Take a look at the origin of some of our favourite traditions. …While billions of people celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, this annual festival has spread further, wider, and deeper into society. Even those who do not celebrate this annual festival know about the traditions that mark the season: Santa Claus, Christmas trees, lights […]

“Was Jesus born on December 25?”……Answer: Speculation as to the time of Jesus' birth dates back to the 3rd century, when Hyppolytus (ca. 170-236) claimed that Jesus was born on December 25. The earliest mention of some sort of observance on that date is in the Philoclian Calendar, representing Roman practice, of the year 336. […]

“What is Epiphany / Three Kings' Day and should Christians celebrate it?”…An epiphany (from the ancient Greek├ƒÔòØ├ë┬ñ├çÔò¼Ôòú┬ñ├ÑÔò¼┬╝Ôò¼┬óÔò¼├üÔò¼ÔòúÔò¼ÔûÆ, epiphaneia, “manifestation, striking appearance”) is the sudden realization or comprehension of the (larger) essence or meaning of something. The term is used in either a philosophical or literal sense to signify that the claimant has “found the last […]

“What does the Bible say about the three wise men (Magi)?”……Answer: We assume that there were three wise men because of the three gifts that were given: gold, incense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). However, the Bible does not say there were only three wise men. There could have been many more. Tradition says that there […]

“What is an advent calendar? How does an advent calendar relate to Christmas?”……Answer: The word ‘Advent’ has a Latin origin meaning ‘the coming,’ or more accurately, ‘coming toward.’ For Christian believers, Christmas is one of the greatest events in the yearly cycle, being the celebration of the greatest gift ever given by God to mankind. […]

“What does the Bible say about the three wise men (Magi)?”……We assume that there were three wise men because of the three gifts that were given: gold, incense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). However, the Bible does not say there were only three wise men. There could have been many more. Tradition says that there were […]

“What is a Christmas nativity?”……Tradition says that Francis of Assisi created the very first Christmas nativity scene in AD 1223 after a trip to the Holy Land and Christ's birthplace. So began a new tradition that took root in many Western countries. Today, we can see nativity scenes in front of churches and homes, on […]