By Yabesh Onwonga
Renowned Christmas festivity commemorating over 2000 years of birth of Jesus Christ primarily for religious and cultural event among billions Christians and non-Christians around the world has come to pass, amid hot discourse in its applicability among the social-economic and political classes conduct pre-and post-Christmas celebrations.
2015 global statistics estimated that 2.42 or 2.3 billion adherents to Christianity the largest religious group in the world, and in 2020 there were about 2.6 billion adherents globally. In Kenya, Christianity being the main in Kenya introduced in 1844 and in the early 20th century and today ,the main religion in Kenya as of 2019, over 86 percent of the population 0f 46 million.
Christmas is an important occasion to many Christians because it reminds them that: Jesus, the Son of God, came to Earth for all people, symbolized through the visits of the wise men and the shepherds. Biblical gospels accounts and history argues that Jesus celebratory goes as far as his three and half ministerial in earthly ministry of repentance and turning to God coupled with a message of God’s generosity, forgiveness, love and justice. The Gospels describe miracles performed by Jesus: healing the sick, casting out the demons of mental illness from the tormented, and even bringing sinners back to Christ.
For our family Christmas is also a celebration of Christ’s birth and God’s unspeakable gift to the world. And that celebration helps to shape the traditions that keep our family connected in a special way during this season of joy and happy new-year 2022 to the end has helped us to co-exist amid challenges such as Covid-19,terrorism, pollution, poverty, consumer unrest, corruption, ethnicity and intolerance. Despite controversies and criticism has a wonderful time that brings families together as we reach out to others in transparency and accountable behavior. 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 spread the word.
According the gospels of Luke and Matthew, it accounts Jesus as being born in Bethlehem to the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit as His earthly. Parents – Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census, and Jesus was born there and placed in a manger. Angels proclaimed him a savior for all people, and shepherds came to adore him. The book of Matthew adds that the magi followed a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts to Jesus, born the king of the Jews. King Herod ordered the massacre of all the boys less than two years old in Bethlehem, but the family fled to Egypt and later returned to Nazareth after Herod demise.
The Christmas has at times been the subject of controversy and attacks from various sources. Historically it was prohibited by Puritans when they briefly held power in England (1647–1660), and in Colonial America where the Puritans outlawed the celebration of Christmas in 1659. The Parliament of Scotland, which was dominated by Presbyterians, passed a series of acts outlawing the observance of Christmas between 1637 and 1690; Christmas Day did not become a public holiday in Scotland until 1958. Christmas celebrations have also been prohibited by atheist states such as the Soviet Union and more recently majority Muslim states such as Somalia, Tajikistan and Brunei. In the 17th century, Isaac Newton, who, coincidentally, was born on December 25, argued that the date of Christmas may have been selected to correspond with the solstice. Other opposition has been, Christmas does not appear on the lists of festivals given by the early Christian writers Irenaeus and Tertullian. Origen and Arnobius fault the pagans for celebrating birthdays, which suggests that Christmas was not celebrated in their time. Arnobius wrote after AD 297. The Chronograph of 354 records that, a Christmas celebration took place in Rome in 336, eight days before the calendar of January begun. Many popular customs associated with Christmas developed independently of the commemoration of Jesus’ birth, with some claiming that certain elements have origins in pre-Christian festivals that were celebrated by pagan populations who were later converted to Christianity. The prevailing atmosphere of Christmas has also continually evolved since the holiday’s inception, ranging from sometimes raucous, drunken, carnival-like state in the Middle Ages, to a tamer family-oriented and children-centered theme.
Hot debate such as the date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical reference, but most biblical scholars assume a year of birth between 6 and 4 BC. European History Professor Joseph Perry wrote that Christmas celebrations began to be held around the world even outside traditional Christian cultures in the 20th century.
Historically speaking, in the Early Middle Ages, Christmas Day was overshadowed by Epiphany, which in western Christianity focused on the visit of the magi. But the medieval calendar was dominated by Christmas-related holidays. The forty days before Christmas became the “forty days of St. Martin” (which began on November 11, the feast of St. Martin of Tours), now known as Advent.In Italy, former Saturnalias traditions were attached to Advent. Around the 12th century, these traditions transferred again to the Twelve Days of Christmas (December 25 – January 5); a time that appears in the liturgical calendars as Christmastide or Twelve Holy Days.
Although the month and date of Jesus’ birth are unknown amid mixed reactions, in the early fourth century fixed the date as December 25 corresponds to the date of the winter solstice on the Roman calendar. Most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of the Julian calendar, reducing the average year from 365.25 days to 365.2425 days, and adjusting for the drift in the ‘tropical’ or ‘solar’ year that the inaccuracy had caused during the intervening centuries the calendar spaces leap years to make its average year 365.2425 days long, approximating the 365.2422-day Every year that is exactly divisible by four is a leap year.The same calendar brings us to the year we are now 2021-2022.History accounts shows that Rome ruled [168 BC-to 476 AD] Greece 331 bc-168 BC,Medo-persia 538-331 BC, and Babylon 605—538 BC. Further evidences indicates that, rome was divided into ten namely: Alemi {Germany] FRANKS [France] Burgundians [Switzerland] Suevi [Portugal] Anglo-Saxons [Britain] Visigoths [Spain, Lombards [Italy as states of Vandals, Ostrogoths and Heruli were crushed and came extinct due to their rebellion against Roman Empire under JUSTINIAN.
Although no date is indicated in the gospels, early Christians connected Jesus to the According to the Jewish Jesus was considered to have been conceived on March 25, as he died on March 25, which was calculated to have coincided with 14 Nisan.
Christmas is typically a peak of hike bus fares and exorbitant selling season for retailers in many nations around the world Kenya is no exception. Sales increase dramatically as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies to celebrate.
Christians in Kenya are under Gods obligation to our land the best adirable allover.Lets be law-abiding citizens and true followers of Jesus Christ. When we go to our various places of work every day, we show our commitment and love to God by obeying His commands, witnessing, Bible reading, praying, doing good to others, and abstaining from conforming to worldly standards (Mark 16:15; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 55:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:10; 12:1-2).
The Lord expects every one of us who are truly born-again Christian to serve and follow Him faithfully every second of our existence (Matthew 25:4, 10). After we become born again and accept the gift of salvation, in God’s eyes, we became a new creation and we are told to “take off the old man corrupted by evil desires” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-25. In other words, we declare unity and co-existence with Him, like in a marital vow (1 Corinthians 6:17), whereby a husband and wife promised before God to remain together no matter what! We confess our sins to one another, forgive, and ask for forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 1:9; James 5:16).
With festivity season with and 2022 polls around the corner, urge all Christians and non-christians alike to co-exist peacefully and join the Governments efforts of tackling challenges such as Covid-19 cum Omicron, terrorism, pollution, poverty, consumer unrest, corruption, ethnicity and intolerance at all costs and critically rethink scholar
Mahatma Gandhi was quotation ‘I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ’. According to John 14:15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
