An Esoteric Advent: Christmas Eve
Dec. 24th, 2021 09:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
readoldthings
Christmas Eve
Today is Christmas Eve! This means we've nearly made it.
Now, unlike the Feast Days of half-forgotten saints, the celebration of Christmas Eve is one tradition that most of us do keep and keep well. For this reason I don't think I need to spend much time telling you what it is. Instead, I'd like to discuss the traditional observance of Christmas Eve and share some thoughts on the the meaning of Christmas from an esoteric perspective.
A Day of Fasting
Christmas Eve was traditionally a fast day. In fact, on Christmas Eve, the Advent Fast was at its most severe, beginning at sunrise and lasting through the day until the Vigil Mass. In many different countries, the fast was broken after mass with a very specific traditional meal.
In my own family, we preserved at least a remnant of this custom. When I was young, Christmas Eve was a workday; there were many children in the house and we were all set to various work-stations, cleaning or icing cookies or stringing popcorn. We weren't given much in the way of food besides a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. The day ended with the Christmas Vigil Mass-- midnight, when we were older; an earlier service, when the youngest children could not have made it that late. Upon returning from mass, my grandmother would serve up a beef stew she'd been cooking in a colossal pot on the stove all day, cookies were broken out, and beer and wine flowed freely; the tree was lit and decorated, carols sung.
These days, especially if your kids weren't raised with this idea, a severe fast on Christmas Eve is probably difficult. I would suggest, though, doubling down on any technology-fasting you're doing. (For me, by the way, this especially means avoiding social media and any form of online news or political discussion!)
A Reading from the Holy Gospel
Reading the Christmas story together as a family from Saint Luke's Gospel is a very nice way to close the day. Let's read together, and talk a bit about what we're really seeing in this passage.
[1] And it came to pass, that in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled. [2] This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria. [3] And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city. [4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David, [5] To be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.
[6] And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered. [7] And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. [8] And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. [9] And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. [10] And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people:
[11] For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. [12] And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: [14] Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. [15] And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath shewed to us.
[16] And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. [17] And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child. [18] And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds. [19] But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. [20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Every story in the Bible can be read on many levels, and each level itself contains many layers of meaning. Notice the opening: Caesar has ordered a census of the entire world. In ancient times, a census was no mere work of bureaucracy. Every ancient city conducted a regular census as a religious rite. At Rome, it took place every five years; at Athens, it was an annual affair. Ancient cities, you must know, were not random agglomerations of people. They were religious institutions, gathered around a temple, and presided over not by men but by the city's gods. No man, then, was an island, nor could he think of himself as such. Religion pervaded the whole of life, and there was nothing like what we call the "secular sphere." The father was the head of the religion of his household, and a member of the religion of his extended family, his clan, and his tribe. if he was a citizen, he was a member of the collective body of the city. And that means that the sins of any citizen impacted every citizen. In such circumstances, it was necessary to regularly gather all the citizens together, and collectively atone for the sins of the city as a whole, re-uniting the people of the city to the will of its presiding gods. This gathering was called the census; it began with the gathering of every citizen outside the city's walls and their registration with the censor. The presence of any stranger, or the absence of any citizen, would be disastrous; the censor's power was, therefore, very great at this time.
And so our Gospel begins with a census. But this isn't just any census-- now the entire world is going to be enrolled. And this means that the entire world is going to make its atonement-- not to the presiding gods of a house or a hearth or a clan, or even an entire city. No-- for the world to make its collective atonement, it must re-unite itself to the will of the God of the entire world.
When we fast through advent and fast severely on Christmas Eve; and when we then come together with our families, and read the story, and attend mass if it is available to us, we re-enact this atonement in the little worlds of our own homes, communities, and churches. And if we do so, we are then blessed the next day with the birth of Christ.
Merry Christmas Everybody!
Click here to support this blog.
no subject
Date: 2021-12-24 04:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-12-25 04:40 pm (UTC)We had a lot of good intentions WRT Christmas Eve. Fast. Go to midnight liturgy.
Didn't happen. Instead, I and two of the kids got sick-- feels like strep. The sore throat is amazingly painful, and toddler kept waking up screaming with it last night. Fortunately we have a tree full of ripe lemons, a big jar of pickles, and about three quarts of fresh honey my mom just brought over from our beekeeper friends. We'll manage.
May God bless you and your household this Christmas :)
no subject
Date: 2021-12-30 02:29 am (UTC)Both of mine got sick over Christmas too. Christmas Eve was fine, but we spent Christmas night at my mom's, and the little one wasn't able to sleep... except in a moving vehicle. So I stayed up driving her around the neighborhood until 6 in the morning. Sigh. Still, the last few days were very enjoyable. Lots of family, gifts, food, and drink, the way it ought to be.
I hope your celebrations are going well, and may God bless you and yours as well!
no subject
Date: 2021-12-30 02:32 pm (UTC)Sorry about the little one! The things we do to make a miserable kid feel better... ;)
Happy Feast of St. Basil (in a couple of days) to you and yours, and we hope you have a blessed Epiphany!