Merry

December 25, 2007

Growing up in a Jewish family, I think I am more puzzled by the phrase ‘Merry Christmas’ than the typical Christian who grew up saying this. Why do you we use the word merry? Do you ever use the word merry for anything else except when talking about Christmas? So, puzzled by this word, I looked it up in the dictionary. Here’s what I found:

1. full of cheerfulness or gaiety; joyous in disposition or spirit: a merry little man.
2. laughingly happy; mirthful; festively joyous; hilarious: a merry time at the party.
3. Archaic. causing happiness; pleasant; delightful.

With those definitions, I’m quite happy to tell someone, ‘Have a merry Christmas.’ And I’m actually quite glad that hardly anyone ever uses that word for anything else. For what could be more festively joyful than to ponder that the eternal Word has become flesh and dwelt among us, revealing His Father’s glory and laying down His life as the ransom for our sins.

May this Christmas make you exceedingly merry,

Larry

Posted by Larry | Filed Under Random Musings, Seeking Him 

Comments

2 Responses to “Merry”

  1. Jim W on December 31st, 2007 7:41 am

    Thanks for the musings on “Merry.” Historically, I think that Charles Dickens was the first to use the term “Merry Christmas” in his story A Christmas Carol. While the usual renderings of his tale leave out any of the references to the Incarnation, Dickens clearly refers to the true meaning of Christmas at least several times in the story. My favorite quote goes something like: “…and what better time to be like a child, than at Christmastime, when the Maker became a child Himself.” (That’s a paraphrase!)

    Thanks for your interesting research on Merry.
    Now, what about “Happy New Year”???

  2. Larry on December 31st, 2007 4:13 pm

    Jim,

    Thanks for the info.

    As for ‘happy new year’, I think that the whole holiday is made up to give people a reason to get drunk. Even as an unbeliever, I never saw the point of New Year’s.

    But as with so many things that sinful people have damaged, Christians are able to redeem it. New Year’s is a great time to evaluate God’s blessings of the past year and goals for the coming one.

    Hope you enjoy the beginning of your ‘08!

    Larry

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