Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor.

This is how it happened... I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed,
when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise,
Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree.

He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out.

"What are you doing?" I started to ask. The words choked up in my throat,
and I saw he had tears in his eyes.

His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know.

He then answered me with a simple statement. " TEACH THE CHILDREN!"

I was puzzled; what did he mean?

He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree.

As I stood bewildered, Santa said,

"Teach the children! Teach them the real meaning of Christmas. The meaning that now-a-days Christmas has forgotten."
Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle. "Teach the children that the pure green color
of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward,
making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven."

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. "Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago.
God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise."

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE. "Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world,
and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness."

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. "Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes
the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection."

He then pulled from his bag an ornament of HIMSELF. "Teach the children that I, Santa Claus, symbolize the generosity and good will
we feel during the month of December."

He then brought out a HOLLY LEAF. "Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality.
It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood shed by Him.

Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said, "Teach the children that God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son.
Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. Teach the children that the wise men bowed before the holy babe and presented him with
gold, frankincense and myrrh. We should always give gifts in the same spirit of the wise men."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. "Teach the children that the candy cane
represents the shepherd's crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock.
The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper."

He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. "Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth.
The angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men."

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. "Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell,
it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return."

Santa looked back and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, teach the children the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship Him, our Lord, our God."

 What is Christmas ? 

The word Christmas comes from the words Cristes maesse, or "Christ's Mass." Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus for members of the Christian religion. 
Most historians peg the first celebration of Christmas to Rome in 336 A.D.  
Christmas is both a  holy day and a holiday.  

 The tradition of gifts seems to have started with the gifts that the wise men brought to Jesus. As recounted in the Bible's book of Matthew, "On coming to the house they 
 saw the child   with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." 

 The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. The use of the shortened form "Xmas" became popular in Europe in the 1500s .

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