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Christmas, a time of faith and hope
By Don Fennell
Published 11:30 PST, Thu December 24, 2020
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been challenging to stay positive. But if any time of the year offers a reminder of the importance of faith and hope, it is Christmas.
Rev. Paula Porter Leggett, pastor at St. Alban Anglican Church in Richmond, says we can identify with the way life was upturned for Mary and Joseph—away from home, family and on their own in Bethlehem.
“That sense of being alone, being dislocated from the familiar, is with lots of us this Christmas,” she says. “We can take comfort remembering the courage and faithfulness of Mary and Joseph, and we can have hope as we remember that in the midst of that 'chaos,’ new life was born for everyone in the Christ child. Nothing can get in the way of God's work to recover this broken world and, alternatively, God can use anything to work for us.”
In Christianity, Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ—the son of God. The name comes from the Mass of Christ. A mass service (sometimes called Communion or Eucharist) is traditionally held to remember that Christ died for us and then came back to life.
Gifts are given in celebration of Christmas to reflect Christian tradition symbolizing the presence of gifts by the Three Wise Men to the infant Jesus.
The church in the early 4th century fixed the date of Dec. 25 to correspond with the date of winter solstice on the Roman calendar. Billions of people worldwide observe Dec. 25 as a religious and cultural celebration.
The poem A Visit from St. Nicholas in 1822 helped popularize the tradition of gift exchange, and seasonal shopping soon took hold as an important period in the economics of business.
The pandemic has impacted this holiday season in various ways, including cancelling services of worship, Sunday school and other pilgrimages and festivities—though many have turned to modern technology to engage.
In Richmond, while festivities to mark the holiday season are in view in every neighbourhood, and city hall has traditionally been aglow in lights, Steveston has long been a hallmark. Its charming old-town appearance lends itself to the magic of Christmas that ignites joy in everyone. From Winter in the Village that invites locals and visitors alike to its beloved heritage attractions including the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site featuring a Festival of Trees, and virtual events including Songs in the Snow and a gingerbread contest, there’s no doubting what time of the year it is.
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