DECEMBER 25 AT ANG MGA KAUGALIAN SA PASKO

December 25 ba ipinanganak ang ating Panginong Jesu Cristo.

Una hindi binanggit sa Biblia ang petsa ng kapanganakan ng ating Panginoon Jesu Cristo ngunit nakatala na nung ipanganak ang ating Panginoong Jesu Cristo ikinagalak ito ng mga anghel sa langit at sila'y nagsipuri sa Dios:

♉ "At ito ang sa inyo'y magiging pinakatanda: Masusumpungan ninyo ang isang sanggol na nababalot ng lampin, at nakahiga sa isang pasabsaban.At biglang nakisama sa anghel ang isang karamihang hukbo ng langit, na nangagpupuri sa Dios, at nangagsasabi:Luwalhati sa Dios sa kataastaasan, At sa lupa'y kapayapaan sa mga taong kinalulugdan niya.--(Lukas 2:12-14)

Ang kapanganakan ng Mesiyas ay isang mabuting balita ng malaking kagalakan na sasa boung bayan.

♉ "At nangyari, samantalang sila'y nangaroroon, at naganap ang mga KAARAWANG DAPAT SIYANG MANGANAK.at kaniyang ipinanganak ang panganay niyang anak na lalake; at ito'y binalot niya ng mga lampin, at inihiga sa isang pasabsaban, sapagka't wala nang lugar para sa kanila sa tuluyan.At may mga pastor ng tupa sa lupain ding yaon na nangasa parang, na pinagpupuyatan sa gabi ang kanilang kawan.At tumayo sa tabi nila ang isang anghel ng Panginoon, at ang kaluwalhatian ng Panginoon ay nagliwanag sa palibot nila: at sila'y totoong nangatakot. At sinabi sa kanila ng anghel, Huwag kayong mangatakot; sapagka't narito, dinadalhan ko kayo ng MABUBUTING BALITA NG MALAKING KAGALAKAN, NA SIYANG SASA BOUNG BAYAN:Sapagka't ipinanganak sa inyo ngayon sa bayan ni David ang isang Tagapagligtas, na siya ang Cristo ang Panginoon.-- (Lucas 2:6-11)

At itong kapanganakan ng ating Panginoon dapat natin itong IKAGALAK AT IKATUWA sapagkat ito ang ARAW na ginawa ng Panginoon:

♉ "Ito ang ARAW na ginawa ng Panginoon; tayo'y mangagagalak at ating katutuwaan. -- ( Mga Awit 118:24 )

Pero ang malaking tanong hindi natin alam kung kailan siya ipinanganak sapagkat hindi naman nakatala sa Biblia ang petsa ng kanyang kapanganakan.

Ang salitang Pasko o Christmas ay nagmula sa Old English word na Cristes maesse na ang ibig sabihin ay Mass of Christ. Kaya sa salitang ito, kapag sinabing Christmas, hindi ito tumutukoy sa kapanganakan ni Cristo kundi doon sa Mass na ginawa para sa Kanya. Ito ay sinasabing nangyari noong December 25, 354 A.D. At ito ang unang pagbanggit sa kapaskuhan o kapanganakan ni Cristo na ang petsa ay December 25. Makikita natin na ang mismong katawagang Christmas ay punong-puno ng kontrobersiya, dahil ang salitang ito pala ay hindi tumutukoy sa kapanganakan ni Cristo kundi sa isang misa.

Maging ang katotohanan patungkol sa petsa na December 25. Ngunit ang Biblia ay hindi tumutukoy ng araw at taon ng eksatong kapanganakan ni Cristo. Ang December 25 ay pinagpasyahan ng Romano Katoliko na maging kaarawan ni Cristo. 

⏩ Ngayon saan galing itong Petsa na December 25 ?

Ayon sa mga Historians itong December 25 hango ito sa petsa ng kapanganakan ng diyos ng araw na si "Sol Invictus" na sinasamba ng mga paganong Romano.

♉December 25 memorialized the birth of the deity Sol Invictus, the “Unconquerable Sun.” This aptly coincided with the Roman celebration of the winter solstice, the day in which the sun’s apex is closest to the horizon “It was a custom of the Pagans to celebrate on the same December 25 the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity.

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A manuscript of a work by 12th-century Syrian Bishop Jacob Bar-Salibi. The scribe who added it wrote:

"It was a custom of the Pagans to celebrate on the same 25 December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and revelries the Christians also took part. Accordingly when the doctors of the Church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnised on that day."

--- ( Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries, Ramsay MacMullen. Yale:1997, p. 155)

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Dahil ito ay kapistahan pagano na isinangkap sa panampalatayang Katoliko ng kalaunan isinama ito ng simbahan bilang bahagi ng kapistahan na ipinagdiriwang--- nuong 350 AD sa panahon ni papa Julius I ay idineklara ng simbahang Katoliko na ang December 25 ay araw ng kapanganakan ng Mesiyas.

♉ On A.D 350 Pope Julius I "declared that Christ birth would be celebrated on December 25.

Kaya ang petsa na December 25 ay kapistahan ng diyos ng araw na sinasamba ng mga romanong pagano:

Ayon sa Biblia:

♉ "At dinala niya ako sa pinakaloob na looban ng bahay ng Panginoon, at, narito, sa pintuan ng templo ng Panginoon sa pagitan ng malaking pintuan at ng dambana, ay may dalawang pu't limang lalake, na sila'y nakatalikod sa dako ng templo ng Panginoon, at nakaharap sa dakong silanganan; at kanilang sinasamba ang araw sa dakong silanganan. -- ( Ezekiel 8:16 )

December 25 Kaarawan ng Baal !

♉"At aking dadalawin sa kaniya ang mga KAARAWAN NG MGA BAAL na siya niyang pinagsusunugan ng kamangyan ,nang siya'y nagpaparanya ng kaniyang mga hikaw at ng kaniyang pahiyas ,at sumusunod sa mga mangingibig sa kaniya ,at kinalimutan ako,sabi ng Panginoon.-- (Oseas 2:13)

Ano ang sabi ng Panginoon :

♉At sisirain ko ang inyong matataas na dako, at aking wawasakin ang inyong mga larawang araw, at itatapon ko ang inyong mga bangkay sa mga katawan ng inyong mga diosdiosan; at kapopootan kayo ng aking kaluluwa. -- ( Leviticus 26:30 ) 

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Ang Babala ng Dios sa kanyang bayan ukol sa pagsamba sa araw!

♉At baka iyong itingin ang iyong mga mata sa langit, at kung iyong makita ang araw at ang buwan, at ang mga bituin, sangpu ng buong natatanaw sa langit, ay mabuyo ka at iyong sambahin, at paglingkuran, na binahagi ng Panginoon ninyong Dios sa lahat ng mga bayan na nasa silong ng buong langit. -- ( Deuteronomio 4:19) 

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♉Kaniya rin namang inalis sa lahat na bayan ng Juda ang mga mataas na dako at ang mga larawang araw: at ang kaharian ay tahimik sa harap niya. -- ( 2 Mga Cronica 14:5 )

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⏩ YULETIDE SEASON :

What is yuletide?

While Yule can refer to both Christmas itself and the season, 

♉Yule or Yuletide ("Yule time" or "Yule season") is a festival historically observed by the Germanic peoples. Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin, and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht.

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Christmas Wreath:

♉Wreath crowns also had symbolic meaning. For example, oak leaves symbolized wisdom, and were associated with Zeus, who according to Greek mythology made his decisions while resting in an oak grove.HOLY WREATH "europeans pagans brought holly sprays into thier homes offering them to the fairy spirits of the forest as refuge from harsh winter weather ,during the saturnalia festival.

The Bible states:

⏩"The priest of Zeus ,whose temple was just outside city ,brought bulls and WREATH to the city gates because he and crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.--- (Acts 14:13 NIV)

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Christmas tree :

♉ Long before Christianity appeared, people in the Northern Hemisphere used evergreen plants to decorate their homes, particularly the doors, to celebrate the Winter Solstice. On December 21 or December 22, the day is the shortest and the night the longest. Traditionally, this time of the year is seen as the return in strength of the sun god who had been weakened during winter — and the evergreen plants served as a reminder that the god would glow again and summer was to be expected.

The Bible states:

⏩ " Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the pagans, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the pagans are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.-- ( Jeremiah 10:2-3 ) 

"⏩And they set them up images and groves in every high hill ,and UNDER EVERY GREEN TREE".-- (2 Kings 17:10)

⏩"For they also built them high places ,and images ,and groves ,on every high hill and UNDER EVERY GREEN TREE"-- ( 1 Kings 14:23)

⏩"And it came topass through the lightness of her whoredom ,that she defiled the land ,and committed adultery with stone and with TREE...Only acknowledge thine iniquity ,that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy god ,and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every GREEN TREE and ye have not obeyed my voice ,saith the LORD.-- (Jeremiah 3:9,13)

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Parol and Lantern:

♉The legend about the origen of the lantern is associated to a chinese mhythology "The god of fire like to eat tangyuan (sweet dumpling) Yuan -Xiao should cook tangyuan on the fitheenth lunar day and the Emperor order that every house to prepare a tangyuan to worship the god of Fire at the same time.Every house in the city should HANG RED LANTERN and explode fire cracker .

The Bible states:

Parol stars:

⏩"Yea,ye took up tabernacle of Moloch ,and the STAR of your god Remphan ,figure which ye made to worship them:and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.--- (Acts 7:43)

⏩"And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven,and when thouseest sun ,and the moon,and THE STARS,even all the host of heaven,shouldest be driven to WORSHIP them..---"(Deuteronomy 4:19)

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Giving Gift :

Gift-giving started long before Christmas was set as a day to remember Christ's birth. While Christmas became a tradition in the fourth century, gift-giving during holidays is of Roman origin. It was part of a celebration offered to the Roman god Saturn who was viewed to be the god of agriculture who gave vegetation and fruitfulness all year round.The celebration lasted for seven days through the 17th to the 23rd of December. The gift giving ceremonies were seen as a way of gaining fortune for the next year. People initially gave simple gifts like candles, cheap wines, fruits, nuts and the like.

The Romans gave gifts between Saturnalia and the Kalends.

The Bible states:

⏩"And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them,and make Merry ,and shall SEND GIFT ONE ONOTHER ;because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.---- (Revelation 11:10 KJV)

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A Kiss beneath a Mistletoe:

♉A Kiss Beneath the Mistletoe:

In the forest, mistletoe is a bit of a scourge, a parasitic plant that latches on to trees and feeds off of them. But at Christmas, it becomes a symbol of romance. So where did the tradition of kissing beneath the mistletoe come from? The plant’s association with romance dates back to ancient Norse mythology.Mistletoe has been around for a long time, and has been considered a magical plant by everyone from the Druids to the Vikings. The ancient Romans honored the god Saturn, and to keep him happy they conducted fertility rituals under the mistletoe. Today, we don't go quite that far under the mistletoe (at least not usually) but this could explain where the kissing tradition comes from. The Norse Eddas tell of warriors from opposing tribes meeting under mistletoe and laying down their arms, so it’s certainly considered a plant of peace and reconciliation. Also in Norse mythology, mistletoe is associated with Frigga, a goddess of love—who wouldn’t want to smooch under her watchful eyes?

The Bible states:

⏩ "They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks plant and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.-- ( Hosea 4:13 )

⏩That same night the Lord said to him"Take the second bull from your father 's herd ,the one seven years old .tear dawn your father altar' to baal and cut dawn the ASHERA TREE beside it .Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God ..."--- (Judges 6:25-26)

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Yule Logs Burning:

♉Yule Logs Oak is the hardest of woods, and so these logs would burn long and hot throughout the night to gladden the feast and to chase the darkness away.The yule log has its roots (and often simply was a root) in Norse mythology, and from there it was all up and up. It became a symbol of Christmas.

The Bible states:

⏩ "He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire:-- ( Isaiah 44:14-16)

⏩ "The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger.-- ( Jeremiah 7:18 )

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Kung ang mga bagay na ito ay mula sa pagsambang pagano ang tanong makakakuha ba tayo ng malinis na bagay mula sa marumi at gamitin sa banal na pagsamba sa Diyos:

⏩"Sinong makakakuha ng malinis na bagay sa marumi? wala.-- ( Job 14:4 )

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♉Wise men NOT three Kings !

⏩Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came WISE MEN from the east to Jerusalem,-- ( Matthew 2:1 )

♉Wise men visited Jesus in the HOUSE not in the manger so BELEN is wrong!

⏩And when they were come INTO THE HOUSE , they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.-- ( Matthew 2:11 )