Christmas in Italy – part 1

Italy enjoys a wide range of weather conditions during the Christmas season. In southern Italy Christmas is warm and sunny. In Rome, Christmas tends to be chilly and damp, almost Spring-like. In the mountain regions of northern Italy, Christmases are white with a lot of snow, ice, and cold temperatures.

Preparations for Christmas begin in December. People around Sicily also enjoy puppet shows with hand-carved puppets performing fairy tale stories and enacting legendary battle scenes. Storekeepers decorate their shops with lights and greenery. Families visit vibrant Christmas markets looking for presents, goodies, and new figures to add to the home manger scene. In the schools children put on plays, give recitals, and make decorations. People begin visiting friends and family bringing gifts, sharing good food, and visiting as many magnificent nativity displays as possible.

On December 6 many Italians celebrate the feast day of San Nicola (St. Nicholas). All along the Adriatic coast, children anxiously await the visit of the saint with his gifts and goodies he brings.

On December 13 the people of Sicily celebrate the feast day of Santa Lucia (St. Lucy). Tradition says that, on the eve of her day, Lucia travels the countryside accompanied by a donkey carrying baskets loaded with gifts for those she visits. Children leave their shoes on the doorstep along with food for the donkey. Lucia then fills the shoes with presents. On the morning of St. Lucia’s day, a child, usually the oldest daughter of the family, dresses up as Lucia and serves the family breakfast in bed.

The Christmas season really starts in Italy with Christmas Novena. This is a nine-day period of spiritual preparation ending Christmas Eve marked by attending church services.

Christmas Eve is spent with family and for making final preparations for Christmas day. They may enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas and the smells of the Christmas markets. Some Italians attend midnight Christmas Eve services at their local churches. In Cortina D’Apezzo, a town in northern Italy, families gather to watch the Alpine guides ski down the mountain carrying flaming torches.

Christmas Day arrives with the pealing of hundreds of church bells. The tradition of ringing church bells at Christmas is thought to have begun nearly 1,600 years ago by Bishop Paulinas of Nola. Families spend the day together exchanging gifts, playing games, telling stories, and feasting.

On December 26 a number of Italians celebrate St. Stephen’s Day. Once a day of religious devotion St Stephen’s Day is now spent relaxing or visiting friends and family.

As Christianity spread in Italy in times past the Christmas season was extended to January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. Cities and towns host Epiphany parades, and people sing songs honoring the three kings.

The following recipe is a favorite at Christmastime in Italy.

Almond Macaroons

1 can (8 ounces) almond paste, cut in pieces
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 egg whites
Pine nuts

Combine almond paste, sugar, and egg whites in a bowl and work with a spoon until smooth. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets lined with unglazed paper. Top with pine nuts. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit about 12 minutes, or until delicately browned. Cool slightly, then remove cookies to racks to cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Celebrating your birthday on Christmas day

Have you ever wished your birthday was Christmas day? I must admit I never have. Wedding anniversary maybe, but not birthday. I imagine some people love it. Others detest it. Some years my daughter’s birthday coincides with Thanksgiving Day. We tell her everyone in the United States are celebrating her birthday with parades, special meals, and lots of fun. She doesn’t agree and asks that we celebrate her birthday on another day during Thanksgiving week.

Here is a short list of people who were born on Christmas day:

1564 – Johannes Buxtorf (the Elder), German Protestant scholar
1642 – Sir Isaac Newton, English scientist, discovered the law of universal gravitation
1717 – Pope Pius VI, pope 1775-1799
1721 – William Collins, English poet
1763 – Claude Chappe, French engineer, developed the first semaphore
1821 – Clara Barton, U. S. humanitarian, founder of the American Red Cross
1878 – Louis Chevrolet, Swiss-American race car driver and automobile magnate
1887 – Conrad Hilton, U. S. hotelier, founder of Hilton Hotels Corporation
1889 – Lila Acheson Wallace, U. S. publisher, founded Reader’s Digest with her husband Dewitt Wallace
1893 – Robert Leroy Ripley, U. S. cartoonist, best known for his syndicated feature Believe It or Not
1899 – Humphrey Bogart, U. S. actor
1918 – Anwar Sadat, Egyptian leader, known for his peace efforts with Israel
1924 – Rod Sterling, U. S. TV personality, writer and host of The Twilight Zone

The origin of Christmas gift giving

The first gifts given to honor the birth of the Christ child came from a group of men called wise men or magi. The Bible does not tell us how many wise men there were. Most people assume there were three because of the three gifts mentioned, but there could have been more. These gifts were expensive and reflected the wise men’s perception of Jesus’ station in life. But those gifts were not the first Christmas gifts. The first Christmas gift came from God Himself. This is the origin of Christmas gift giving: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Gifts had been exchanged during the midwinter season for many years before Christ was born. The Romans are credited with starting the custom of giving gifts during their midwinter festivals. The first festival, Saturnalia, occurred in mid to late December. Gifts of wax candles, wax fruit, and clay dolls were exchanged between social peers. Gifts and good wishes were given to friends and family during the New Year festival Kalends.

As the Roman empire grew gift giving spread throughout Europe. As time went on the celebration of Saturnalia died out but gift giving during the New Year’s celebration continued. In many places, like England, gift giving was reserved for those within the social hierarchy. Peasants gave gifts of farm produce to their lord who then provided a Christmas feast. Nobles gave gifts to the king and queen who also gave gifts to their court. This practice occurred not on Christmas day but on New Year’s day. It was still considered to be a part of the Christmas because the Christmas season, during the medieval period lasted for twelve days. There is no record of gift giving between friends or family members during this time.

The first recorded occurrence of Christmas gift giving between family and friends comes from 16th century Germany. Children received “Christ-bundles” consisting of coins, sugarplums, nuts, apples, dolls, clothing, school books, religious books, or writing materials. Parents told their children that the Christkind, or Christ child, brought their gifts. Through the 17th and 18th centuries the tradition spread throughout Europe and England. Popular gifts included food items, warm clothing, accessories, jewelry, pens, watches, and books for children.

Eventually, by early 19th century, New Year’s gift giving was absorbed by Christmas gift giving. Partly this was due to the number of days within the Christmas season where gifts were exchanged. Some European countries honored St. Nicholas, patron saint of children, on his day by giving gifts to children, a practice that some say was started by nuns in central France who left packages of nuts, oranges, and other “good things to eat” on the doorsteps of poor families with children on St. Nicholas’s eve. Others exchanged gifts on St. Martin’s (Martinmas) eve in honor of the saint’s practice of riding through the countryside giving treats to children. And still others exchanged gifts on St. Stephen’s Day. On this day during the Middle Ages parish priests opened up church alms boxes and distributed the coins found inside to the needy. This practice grew to include boxed gifts of food, money, and clothing given by the affluent in society to those in the working class who served them in some fashion during the year. St. Stephen’s Day soon lost its identity to these gift boxes and became Boxing Day.

The custom of exchanging gifts between friends and family members became widespread during the 19th century. This was aided by the spread of the German Christmas tree as the repository for Christmas gifts and the popularity of Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas, as the giver of Christmas gifts.

Today people all over the world spend billions of dollars every year for Christmas gifts. For some Christmas gift giving is a bother trying to out-give one another, remembering everyone from whom a gift may be received, or facing the high cost of the Christmas season. For others Christmas gift giving is a joy a chance to express appreciation and love to others, a chance to give of oneself to those who cannot give back, and a time to honor the One whose birthday is being celebrated. Which group do you belong? I hope it is the latter.

Christmas Programs and Fudge

Fudge – perfect for Christmas

A major part of the Christmas season, when I was young, was the Christmas program. Taking place at churches, schools, civic events, or the office these programs offer children, and adults, the chance to perform before their parents and their peers and to spread the joy of Christmas.

I was probably four or five years old when I participated in my first Christmas program. It took place in the church my family attended. We attended a small country church. The only decoration I remember is the large Christmas tree set up in the front of the church. All the children participated in order of the age of their Sunday school class. Weeks before the program the children were given pieces, lines of poetry or Bible verses, to memorize. The length of the piece varied by the age of the child, the younger the child the smaller the piece to memorize. When put all together the pieces told the Christmas story or contained a Christmas message. Some classes would sing Christmas carols as well. After the program was over presents were given out. There weren’t very many, but every child went home with something. Everyone, adult and child, received a small box filled with candies, cookies, and, my favorite, fudge. It was a very enjoyable night for children and adults.

My family was attending a larger church which ran a private K-12 school by the time I was a teenager. This church did not have a program put on by the children in their Sunday school classes. Instead the church choir performed a cantata. Sometimes these cantatas told a Christmas story entirely in song; other times the story was told with song and drama. As a member of the school’s choir I had the privilege of participating in a couple of these cantatas.
Now that I have a family of my own I have had the opportunity to lead a couple children’s Christmas programs in the church my family attends. I coordinated the drama portion of two programs and have written a third. While I enjoyed working with these programs I miss participating in or watching adult Christmas programs

For several years at my previous job I, along with the Christmas Luncheon Program committee, coordinated program for the office’s Christmas luncheon. We chose a theme and developed a short program. Then after eating a delicious lunch, we performed the program. The website http://www.customsofchristmas.com began as the program for one of these luncheons.

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My family loves fudge at Christmas time. This is a very easy recipe that everyone can enjoy. If you wish to do a different flavor than milk chocolate just change the flavor of baking chips you use. We like using milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and peanut butter chips. Butterscotch chip work well also.

Fudge

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Spray a 9-inch pan (9×13 inch pan for thinner fudge) with non-stick cooking spray. Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to full rolling boil in 3-qt. saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 5 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until melted. Add nuts and vanilla; mix well.

Pour into prepared pan; spread to cover bottom of pan. Cool completely. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into squares.

Some strange Christmas customs

I need to take some time to examine the content of my website, http://www.customsofchristmas.com, to see what pages need to be expanded. So, for this month, I’m posting a list of strange Christmas customs from around the world plus a recipe which some may think is a strange food to be eaten for Christmas. After you read this please post some of your strange Christmas customs.

In Japan a bucket of KFC fried chicken is the main dish for Christmas dinner. KFC fried chicken is so popular at Christmas that one has to order chicken weeks in advance.

A favorite Christmas dish in Greenland is Kiviak, fermented birds.

People roller skate to mass during the Christmas season in Caracas, Venezuela. Streets are closed to cars and buses during the mornings so the skaters can go to church.

If children in Iceland do not work hard enough and finish their work before Christmas, the scary Yule cat, Jolakotturinn, eats them. Children who get their work done before Christmas get new clothes. The Yule cat looks for the children in old clothes and eats them.

In Estonia and some other Slavic countries Christmas begins with a visit to the sauna.

Straw goats play a big part in a Swedish Christmas. They are a major Christmas decoration on their Christmas trees, in their homes, and in their cities.

In Spain families keep a hollow log with a face and legs in the house. Each night the children give the log something to eat and cover it with a blanket so it will not get cold at night. On Christmas day the log is placed partly into the fireplace and ordered to “poop.” To make it “poop” children beat the log with sticks and sing Christmas songs until nuts and candy fall out for the whole family to share.

In Norway people believe that witches come out on Christmas Eve looking for brooms to ride so they hide them before going to bed on Christmas Eve.

This recipe, and others, can be found on the recipes page at http://www.customsofchristmas.com.

Deep Fried Oysters

2 cans oysters, drained on paper towels
1 stick blue bonnet butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup Kentucky Kernel flour
1 cup plain bread crumbs

Combine melted butter and egg. Dip oysters in egg, butter mixture
and then in flour. Dip again in egg, butter mixture and then in bread crumbs.

Deep fry, on all sides, till golden brown.

Serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

The Characters of Christmas – Jesus

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11 NKJV)

There has never been a more awaited birth or a longer celebrated one. Ever since sin first entered the Garden of Eden through Adam and Eve, the world waited for the coming of the One who would destroy sin and the evil one. Then one night in a little town named Bethlehem the One arrived as a little baby, God’s gift to mankind, the first Christmas gift.

Many men prophesied about this One, the Messiah, Savior of all the world. Moses wrote that this One would be born of a woman (Genesis 3:15), a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah (Genesis 17:3, 7, 19, 21:12, 22:18, 28:13-14, 49:8-10, Numbers 24:17). Isaiah added that He would descend from Jesse (Isaiah 11:1); and Jeremiah added that He would come from Jesse’s son David, king of Israel (Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15). The prophet Micah further said that out of all the towns in Judah He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:1-3). Isaiah further prophesied that He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). David also foretold that God would be the Father of the Savior (Psalm 2:7). This had to be because He could not save the world from their sins if He had sin in His nature too. Since the sin nature was passed on through the man, the mother of the Savior had to be a virgin and the father had to be God. Isaiah also said that this One would be God Himself (Isaiah 9:6-7).

King David, along with the prophet Isaiah, said that kings would bring Him gifts and bow down to worship Him (Psalm 72:10-15, Isaiah 60:3). Hosea prophesied that He would spend time in Egypt (Hosea 11:1), and Jeremiah foretold the weeping that occurred when Herod killed all the boy babies two years old and under in Bethlehem (Jeremiah 31:15). Isaiah even revealed that the Savior would live in the area around Galilee (Isaiah 9:1-2). Many more prophesies were recorded throughout the Old Testament about the Messiah, the Savior, but we won’t go into them here.

Only one person fulfilled all these prophesies. He was born in Bethlehem to a virgin, Mary, a direct descendant of King David. He was named Jesus. Angels announced his birth to shepherds. Kings known as wise men or magi brought Him gifts and bowed down to worship Him. He was taken to Egypt by Mary and Joseph just before Herod called for the killing of Bethlehem’s baby boys two years old and younger. He lived there until Herod died. Then Joseph brought the family back to Nazareth in the region of Galilee.

Jesus lived a life just like we do. He was tempted to sin just like we are, but He never sinned. He suffered persecutions from those who hated Who He was and what He stood for. Then He was crucified on a cruel Roman cross not because of something He did for He did nothing wrong but because He was the Son of God. He went to the cross as God’s sacrificial lamb willingly giving up His life so that sin and the Devil’s hold on humanity would be broken forever. Then Jesus rose from the dead to complete His wonderful work of salvation. All this was prophesied in the Old Testament, too.

This year as you celebrate the birth of Jesus consider what gift you are going to give Him. The gift He wants most is you.

Names of Jesus
The Amen – Revelation 3:14
Angel – Genesis 48:16, Exodus 23:20,21
Anointed – Psalm 2:2
Apostle – Hebrews 3:1
Author and Finisher of our faith – Hebrews 12:2
Beginning and End of the Creation of God – Revelation 3:14, 22:13
Beloved Son – Matthew 3:17
My Beloved – Ephesians 1:6
Only Begotten – John 1:14, 18
The Branch – Isaiah 11:1, Matthew 2:23
Bread of Life – John 6:32
Bridegroom – Matthew 9:15
Christ “Messiah, the Anointed One” – John 1:41
Consolation – Luke 2:25
Cornerstone – Ephesians 2:20
Counselor – Isaiah 9:6, Colossians 2:3
Dayspring – Luke 1:78
Deliverer – Luke 2:11
Door – John 10:9
Emmanuel – Isaiah 7:14
The Faithful Witness – Revelation 5:5
The Father of Eternity – Isaiah 9:6, Revelation 1:8
God – Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1
God, My Savior – Isaiah 45:1
The Mighty God – Isaiah 9:6, John 1:1-3
Governor – Matthew 2:6
Head of the Church – Ephesians 5:23
Heir – Hebrews 1:2
Holy One – Isaiah 41:14, Mark 1:24
I Am – John 8:58
Immanuel – Isaiah 7:14, I Timothy 3:16
Israel – Isaiah 49:3
Jesus – Matthew 1:21
Jesus Christ – John 1:17
Jesus of Nazareth – Mark 1:24, Luke 24:19
King – Matthew 21:5, Psalm 2:6, Matthew 2:1-2
King of Kings and the Lord of Lords – Revelation 19:16
Lamb of God – John 1:14
The Last Adam – I Corinthians 15:45
Life – John 14:6
Light of the World – John 8:12
The Lion of Judah – Revelation 5:5
LORD – Isaiah 40:3, Mark 1:1-8
Lord – Psalm 110:1, Luke 20:41-44
Lord Jesus – John 20:28
Man – 1 Timothy 2:5
The Second Man – 1 Corinthians 15:47
The Master – Matthew 9:11, 23:8
Messiah – Daniel 9:25, John 1:41
The Messiah – Daniel 9:25-26, Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:16-21
Paraclete – John 16:7, 14, 15
High Priest – Hebrews 3:1
Priest – Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 3:1, 5:5-6
Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6, Ephesians 2:14
Prophet – Deuteronomy 11:15, 18; Matthew 21:11; Luke 24:19
The Prophet – Deuteronomy 18:15-18, John 12:49-50
Rabbi – John 1:49, 20:16
Resurrection and Life – John 11:25
Righteous One – 1 Corinthians 1:30
Rock – Matthew 16:18
Savior, Christ the Lord – Luke 2:11, Titus 2:13, 2 Timothy 2:10
Savior of the World – 1 John 4:14
The Seed – Genesis 15:5, Galatians 3:16
Servant – Isaiah 42:1, 49:7
The Servant of the Lord – Isaiah 42:1, 52:13, Philippians 2:7
Good Shepherd – John 10:11
Shiloh – Genesis 49:10, Ezekiel 21:27
Son of the Blessed – Mark 14:61
Son of David – Matthew 12:23
Son of God – John 10:36
Son of Man – Mark 10:45
The Son – Psalm 2:7, Hebrews 5:8
The Son of Man – Daniel 7:13, Matthew 20:28
Stone – Matthew 21:42, 1 Peter 2:8
The Stone – Psalm 118:22, 1 Peter 2:4-8
Teacher – John 3:2, Matthew 9:11
Truth – John 14:6
True Vine – John 15:1
The Way – John 14:6
Wonderful – Isaiah 9:6, John 1:14
Word – John 1:1

The Characters of Christmas – Wise Men

Of all the characters in the Christmas story the wise men may have the least said about them in the Bible and the most legend about them in stories and song. Here’s what we do know about the wise men based on what the Bible tells us.

First, there was more than one wise man. The Bible says that they were wise “men” plural, but it doesn’t reveal the actual number of wise men. Many say there were three wise men because of the number of gifts recorded as being given to Jesus. Next, we know that they came from the East. How far to the East we do not know. They may have been from Persia or even the orient. The wise men were astrologers; they studied the stars. They knew the stars very well so that when His star appeared they knew what they needed to do.

When they saw the star they left the comfort of their homes to seek out the newborn King of the Jews. They had a basic knowledge of this baby. They knew that He was to be King of the Jews and that He was to be worshiped. That is why they went to Jerusalem, to find where this King was to be born. The Bible does not say that the wise men followed the star they saw from their home to Jerusalem. It just says that they saw the King’s star in the East and came to worship Him.

The wise men caused quite a stir in Jerusalem. No one knew of a newborn King. King Herod, a ruthless and paranoid man, was troubled most of all. Was this another plot to depose him? He decided to play along with the wise men, find out where the baby was to be born, and have the wise men find the baby for him. Then he would destroy this new King. The chief priests and scribes, the experts in the Jewish scriptures, came and told the wise men that the baby was to be born in Bethlehem. Herod told the wise men to look for the baby and to return to tell him where He was so he could go worship Him, too.

When the wise men left Herod’s palace they looked up and once again saw the King’s star. This time the star led them to Bethlehem to the house where Jesus was. Some have speculated that the star was just a lining up of certain planets or a comet. But can a comet or a group of planets way up in the cosmos lead a group of men to a particular town and point out a particular house within that town? Instead the star seems to be a special miracle star that God made expressly for the purpose of showing the wise men where His Son, the newborn King of the Jews, was staying.

The Bible does not say how close to the birth of Jesus the wise men arrived in Bethlehem. However, it is safe to say that it was at least forty days and may have been as much as two years after the birth. We do know that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus left for Egypt to flee Herod after the wise men left, probably the same night. When Jesus was forty days old He was taken to the temple so the wise men could not have arrived before then. We also know that when Herod discovered that the wise men had no intention of telling him where the newborn King of the Jews was he killed every baby in Bethlehem two years old and younger. This may be because the wise men traveled for two years before finding the baby Jesus. The exact time is unknown, but we do know that it was long enough that Joseph found a house for the young family to live in. The wise men never went to the stable.

When the wise men saw Jesus they fell down and worshiped Him; and they gave Him gifts: gold, signifying that Jesus is King of the world (that gold financed the family’s trip to Egypt to flee Herod), frankincense, a present signifying that Jesus is our High Priest, and myrrh, signifying Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of mankind.

That night God warned the wise men in a dream not to return to Herod. The wise men obeyed returning to their home by a different route.

God’s Son Jesus was sent to the earth to be the Savior of all mankind. He is the Savior of the common man as shown by His announcement to the shepherds. He is also the Savior of the rich man and the scholar. Jesus is Savior and Lord of all.

The Characters of Christmas – The Shepherds

Many people use the fact that the shepherd were in the fields watching their sheep as proof that Jesus could not have been born on December 25. Actually, since we are never told why the shepherds were in the fields that night, any reason proffered is pure speculation. Why were they in the fields at night instead of in the sheep folds? We are never told why. Perhaps it was because of all the Roman soldiers in the area. The Roman soldiers were known to take by force what they wanted so perhaps the shepherds were out in the fields to keep the sheep away from the soldiers. In that case they might have been in the fields with their sheep cold or not. At any rate the shepherds were in the fields watching the sheep. Each day was spent making sure the sheep got the food and water they needed; each night watching the sheep sleep undisturbed by thieves or marauding beasts. One day ran into the next with very little change to the routine.

Then came that special night. The shepherds were watching their sheep sleep keeping active sheep from wandering away from the herd. The night sky became as bright as day and a person appeared out of the light. Understandably the shepherds were terrified. Where did this bright light come from? Who was this person who stands before them? Is he friend or foe? The person spoke, “Do not be afraid…” After this speech the sky was filled with more beings like the first one singing and praising God. Then they disappeared and the light faded to night once more. When the shepherds found their voices they discussed what they heard. The Messiah, the Christ, has been born. They left their sheep and hurried to Bethlehem. They left their sheep in the hands of God and ran to behold the miracle of the birth of the Son of God.

We are not told how many stables with mangers there were in Bethlehem. The shepherds may have gone right to the one where Mary and Joseph were, or they may have had to search for it. When they found “the Babe lying in a manger” they told Mary and Joseph all that happened to cause them to search for the baby Jesus. We do not know how long the shepherds stayed with Mary and Joseph. At the time they left the stable, people were stirring in the town of Bethlehem; and the shepherds told everyone they met about their experience with the angels and going to see the Christ, the Son of God. The people marveled at the shepherds’ message possibly thinking the shepherds were going a bit loony spending too much time with their sheep. Mary, however, pondered everything the shepherds told her and kept their sayings in her heart.

The shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God worshiping Him for letting them be one of the first to get the birth announcement of His Son. This was a sure sign that God sent His Son to the humble, the lowly, the common man.

The Characters of Christmas – Joseph

There was a man who lived in Nazareth, a carpenter by trade, who, in another time and another place, might have had a very different occupation. This man could have been king of Israel. He was a direct descendant of King David through his son Solomon. If the Romans hadn’t conquered Israel Joseph may have been king instead of a carpenter.

Joseph was a godly man who knew God’s word and obeyed God. He not only obeyed God, but he also obeyed the government that God placed over Israel. He was a just man who took his responsibilities seriously.

Joseph was espoused to a girl named Mary, a virgin also from Nazareth. She, too, was a descendant of King David but not of the kingly line. He loved her deeply and was looking forward to making her his wife. He must have been devastated when Mary told him that she was pregnant. She must have told him that this baby was from God and not from a sexual relationship with another man. She must have told him about the angel Gabriel’s visit and what he told her. But Joseph’s mind was still in turmoil. How could she have done this? She knows the punishment according to the Torah for fornication was death. Should he divorce Mary or quietly put her away? After all, he had his own reputation to consider. Joseph’s sleep that night must have been fitful with much tossing and turning. Then an angel of the LORD, quite possibly Gabriel, came to Joseph in a dream confirming what Mary had told him. Being obedient to God, Joseph took Mary as his wife. We’re not told at what point in Mary’s pregnancy they got married.

Word came from the Roman emperor that all men were to go to their home city, the city of their ancestors, to be counted for tax purposes. Joseph knew that Mary’s time was near and probably would have done all he could to let her stay in Nazareth while he took part in the census. Mary, however, refused choosing to go with Joseph to Bethlehem, a very long journey for a woman about to give birth to a baby. The Bible does not say that Joseph had a donkey for Mary to ride, but Joseph’s concern for Mary was great enough for us to assume that he did something so Mary would not have to walk the distance. When they arrived in Bethlehem they were tired and needed a place to rest. The baby was coming soon, maybe even that night. Joseph went from inn to inn looking for a place to stay. But no place was available. No room could be made for the couple soon to have a baby. Finally someone said they could sleep in his stable. They gladly accepted. Joseph made a place in the hay and straw for Mary and him to sleep. Sometime while they were staying in the stable the baby Jesus was born.

Sometime after Jesus was born Joseph found a house for the family to stay. When Jesus was forty days old, Joseph and Mary took Him to the temple to offer the sacrifice redeeming the first-born male as required by Jewish law. It is safe to assume that the wise men did not arrive before this event because of what happened after they left. The Bible does not say how long Joseph and Mary lived in Bethlehem before the wise men visited. It could have been as long as two years, because Herod killed every boy baby two years old and younger, but not less than forty days. Sometime after the wise men arrived and quite possibly that same night, Joseph had another dream. In it he was told to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt because Herod would try to kill the baby. The little family fled to Egypt and stayed there until Herod died. After Herod’s death Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned to Nazareth.

We’re not told much about Joseph after he and his family returned to Nazareth. We do know that Joseph and Mary had a number of children together, a number of Jesus’ half-brothers being mentioned by name in the Bible. We also know that Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem every year, at least until He was twelve years old, for the Feast of the Passover. After that time Joseph is never mentioned again. Some speculate that Joseph died fairly early in Jesus’ life. They say that Joseph was anywhere from twenty to forty years older than Mary and died of old age. However, it is not unreasonable to believe that Joseph and Mary were much closer in age. Carpentry can be a hazardous job, and Joseph could have died in a carpentry accident. Or Joseph could still have been living when Jesus died but was never mentioned because he did not factor in any more of the stories told in the Bible. It is impossible to say for sure because the Bible is silent on the issue.

Joseph, because of his obedience to and love for God, was given a very important job, raising the Son of God. It must have overwhelmed him at times, but God was with Joseph guiding him all the way and giving him the wisdom needed to do the job.

The Characters of Christmas – Mary

Mary lived with her family in the town of Nazareth. They were a poor family living in a town with a poor reputation. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” was the popular sentiment of the day. They were descendants of King David through David’s son Nathan, but since the Romans were in control very few of the Jewish royal family were affluent.
Mary was a young girl, a virgin. We don’t know her age. Some believe she may have been as young as fourteen years old; others say she was older. The Bible, however, does not give her age. She was a loving, caring girl with a servant’s heart. She was a thankful, trusting person, too. She was obedient both to her parents and her God. She was a normal, young Jewish girl with dreams of being a good wife and mother.

Mary’s parents were godly people who made sure Mary also knew God and loved Him. They taught her the Holy Scriptures. Because of this Mary was highly favored by God.

Mary was espoused to a man named Joseph, a godly man who also loved God, when she entertained a special visitor. The angel Gabriel was sent by God to give a special message to Mary. Gabriel said that God was with Mary and that she was blessed among women. Gabriel revealed that she was chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah. Mary knew all the prophesies about the Messiah. She probably hoped that she would be the one to give him life, but she was still surprised and probably stunned to hear that she was the one chosen by God to bear His Son. She was willing to be used by God but questioned how this was to come about. She was a virgin. She never had sex with any man. So how was she to have this baby? Gabriel explained that God would take care of everything, and Mary understood that this impregnation would occur without the help of a man. Mary must have wondered what other people would think of her. Here she would be pregnant without a husband. Oh, how the gossip would fly. And what would Joseph think? Would he leave her? Would he divorce her? Would he make an example of her and cause her to go before the judges? She knew that God’s law said adulteresses should be put to death. But Mary’s faith and trust in God shone forth. She knew if God called her to carry His Son then He would take care of her even if the whole world were against her.

Mary was a loving, caring girl with a servant’s heart as evidenced by what she did when she heard that her cousin Elizabeth was six months pregnant. Mary, being pregnant herself, left her home and stayed with Elizabeth and her husband for three months helping them with the housework, with the work in the fields, with everything imaginable. Elizabeth’s pregnancy, like Mary’s, was a miraculous pregnancy. Elizabeth and her husband were too old to have children; yet God intervened and caused them to have a child.

Mary was a faithful girl, faithful to her God and faithful to her husband. Instead of staying in Nazareth when the Romans made Joseph go to Bethlehem to be counted in the census, where she could have had her baby in a warm house, Mary went with Joseph on the rough, possibly even dangerous trip to Bethlehem; and she made this trip when she was nine months pregnant. Many believe that Mary made the trip riding on a donkey. The Bible doesn’t say that. She may have been walking. Not likely, but it may have happened. When they arrived at Bethlehem they were tired. Joseph spent a lot of time going from inn to inn looking for a place for them to stay especially since Mary could give birth at any time, but nothing was available. Mary was gracious. When a stable was offered she willingly took it, choosing to sleep on the straw instead of the hard, cold ground.

Mary was also a strong girl, strong spiritually and strong physically, too. She was tired from the long trip, tired from the search for a place to spend the night. All she wanted to do was lay down and sleep, but she could not. Labor pains began. The baby was born. And yet she still could not rest for a group of shepherds entered the stable asking, “Is this the place?” Then they explained why they were there. What an incredible, unbelievable story! Unbelievable to anyone who has never interacted with an angel. Mary believed. Mary knew why they were there worshiping her little Son. Yet Mary did not understand everything that was happening because she pondered in her heart all that she heard. She did not understand why her God would send His Son birthed by her to save the world from their sins. Only after the shepherds left could Mary get some sleep if her thoughts did not keep her awake.

Two other times we are told that Mary pondered things she saw and heard in her heart. One was about forty days after Jesus’ birth. She and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to offer the sacrifices of purification as demanded by Jewish law and the scriptures. Simeon and Anna, two old people who were frequently found at the temple, came to them and worshiped Jesus and told Mary their story. Simeon even prophesied about Jesus’ death. This must have really puzzled Mary. The next was when the wise men knocked on the door of their house. We do not know exactly when this was as the Bible does not say. We can surmise that it was more than forty days after Jesus’ birth because Mary, Joseph, and Jesus left for Egypt the soon after the wise men left. It may have been as long as two years after Jesus’ birth. Why else would Herod have killed all babies in Bethlehem two years old and younger? The wise men worshiped her Son and gave him wonderful gifts. The gifts that were given to Jesus would have caused anyone to stop and think. Gold is a kingly gift, frankincense a priestly gift, and myrrh a burying spice.

Mary truly was blessed among women and highly favored with God and man. She was chosen by God to bring His Son into the world. She believed God and trusted Him to get her through the hardships of life and trusted her son, the Son of God, to take away her sins and be her Savior.