Faith Works 12-29-23

Faith Works 12-29-23
Jeff Gill

A local Christmas tradition that hasn't started yet
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If you have read the last four columns I've done about how we've observed Christmas in Licking County, thank you!

We considered Christmas in 1800, 1844, 1864, and 1944. I know, it would have been nice if I could have found a cool Christmas story from 1804, but the Stadden-Green wedding on Christmas Day in 1800 was too good to pass up. Plus, I didn't see anything in 1804 from the archives that took us where I wanted to go.

Which was: reflecting on what's timeless, and what's changing, and how it might yet change further, about our cultural and religious understanding of the holiday itself. The holiday, or holy day, which is where the term comes from.

The birth of Jesus, or theologically the Incarnation, is the core concept that does not change. Incarnation, or the idea that God incarnate, or "in the flesh" would be with us, let alone in a humble form, worshiped by shepherds and laid in a manger: that's the heart of Christmas, or "the reason for the season."

Other aspects of a traditional (to us) Christmas are more fluid. Early Christmases in Licking County talk about candles in the long nights after the winter solstice, and "decking the halls" with fresh scented greenery like pine garlands and holly branches, not to mention discreet sprigs of mistletoe, but not trees. This seems to be a post-Civil War fashion which the returning soldiers made a common practice, but not until 1865 and after.

Likewise, a tree would be cut and brought in and decorated pretty much altogether, on Christmas Eve, and sometimes removed after Christmas Day or perhaps by some until Jan. 6, Epiphany. They were locally cut on common woodlots, and propped up by makeshift stands.

Historically, it's a recent idea that we can own a purpose made stand with a water reservoir and tree to keep a Christmas tree up most of December; when artificial trees became more common I don't know, but that's more post-World War II. Likewise electric lights, not candles.

Now with mail order pre-lit artificial trees, you can have Christmas decor up for weeks and months, and many do. But that's a change, you see, don't you? And each such change due to technology or cultural adaptations subtly changes our holiday sense.

As a person of faith and a religious teacher, the shift of imperishable decor and LED lights doesn't bother me per se, except for how Christmas has done two odd things: it's backed into November, if not October for some (and certainly in advertising), and it chops off ruthlessly at the end of the 25th.

When I served a parish, I enjoyed saying "now that everyone has given us back Christmas, we can make the most of it!" There's a season of Christmastide in the great tradition, which extends from Dec. 25 through Jan. 6. Even as all the decorations get packed away in deference to a flood of Valentine's retail offerings on Dec. 26, that's when a believer in the Incarnation should be gearing up to move from Advent to Christmastide, to celebrate twelve days at least of Christ's nativity and presence among us.


Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he's enjoyed looking back at other ways to do Christmas, and hopes you have too. Tell him what you'd like to learn about in faith and hope during 2024 at knapsack77@gmail.com, or follow @Knapsack77 on Threads.