
3.25 stars

[patience · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and for the most part interesting but somewhat dry explanation of the development of the Western celebration of Christmas. Why Magi, why a star? How December 26, whither Advent? Look here for answers. Plus some neat stuff about Christmas carols and hymns. The Boar Head hymn?