Christmas Eve Greetings: Christmas

Author: Wang Jiyun
Compiler/Origin Country:
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-09-01
Features: A few weeks before Mary's labor, the Roman Empire issued a notice requiring everyone to return to their ancestral hometowns for registration. Mary and Joseph's ancestral hometown was Bethlehem, the hometown of King David, which is 180 kilometers away from Nazareth and about 10 kilometers south of Jerusalem. Although both Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David, due to their poverty, they had to set off on donkeys. Mary, who was pregnant, and her husband traveled day and night until the third night when they reached Bethlehem. Due to the exhausting journey, Mary and Joseph were very tired. However, many people from various places had returned to their ancestral hometown of Bethlehem, and the inns were already full. Nevertheless, the innkeeper, upon learning that Mary was about to give birth, still managed to help them. He told the young couple that in the nearby hills, there were some caves used for housing livestock where they could temporarily stay. Joseph found a cave, cleaned it up, and. He also in a manger, preparing it as a cradle for the baby. The next night, Mary gave birth to the Holy Child. She wrapped the child in cloths and placed him in the manger filled with dry grass. As instructed by the angel, she named the child Jesus. And so, Jesus was born. The bed Jesus used in the world was the manger. Later, during Christmas, the manger became an ornament and a part of the celebration. In fact, in some places, such as France, the manger is part of the room decorations in some families. The manger filled with dry grass reminds people of the extremely difficult conditions during Jesus' birth and urges them to pay attention to the humility and selflessness Jesus showed when he came into the world. This is the perfect combination of divinity and humility.