National Day of Prayer

When: First Thursday of May

Observance: Calling humbly before God as a nation (U.S.)

The National Day of Prayer is a relatively modern holiday for the United States, but it has historical ties dating back to the start of the country. In 1775, the Continental Congress asked the 13 colonies to pray for wisdom as they discussed forming a new nation. Abraham Lincoln continued this tradition in 1863 when he called for a day of prayer and fasting during the American Civil War. In 1952, Harry Truman declared a national day of prayer, and in 1988, Ronald Reagan formally acknowledged its observance to be held the first Thursday in May.

The purpose of the National Day of Prayer is fourfold:

Humbly coming before God as a nation and together seeking his will

Praying for the country’s leaders to seek wisdom and guidance in their decisions

Praying for the spiritual, moral, economic, and political health of the nation

Calling all people to repentance for the sins the nation commits or allows

Many churches in Britain observe their own National Day of Prayer each October, but these are sanctioned by the Church of England, not the government. In addition, an International Day of Prayer is held by the Church annually to pray for persecuted Christians around the world.

All Saints’ Day

When: November 1

Observance: Honors all Christian saints

Since the seventh century, many in the Western Church have observed All Saints’ Day as a holy day on November 1, and the Orthodox Church has observed it on the first Sunday after Pentecost.

All Saints’ Day is the day that Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and some Anglicans (see Chapter 11) remember, thank God for, and revere the saints in heaven for various helps. Some Protestant churches observe All Saints’ Day as well, but on this date, they remember and thank God for all saints, both dead and living. Some churches hold special services to mark this holy day.

Advent

When: Period marked by the four Sundays before Christmas

Observance: Preparation for Christmas and Christ’s Second Coming

Advent began in the early Church as a 40-day time of preparation and self-examination before Epiphany, a January holiday that observes the visit of the Magi to Jesus (by the Western Church, made up of the Catholic and Protestant Churches) and the Baptism of Jesus (by the Eastern, or  Orthodox, Church). (For more on the Western and Eastern Churches, see Chapter 10.) During Advent, the Church welcomed new Christians into the Church to be baptized. Over the years, Advent was eventually tied to honouring Christ’s birth and anticipating his Second Coming (see Chapter 9).

Advent started off as a time of solemn preparation like Lent (see the “Lent” section in this chapter), but by the fourth century, the season had evolved into a more celebratory occasion in the Western Church. In contrast, the Orthodox Church has always tended to observe Advent in a more reflective, somber manner.

The lighting of the Advent wreath is the most popular tradition performed during this season. An Advent wreath is a circle of evergreens with four candles, three of which are usually colored violet purple (symbolizing royalty in some churches and penance in others) and the fourth colored rose red or pink (representing the expectation that people have in the coming Messiah). One of the purple candles is lit during the service on the first Sunday (highlighting the theme of hope), a second the next Sunday (love), a third the next Sunday (joy), and the rose-colored candle on the final Sunday before Christmas (peace). Some wreaths also have a white candle (representing the purity and holiness of Jesus Christ) placed in the center, which Christians light on Christmas day.

The origin of the wreath started as a pre-Christian practice by Germanic peoples as a symbol of the hope of a coming spring. Christians kept the tradition but changed its meaning as they looked forward to Christ’s return.

St. Francis of Assisi is credited as displaying the first Christmas nativity scene, a re-creation of the manger scene, during Advent in 1223.

Christmas

When: December 25

Observance: Birth of Jesus Christ

Biblical reference: Luke 2:1-20

Christmas is the observance of Jesus’ humble birth to a virgin in a stable in Bethlehem. The holiday also celebrates the events surrounding his birth, such as an angel’s appearance to shepherds, telling them to visit the newborn king.

Although the Church doesn’t consider it the most important Christian holiday, Christmas is certainly the most popular, at least in terms of cultural and social significance. But the early Church, believing that events later in Jesus’ life should be the focus, didn’t even consider it all that significant. What’s more, when Church leaders first discussed observing the birthday of Jesus, some argued against celebrating it like you would another great person in history. Nonetheless, the Church had enough pro-observance support to mark the calendar.

Neither the New Testament nor any historical record marks the exact date of Jesus’ birth. As a result, the Church initially considered many different dates, including January 2, March 21, March 25, April 18, April 19, May 20, May 28, November 17, and November 20. The Western Church first observed December 25 in the fourth century, and eventually Eastern Churches followed suit.

Some people criticize that Christmas has its origins as a pagan holiday. Some truth lies in that notion, considering that the timing of December 25 was selected to line up with several pagan Roman holidays that celebrated the winter solstice and worship of the sun. However, Church leaders didn’t see matching the date as compromising Christian teaching with the culture. Responding to any criticism, a fourth-century bishop remarked, “We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of him who made it.”

Most of the traditional customs of Christmas, such as gift giving, tree decorating, light hanging, and feasting, come from sources other than the Church.