John the Baptist: Witness to Christmas
There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light (John 1:6-8).
We don’t often think of John the Baptist when thinking of Christmas. As far as I know, there are no Christmas hymns dedicated to him, he does not appear in the manger scene, and he does not appear in any Christmas play that I’ve seen. But in the observance of Advent, the person and message of John the Baptist is significant in our preparation for the celebration of Christmas.
Remembering St. Nicholas
Have you ever wondered where the traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas began? Some of the traditions regarding Christmas are not found in the Scriptures, but come to us from a long history of the Christian faith. One such tradition is the legend of Santa Claus.