Abdul Khaleque Khandker

Today is 25th December, the ChristmasDay, the birth of Jesus Christ – the Messiah of God. Every year this Day is celebrated among the Christian community all over the world with great zeal, solemnity and enthusiasm. This festival is to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, who came on earth to preach the cult of fortitude, love, forbearance, peace and harmony among mankind.
In the holy Quran of Sura Maryam and Sura Ale Emran, the fact of the birth of Isa Messiah (pbuh) has been described with fair details. He was born to Hazrat Maryam, who was an unmarried virgin girl. Through this act, the Almighty Allah revealed His might and power that an unmarried virgin girl can beget a child without any contact of a male. Isa Ibne Maryam was endowed with certain miraculous powers like, he preached the sermon with clear sonorous voice when he was an infant in cradle; he could revive a dead and could cur the blind and the patients of leprosy among others.
The Christians call him Jesus Christ – the Messiah of God, who had had the same miraculous powers bestowed by God Himself. Hence Isa Ibne Maryam and Mary’s son, Jesus Christ – the Messiah of God, are the same and unique person. The Christian community celebrate this auspious day chalking out different eventsamong which exchange of gifts is an important matter. They commemorate the Gifts that the Magi brought for Jesus as a token of love as they went to see the infant Jesus at Bethlehem, as learnt from books and stories.
Christmas is a festival which is cherished by people from all faiths and religions. It reminds the importance of sharing, exchanging gifts and living in peace and harmony.
The history of Christmas dates back to an ancient time.The first Christmas was celebrated in 336 A.D. in Rome. It played a very important role during the famed Arian controversy that took place in the 300s. During the early years of the middle age, epiphany overshadowed it.
Christmas was broughtto limelight about 800 A.D. when emperor Charlemagne received the crown on Christmas day. During the 17th century, the Puritans had Christmas banned because it was associated with drunkenness and different other misbehaviour.
It was made a formal holiday around 1660 but was still disreputable. Around the early 1900s, the Oxford movement of the Anglican Communion Church started and this led to the revival of Christmas, which is now marked with various joyful activities, exchange of greetings with passionate hugs and gifts.
Christmas remindsthe importance of giving and sharing with friends and family. Through Christmas, we know that Jesus birth is the beginning of great things in the world. It is generally an opportunity to think about nature and the reason for our existence. Christmas is such a festival which people from all religions and faith celebrate worldwide despite it being a Christian festival. It is the essence of this festival which has had an endeavor to unite the people of all creed, faith and colours.
Thus,there lie great objectives through the celebration of the Christmas Day, and that are: love, faith, harmony and other humanitarian qualities that can make this present world peaceful.
We can round up this writing by quoting some lines from John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost Book II-
" O shame to men! Devil with devil damned
Firm concord holds; men only disagree
Of creatures rational, though under hope
Of heavenly grace, and, God proclaiming peace,
Yet live in hatred, enmity, and strife
Among themselves, and levy cruel wars
Wasting the earth, each other to destroy:
The idea is that we have forgotten Jesus’ teachings. We are levying bloody wars and living in enmity, hatred and strife with each other killing not only us but also destroying the whole world.
On this Day, let us take an oath: This earth is ours and so let us make it peaceful.