Christmas

Definition and Meaning

The Korean name for Christmas, Seongtanjeol (聖誕節), means "the feast commemorating the birth of the Holy One"; it is the day that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. The English word "Christmas" combines "Christ" and "mass." Theologically, the feast is understood as a celebration of the Incarnation, in which God took on human flesh and came into the world. In the liturgical year (the calendar by which the church divides the year into seasons and feasts), Christmas is preceded by the four weeks of Advent. The Christmas season is often regarded as extending until Epiphany on January 6.

Biblical and Historical Background

The accounts of Jesus' birth appear in two of the Gospels, in Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2. Scripture does not specify the date of his birth.

The early church centered its calendar of feasts on the Resurrection. The earliest known record of celebrating the Nativity on December 25 is generally said to come from fourth-century Rome. Two explanations are commonly offered for the choice of this date:

• That the church sought to replace a Roman festival of the sun god held around the winter solstice
• That the early church arrived at the date by calculation, for example from the presumed date of Jesus' conception

Some Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar celebrate Christmas on January 7 (December 25 in the Julian calendar). After the Reformation, some Reformed traditions, including the Puritans, declined to observe or even prohibited Christmas festivities on the grounds that Scripture does not command the feast.

Practice in the Korean Church

In the Republic of Korea, December 25 is a statutory public holiday officially named "Gidok Tansinil" (the Day of Christ's Birth); it is reported to have been a public holiday since 1949. Most Korean churches, regardless of denomination, observe Christmas as a major feast. Common practices include the following:

• A Christmas Eve service (on the evening of December 24) and a Christmas Day service
• Christmas programs presented by Sunday school children (plays, choreographed movements, and songs of praise)
• Performances of a Christmas cantata (a choral work with a narrative) by the choir
• Saebyeoksong ("dawn carols"), in which members go from house to house singing hymns in the early hours of Christmas morning. Once widespread, the practice has declined sharply because of urbanization and concerns about noise.
• The use of Christmas thanksgiving offerings to help neighbors in need, along with Christmas decorations inside and outside the church

Churches that emphasize liturgy (fixed orders and forms of worship), such as the Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea, observe Advent and the Christmas season according to the liturgical calendar. These churches hold services that include Holy Communion on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Some congregations within the Korean Methodist Church and Presbyterian denominations also make use of elements of the liturgical year, such as Advent candles. Many Presbyterian, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches tend to focus on the services and events of Christmas Day itself rather than on the liturgical year as a whole.