The fall and winter months bring more than a change in weather. There is a change to rhythm of the days with sorter daylight hours as we move into the darker days of winter. Harvest comes to an end and the fields once green and lush now lie fallow, resting from a vigorous growing season. Yet this time of year is filled with excitement as Thanksgiving and Christmas will soon be here. However, this is only two festival times in the church year.
All Saints Sunday is Sunday, November 5th. It is a day that we remember those who have died in the faith. They are now part of “the great cloud of witnesses” that the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews describes. During worship, we will remember congregational members and loved ones who have died since All
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As Christians we give thanks as we remember those less fortunate than ourselves as we gather to give a generous financial thank offering.
Christ the King (November 26th) ends the Pentecost season and the church year. It is a festival that lifts the lordship of Jesus as ruler of the universe. This Christ the King, the gospel reading is from Matthew 25, the Judgment of the Nations. In the parable the king separates the people like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. The judgment comes in the words, “Whatever you did not do to the least of these, you did not do it to me.” The word of blessing comes in the words, “Whatever you did do to the least of these, you did it to me.”
The First Sunday of Advent begins a new church year. Advent is often overlooked by the culture that is so focused on Christmas Day. Advent Calendars help us in observing the twenty-five days leading to Christmas with devotional reading or suggested acts of charity. The Advent Wreath is set up and the candles are lit each week as the light of Christ increases in the darkness of winter that surrounds
Of all religious holidays that have been adopted by secularists, one of the most popular would be Christmas, originally meant to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. With the exact date of Jesus' birth unknown during ancient times, Christmas was initially assigned to January 6th, but was changed to December 25th under the influence of the winter solstice (Nothaft 903). Peculiarly however, is the universal celebration of Christmas al...
Thanksgiving Compare and Contrast Food, Family, and Fun!! Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States, always celebrated on a Thursday in November. There are many different ways people celebrate Thanksgiving. You give thanks and celebrate what you are most thankful for. Thanksgiving is a national holiday that has many different traditions, activities, and foods in different families.
Textbooks in today’s schools still tell the same story that has been handed down from generation to generation. Every year children dress up and put on plays about the famous story of the first Thanksgiving. No one knows the truth though or at least people pretend to not know the embarrassing truth of our “founding fathers.” Textbooks today give the candy coated version of good saintly Englishmen come to a better world and find good neighbors willing to help in their time of need.
Christmas was originally supposed to be a celebration of the birthday of Jesus Christ. Modern historians suggest that Christ was actually born sometime in April, but that is hardly the point; the point is that a day on which to celebrate his birth and life was needed, and so one was chosen. During the season surrounding this holiday -- especially since it coincided with that of other, similar holidays -- it was thought right to honor Jesus by acting as he did, i.e., in a kind, generous, and forgiving manner. Out of this sprung the custom of giving gifts to loved ones on this holiday.
This day is called All Saint’s Day because since the children who have passed away are believed to be pure, innocent souls. They were young and didn 't reached adulthood therefore they did not experience any evil in their life. On this day children are given sweets and toys similar to Halloween, in remembrance of the young ones who have passed.
Jesus took what they had, gave thanks for it, and fed four thousand men with leftovers. Of course, this may not have been solely on the fact that He gave thanks, but would it have been possible if He had not? Christians believe that God is the provider of everything. When something is given to somebody, one naturally shows his/her appreciation to the person who gave it to them. Saying grace is a gesture of appreciation towards the Christians’ provider.
... preparation of the celebration of Jesus’ birth and his second coming. This leads all the way up to Christmas Eve, and ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Then, Lent occurs: the preparation time that the believer takes to reflect upon their religious practices and values. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and ends on Holy Thursday. Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum. The Easter Triduum includes: Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. The significance of the Easter Triduum is honoring: The Last Supper, death, burial, and resurrection. After the Triduum, Pentecost follows; during this time we honor the descent of the Holy Spirit, which is known as the Ascension of Jesus. After the Ascension of Jesus, we enter Ordinary Time. This Liturgical Season is followed closely by Catholics, this is a prime example of living out their faith.
Few people can confidently say why the United States celebrates Christmas on December 25. And I imagine even fewer people know why we give gifts, or why we pucker up when we find ourselves under some mistletoe. The answers to these questions are under a thick layer of rich human and mythological history. For me, the majority of these discoveries were absolutely shocking—Christ was never in Christmas.
With the end of October and the beginning of November, two historically celebrated holidays come to pass. Each holiday has been celebrated for centuries, and each one continues to have a large impact on society. Interestingly, they developed in two separate civilizations from different hemispheres and occur around the same time. The two distinct holidays of Halloween and Day of the Dead both share similar origins and a focus on spiritual aspects and yet have still remained unique celebrations that continue to largely impact culture.
Many people in American society assume that the main purpose of Christmas is the supposed coming of Santa Claus. Their assumption however is far from the truth. The origins of Christmas, which literally means "Christ mass," actually lie in Christianity-not in the fat man with a stomach that jiggles like a bowl full of jelly. Centuries ago, Christians developed a tradition of celebrating Jesus Christ's birthday. Although Christians were unsure of the exact date of Christ's birth, they officially declared December 25th as the day they would celebrate it. The holiday began simply as a day in which families would spend quality time together, reflecting on Jesus' life, giving thanks to God for sending his "one and only son."
When I was younger, the two holidays I looked forward to were always Thanksgiving and Christmas. This time of the year always is the happiest because everything feels so refreshing because I am spending quality time with the people I love most. When it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I always seem to have the most memorable good and bad moments. These holidays have very different meanings but have the same feeling because it symbolizes, good food, good times with family and a whole lot of drama.
The purpose of Thanksgiving in Canada is different from the Americans. But even though the reasons for giving thanks are different, many of the customs are the same. Canadian Thanksgiving was originally started to give thanks to God for a bountiful harvest. This was when there were lots of farmers that grew crops. Now we give thanks for everything we appreciate. Some farming families still give thanks for a good crop.
Although it was never celebrated in biblical times, Christmas is celebrated in local churches here in Visalia, California in praise of the fact that God loved us so much; he sent his one and only son to earth. He was wholey god and wholey man. Whereas we have succumbed to the temptations of this earth, Jesus was able to overcome all temptations and live a sinless life. He was then crucified as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. One cannot understand why we celebrate the birth of Christ without seeing the other end of his life. He was crucified for our sins and resurrected.
The most important feast in the Christian calendar is Easter, when we celebrate Jesus' resurrection. Every week At Mass we as Catholics share in the Eucharist and commemorate Jesus. death, remembering Jesus' words at the Last Supper, "Do this is memory." of me. We believe that at the moment of the consecration the bread and wine literally became Jesus' body and blood.
People set time aside to prepare, by repenting their sins or doing something cheerful, like opening one window of an Advent Calendar every morning and reading the spiritual message inside, to guide them throughout the day. Christmas cards, a fairly recent custom, are sent to others wishing a happy Christmas. Christmas Day,December 25th ,is the second most important festival of the liturgical year. People can do many things to commemorate Jesus' birth, like Carol singing or the cultural tradition of decorating a