Wednesday, December 24, 2025

It is the 24th of December 2025 Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

It is Christmas Eve- and if you're truly biblical, you start celebrating at sundown… that’s at least the original way of counting days… do you open presents on Christmas Eve? My kids get one- the same every year- Christmas pajamas. And do midnight services still happen? I’m in my 40s now, so I’m there with you in spirit.

2 fun days of shows here as we wrap up the holiday portion of the Christian History Almanac- the degree of difficulty for this episode is high- but I got it- 3 related questions. Lucie in Escondido asked about the history of Christmas trees and if Martin Luther began that. Regular emailer, Amanda in Port Perry, asked about people putting candles on the tree. Rex in parts unknown asked about the history of liturgical colors at Christmas.

I got this- and especially in light of today’s feast day on the calendar for many Christians- that’s right, while we are quick to call it “Christmas Eve,” it has historically been the day to remember Adam and Eve. The Feast of Adam and Eve on Christmas Eve? Well… that story has a tree, too.

Rex- the liturgical colors are not red and green. Traditionally, green is associated with the life of the church and the season of Pentecost. Red is also a Pentecost color (the flames and all that), but also a color for martyrs. For a feast as big as the incarnation, you will get golds and silvers and whites. The Green and Red certainly come from cultural celebrations in those places where December means winter, and amidst the white, the red and green of certain plants and foods stood out. An evergreen plant is a nice reminder in winter that not everything dies. Others have pointed out that our modern Christmas, which is very Victorian, picked up those colors because they looked best under 19th-century yellow lighting… look around your service today or tonight- I’m curious which colors stick out. But green and red do take us to the earliest Christmas trees.

Some will point out that Queen Victoria and her German husband, Prince Albert, were depicted with the German Christmas tree, and that’s what made it popular in the 1800s. But we know that German immigrants had long used trees indoors for winter celebrations. But German trees… well, we can go back to St. Boniface, who came across Germans worshipping a tree and famously struck it down. Did Luther have a tree? Maybe- and it would be just like him to make a point about how it points to Jesus- even if the German origins were pagan.

But- even earlier than that- we have stories of plays being performed on this day- the feast of Adam and Eve that would prominently display a green tree and red apples- red and green. And in good Medieval Mystery play fashion, the tree that led to the curse points us to another “tree”- 1 Peter 2:24- “he bore our sins in his body on the tree”. And so these plays would transform that tree into the life-giving tree, and the play would end with the apples and other treats from the tree being passed out. I think that’s a much better picture than trying to wrangle with other cultures and celebrations of trees.

Now- Amanda, yeah- from the time of Luther, we have stories of him and others lighting trees. And into the 17th and 1800s it remained popular- BUT, not for some long-term light or heat. We keep our Christmas lights on all the time- but even as better and sturdier fasteners developed, you would only light the tree for a short time as you gathered around it, maybe sang, and then put them out. It was customary to keep a bucket of water and sand next to your tree just in case. The first electric lights were used in 1882, and by the 1920s, affordable electric lights became the standard…

Happy Christmas Eve! We are here tomorrow for a special Christmas show and reading- thanks for all your questions this year- we’ll do it again next year.

The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and the proper for the feast of the Nativity- Isaiah 9 with the KJV treatment:

2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 24th of December 2025, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man asking about the garments rolled in blood… he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who could also chalk that up to the red at Christmas… yikes- I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.