A little cultural treat

What a good uncle!

Who's having more fun with the tradition, sublime - you or the kids?

:wink:

Candles also play a significant role in other traditions of the season, including Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Yule and Candlemas. Chanukah is also known as the Festival of Lights. During Chanukah a special eight-branched candelabrum is slowly lit over eight days.

Through the centuries, candles have been offered as gifts and used to ward off darkness. The first use of candles at Christmas was during the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Tall tapers of wax were given as gifts to guests and offered to Saturn as a symbol of his light.

The Pagans also used candles during Yule festivities. Candlelight and bonfires were used as symbols of the sun, and a farewell to the past seasons as well as a welcome to the beginning of a new cycle of seasons.

Day One:
Long-Expected Jesus

Come, Emmanuel
Ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile...

Many Christians observe Advent--the four weeks before Christmas--as a time to prepare spiritually for the coming of Jesus. Explore the links below to learn why Advent is special for Christians worldwide.

What Is Advent?
Discover the meaning of this spiritual four-week period and listen to a poem by Thomas Merton.

Don't Rush Christmas
Let Advent be what it is: a time of waiting and anticipation.
By John Zmirak

Audio: "The Carol of Emmanuel"
Listen to a haunting medley of Advent carols
by violinist David Klinkenberg.

Quiz: Will Your Advent Be Too Stressed?
Take our quiz to find out if the season has panic potential for you.

Day Two:
Inside the Nativity Narrative

Joseph went up to the city of David,
Which is called Bethlehem,
To be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed,
Who was with child.

Did you know that the evangelist Matthew never mentions camels when he refers to the Wise Men? As Bible scholars study the text of the Nativity story, some of them are formulating new ideas about who Jesus really was--and what happened on the night of his birth.

Quiz: The Birth of Jesus
How well do you remember gospel accounts of Christ's birth? Take our quiz.

Photo Gallery: Christmas Around the World
See how Christmas is celebrated in all corners of the globe.

What's the True Nativity Story?
Ben Witherington explains why we shouldn't assume the miracle of Jesus' conception didn't happen.

Scholars in Search of Answers
While Jesus scholars have much to teach us, the importance of the Nativity narratives doesn't depend on historical details. It's that they claim this child, Jesus, as "God with us."