“Merry Christmas” is a greeting that people worldwide will receive this month, and it has been popular for years. Before we can embrace the greeting, we must first understand its meaning. In this article, I have listed two websites about “Merry Christmas” meaning to help us perceive what the greeting means.
The website www.wilstar.com/christmas/merry-christmas-meaning/ defines merry as being joyful, expressing good cheer, and being in a state of content. It defines Christmas as a combination of phrases called “Christ Mass,” a large mass where millions gathered to honor the birth of Jesus Christ during the fourth century, which became an annual tradition. Pope Julius I, a bishop of a Catholic Church from Rome, Italy, declared December 25th as the date to hold a Christ Mass each year to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Pope Julius I then shortened the Christ Mass phrase to Christmas to make a holiday into a cultural mix of pagan and Christian values, making it possible for both cultures to celebrate the holiday. Since the 19th century in England, merry has become associated with Christmas, known as “Merry Christmas,” and the most recognizable term of goodwill worldwide, regardless of religious theories.
The website www.daytranslations.com/blog/say-merry-christmas/ defines “Merry Christmas” as a greeting that reflects messages of love, joy, and well wishes to those who celebrate the season without having any religious [tendency]. It explains the meaning of the Merry Christmas message in four ways:
- To erase anger and act as a bridge where misunderstandings dwell.
- To bring new relationships.
- To connect people, including strangers.
- To uplift someone [downhearted].
Learning from both websites mentioned in this article, we understand that “Merry Christmas” expresses wishes and hope of love, joy, peace, contentment, and goodwill to others. I wish everybody a “Merry Christmas!” May we all spread the greeting around to as many people as possible!
Christmas Prayer
Dear God, our Heavenly Father,
Since the angels proclaimed the birth of Jesus Christ as good tidings of great joy for all people on earth (Luke 2:10-11, New King James Version), I pray that everybody, Christians and non-Christians worldwide, will rejoice in Jesus’ birth during the holiday season.
During Christmas, I pray You will reconcile estranged relationships among families and colleagues by granting them the spirit to make peace by setting aside all differences and forgiving all grievances they have made against each other. I pray that You will bring a fresh start to their relationship by bridging love, harmony, and unity.
I pray that You give us all a spirit to greet everyone at every parade, mass, church function, extravaganza, and festival with a “Merry Christmas” greeting, for Hebrews 13:2 says, “ Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it (New American Standard Bible).
Since Christmas can be a time of sorrow for those who lost their loved ones to death, I pray that You will give bereaved families peace and comfort as they grieve by giving them a spirit of rejoicing! While they are in sorrow, sowing in tears, I pray that Jesus will allow them to reap for joy during this season, for Psalms 30:5 says, “Weeping may endure through the night, but joy comes in the morning (New King James Version).
I pray that You will bless the toy drives and the Santa Claus visitations that we give our children to bring them joy during the holiday season so they can have things to rejoice and cheer about in the days of their youth (Ecclesiastes 11:9, New King James Version). As we purchase or exchange gifts with our families and friends during Christmas, I also pray that we all will be blessed, appreciative, and content with the gifts we receive and exchange from our families and friends. Amen.
May everybody celebrate Christmas with a merry heart, for it makes a cheerful countenance and does good like medicine (Proverbs 15:13 and 17:22, King James Version!–Kenneth Sullivan.