Christmas Greetings to our Christian fellow Rotarians Christmas announces the birth of Jesus Christ.The various communities of the Christian religion celebrate the holiday on different dates.The Catholics and Protestants celebrate on the 25th of December. The Orthodox celebrate on the 7th of January and the Christian Armenians on the 6th of January. The birth of Jesus has two versions:The first:- "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit, and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit"..( Matthew 1, 18-20) .The second;- "In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said:"Hail, O Favoured one,…"But she was greatly troubled at the saying, And the angel said to her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus". (Luke 1 26-31). The date of the holiday was first set in 336 CE.It is believed that the date was set close the shortest day of the year – the 21st of December, and matched the customs of the ancient civilizations celebrating the rebirth of the son and the lengthening of the hours of light during the day. The celebrations used lights, gifts for the children and the poor and festive meals.The celebration of Christmas today got its tradition in the middle ages when the Christmas tree of a fir tree was brought in as symbol of survival after the cold winter, and the lights symbolize the lengthening of the day light hours.Today the holiday is secular and public with the additional customs originated especially in England including the old customs of fellowship, family gathering and giving gifts to the members of the family and to the needy. Doesn't it match the Rotary motto "Service above Self"? Fellow Christian friends, I wish you a happy holiday, full of light and be like the good tree "For no good tree bears bad fruit.., for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush" (Luke 6, 43-44). The future of Rotary is in your handsUri Zeiger District Governor 2009-10District 2490 - Israel |