The Unwrapping of Christmas: Where do our traditions come from?

I just watched this video last night, and it gave me a lot to think about! This video is 35 minutes long, but such an eye-opener! Consider taking some time out of your day to ponder the origins of our favorite holiday traditions?

Just like Caryl said near the end of this video, I am not trying to impose these or my beliefs on anyone else. I was simply shocked by how uneducated I am regarding the history of the holiday traditions I hold too. This reminds me to be a Berean and compare everything to the Bible!

^"10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, ^[j]and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, ^[k]for they received the word with ^[l]great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." Acts 17:10-11


My husband and I had already decided to avoid teaching our children to believe in the fictional character, Santa, because it undermines our word to our kids. We want to give gifts to our children- despite their behavior- because God has offered us a free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ- despite our sinful behavior. Instead of bribing our children to be good to receive gifts (salvation through works), we want to freely bestow loving gifts on our children (salvation as a free gift). This is a great opportunity to model the joy of free salvation through Jesus Christ!

I hope this video is at least thought provoking. If you are interested in more information about Caryl Matrisciana and the ministry she is a part of, check out this website.


"Film Maker and best selling author Caryl Matrisciana is a well-known expert on ancient and modern world religions, contemporary cults, paganism and the occult. Best-selling author, journalist, researcher and commercial artist Caryl has co-produced or contributed research and expertise to more than 75 documentaries for over 30 years." From http://www.carylmatrisciana.com/site/.