2.2 Festivals and Celebration Flashcards
Describe Christmas story
- Annunciation: Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she would have a son
- Angel appears in dream tells Joseph that Mary’s baby was God’s son
- Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth who’s pregnant with John the Baptist and they go to Bethlehem to be registered
- No room at the inn, so Jesus is born in a stable
- Angels appear to shepherds and shepherds visit Jesus.
- Star appears in the East and magi (wise men) follow it, going to Herod’s palace looking for the baby king but they get led to the stable
- Offer gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh
- Joseph warned in dream that Herod plans to try and kill Jesus
- Joseph escapes to Egypt
What is the importance of Christmas?
-Incarnation
-Reveals Jesus’ mission
How does Christmas show Incarnation?
-God becomes human, humbling himself
-comes to save man from sin, revealing his love for mankind
-Jesus = God and man
-virgin birth shows that Jesus is divine because he comes from God
-Birth in stable shows Jesus’ humility: he was willing to become homeless
What does Christmas reveal about Jesus’ mission?
-Gold: Jesus is a king. Descendant of King David, implying that he is the Messiah. Reflects that he is God.
-Frankincense: Jesus is a priest. Mediates between God and man. His death mediated between God and man. Jesus is known as the ‘great high priest’
-Myrrh: used in embalming, foreshadows Jesus’ death for the sins of the world
How is Christmas celebrated (list)?
-Advent
-Carol Services
-Christingles
-Crib
-Nativity play
-Midnight mass
-Present giving
Describe Advent
-time of preparation before Christmas
-time to think about Christmas
-churches have an advent crown and one candle is lit each Sunday of Advent
-candles represent many things: one reminds of John the Baptist, holy in the advent crown can be a reminder of the crown of thorns.
Describe Carol Service
-carols are sung to praise God and celebrate
-Many Christians will go to a service of nine lessons and carols
-readings tell story of God’s action in history beginning with Genesis story and human sin.
Describe Christingles
-orange with a candle on top, a red ribbon around the middle and four sticks with sweets or dried fruits.
-orange: world
-candle: Jesus, light
-ribbon: his blood which saves the world
-fruit/sweets: God’s gifts
Describe cribs
-many churches will have a crib
-used as an educational device or an aid to meditation and prayer
Describe midnight mass
-takes place midnight on Christmas eve
-Christmas story read
-final central candle on the advent crown lit
-happy carols sung
-figure of baby Jesus put in crib
Describe present giving
-reminder of gifts magi gave Jesus
-reminder of God’s gift of Jesus to the world
-way of sharing love
What is the importance of easter?
-Crucifixion
-Resurrection
Describe importance of crucifixion in Easter
-Jesus died to atone
-His death pays the price of sin and redeems the world
-Man is therefore justified and forgiven
-Importance of Easter is that it puts people back in a right relationship with God
Describe importance of resurrection in Easter
-shows that life after death is possible: God has the power to triumph over death
-Jesus’ mission did not end in failure
How is Easter celebrated?
-Shrove Tuesday
-Ash Wednesday
-Palm Sunday
-Maundy Thursday
-Good Friday
-Easter Saturday
-Easter Sunday
Describe what Shrove Tuesday celebrates
-marks beginning of Lent
What is done on Shrove Tuesday?
-pancakes eaten to use up eggs, butter and sugar
-Lent is a time of fasting in preparation for Easter: remembers 40 days of temptation of Jesus
What does Ash Wednesday celebrate?
The day when Christians get ‘ashed’ with ash from burnt palm crosses
What is does Ash Wednesday symbolise?
-As symbolises repentance for sinfulness
-Lent is supposed to be a time when Chrsitians think critically about their lives and repent of their sins in preparation for Easter
What does Palm Sunday recall?
-day Jesus entered into Jerusalem triumphantly riding a donkey
-people waved palm leaves and shouted ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’
What is done on Palm Sunday?
-Christians re-enact the procession and walk to the church
-sometimes a member of the congregation (usually a child) will dress up as Jesus and ride a donkey
-Palm crosses given out in church as a reminder of the event
-Title ‘son of David’ is a reminder that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s chosen one and a descendant of King David
What does Maundy Thursday recall?
-the ‘mandatum’ or commandment when Jesus told his disciples “love one another as I have loved you” during the Last supper
What happens on Maundy Thursday?
-Service often contains a foot washing ceremony in memory of Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet
-Jesus told his disciples that they should be willing to do the same for others
What does Good Friday recall?
-day Jesus was crucified
-Christians believe Jesus died to atone for the sins of mankind, and through his death he redeemed the debt of sin
What happens on Good Friday?
-long service to recall time Jesus spent on the cross
-some churches have stations of the cross which are pictures of different stages of Jesus’ journey to crucifixion: the congregation may walk around the church from station to station and think and pray about each stage of Jesus’ journey
What does Easter Saturday recall?
wait for resurrection
What happens on Easter Saturday?
-traditionally at night
-paschal candle lit from a bonfire and five grains are put into the candle to symbolise the five wounds of Christ
-candle symbolises Jesus as light of the world triumphing over death
-traditional for Christians to renew their baptismal vows in this service
What does Easter Sunday recall?
Resurrection of Jesus
What happens on Easter Sunday?
-triumphant service celebrating Jesus’ resurrection
-If Church has an Easter garden, then stone is rolled away to show an empty tomb
-celebratory communion shared
-Easter eggs are a symbol of new life
What are purposes of pilgrimage?
-visiting places of important events makes it easier to imagine them: makes them feel closer and more real and may help a person feel close to God
-Many pilgrimage sites have miracles associated with them: may go in hopes of healing
-Process of pilgrimage allows time for spiritual reflection
-Pilgrimages can include an element of self sacrifice: someone might go on a pilgrimage as a type of penance
-People sometimes go in groups: way of fostering unity
Describe what is in Bethlehem for pilgrimage
-place of Jesus’ birth
-There is the ‘Church of Nativity’ which is supposed to mark the site of Jesus’ birth: built originally by Emperor Constantine and rebuilt in the 6th century although much from from earlier survives
-door was originally very big but stone has been added to make it small so people must bow to enter: Philippians 2:9 says “at the name of Jesus every knee must bow”
-14 point star marks where Jesus was born
-Hollow stone slab is supposed to be the manger where Jesus was placed
-Many Christians go during Christmas and celebrate midnight mass
-important as David’s city
Describe Jerusalem for pilgrimage
-Church of the Holy Sepulchre is on the supposed site of site of crucifixion
-Originally two churches by Emperor Constantine but were destroyed and rebuilt by Crusaders
-Site of all the other events from holy week: entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Jesus’ trial, Resurrection
-Christians might go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem during Easter
-also holy to Jews and Muslims
Describe Canterbury for Christians
-mother church of the Church of England
-contains tomb of murdered Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury
-martyred in 1170 and made a saint only three years later: in medieval times many people would pray for healings at Becket’s shrine
Describe Canterbury for Christians
-mother church of the Church of England
-contains tomb of murdered Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury
-martyred in 1170 and made a saint only three years later: in medieval times many people would pray for healings at Becket’s shrine
Describe Canterbury for Christians
-mother church of the Church of England
-contains tomb of murdered Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury
-martyred in 1170 and made a saint only three years later: in medieval times many people would pray for healings at Becket’s shrine
Describe Canterbury for Christians
-mother church of the Church of England
-contains tomb of murdered Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury
-martyred in 1170 and made a saint only three years later: in medieval times many people would pray for healings at Becket’s shrine
Describe Canterbury for Christians
-mother church of the Church of England
-contains tomb of murdered Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury
-martyred in 1170 and made a saint only three years later: in medieval times many people would pray for healings at Becket’s shrine
Describe Canterbury for Christians
-mother church of the Church of England
-contains tomb of murdered Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury
-martyred in 1170 and made a saint only three years later: in medieval times many people would pray for healings at Becket’s shrine
Describe Canterbury for Christians
-mother church of the Church of England
-contains tomb of murdered Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury
-martyred in 1170 and made a saint only three years later: in medieval times many people would pray for healings at Becket’s shrine
Describe Canterbury for Christians
-mother church of the Church of England
-contains tomb of murdered Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury
-martyred in 1170 and made a saint only three years later: in medieval times many people would pray for healings at Becket’s shrine
Describe Canterbury for Christians
-mother church of the Church of England
-contains tomb of murdered Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury
-martyred in 1170 and made a saint only three years later: in medieval times many people would pray for healings at Becket’s shrine
Describe Canterbury for Christians
-mother church of the Church of England
-contains tomb of murdered Thomas Becket archbishop of Canterbury
-martyred in 1170 and made a saint only three years later: in medieval times many people would pray for healings at Becket’s shrine
-King Henry II supposed to have had him murdered performed penanced by walking barefoot through streets of Canterbury
-pilgrimage site for hundreds of years
