Tag: Christmas

Egypt’s President Greets Christmas Worshippers

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Egypt’s Coptic Christians follow the Julian calendar in celebrating Christmas on January 7th of each year. For the second consecutive . . . .

CHR Comment: Early in 2015 Coptic Christians were martyred by ISIS militants. Religious tensions in Egypt and elsewhere around the Middle East remain high. Here is a positive example of how one government official in a predominantly Muslim country is attempting to ease tensions.

Source: Eastern Christmas and Egypt’s President | Ayman S. Ibrahim | First Things

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Take a Minute to Learn about Eastern Orthodox Christmas Events

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Images from around the world as Orthodox Christians partake in festive traditions to celebrate their Christmas Day on 7 January.

CHR Comment: The BBC provides a one minute, high-quality video including various still shots and moving pictures about how Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas. The second link is likewise about Orthodox Christmas and its video lasts 1:45 minutes. Take a minute or two to learn more about how a few hundred million brothers and sisters in Christ celebrate Christmas.

Source: Best images of Orthodox Christmas events around the world – BBC News

Second Video of Orthodox Christmas events

Gas Tanker Truck Fire Kills Scores of Christians in Nigeria

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A gas tanker truck ignited an inferno at a crowded industrial gas plant in Nigeria, killing scores of people lining up to refill their cooking gas cylinders.

CHR Comment: Member of the Nnewi community were lined up to refill their gas cooking cylinders so they could cook their Christmas meals when the truck exploded. More than 100 people died. Nnewi is in southeastern Nigeria.

Source: Gas tanker truck fire kills scores in Nigeria

Muslim Rebels Kill Christians in Southern Philippines

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A Philippine military spokeswoman says Christmas attacks by Muslim rebels against Christian communities in the country’s volatile south have left at least 14 people dead.

CHR Comment: Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters killed nine Christians in attacks on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Government forces learned that an attack was coming and repelled about 200 rebels in eight different attacks during the two days of fighting. The Philippine population is largely Roman Catholic but they have had continued conflict with Muslim terrorists on some Islands.

Source: 14 killed in Muslim rebel attacks in southern Philippines

Somalia Bans Christmas Celebrations

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Somalia’s government bans the celebration of Christmas, warning that such Christian festivities could threaten the nation’s Muslim faith.

CHR Comment: Somalia is more than 99% Muslim, operating under Sharia law. So this decision is not too surprising. According to the article, the ban applied to public observances that might take place in hotel lobbies (e.g., putting up a tree). Christians could observe the holiday in their homes.

Source: Somalia bans Christmas celebrations – BBC News

Winter Solstice and the Date of Christmas

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From astronomy to religion, the year’s shortest day brings enduring mysteries.

CHR Comment: National Geographic briefly describes two theories about the relationship between the winter solstice and the date of Christmas. A prevailing view is that Christians chose December 25 as the date to celebrate Jesus’ birth to offer a Christian alternative to celebrating the pagan Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) holiday that was timed with the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. A more common Christian explanation is that the day was chosen since it is nine months after the day when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would miraculously have a child who would be the Savior (Annunciation Day, March 25; Luke 1:26-37).

Source: Everything You Need to Know About the Winter Solstice

Chocolatiers Work on a 220 Pound Chocolate Nativity Scene

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Renowned Italian chocolatiers have taken on the challenge to create a 220 pound chocolate crèche for a charity procession taking place in Genoa.

CHR Comment: Many Italians take their food and their faith seriously, but with a smile! The video shows the chocolatiers creating this beautiful nativity to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Merry Christmas indeed.

Source: Chocolatiers Work on a 220 Pound Chocolate Nativity Scene – NBC News

Atheist Anti-Church Billboards: Are They Effective?

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Billboards placed by an atheist group in different parts of the US are drawing strong reaction from both atheists and Christians alike.

CHR Comment: American Atheists is the group that pays for the billboards. They target Christmas as the most widely celebrated holiday by the majority religious group: Christianity. Their goal is to separate belief in charity and morality from religion.

Source: Atheist anti-church billboards land: Are they effective?