The original Christmas story in chronological order ⇔ 

by Michael Krigline, December 2021. krigline.com ⇔

Originally created as an inspirational message for an International Church in China; later revised for a US congregation..

 I love Christmas. I love the colors and lights, the decorations and songs, the movies and the Christmas parties. While teaching abroad (or working with international students here), I love the questions people ask at this time of year. The story of Christmas is new to so many, and when I explain things it makes the story new to me all over again!

In seminary, I had a class that made Christmas feel “new.” “The Life of Christ” was taught by an old seminary professor, and Dr. Hulbert had taught the Bible so long, knew the original languages so well, and had led so many groups to Israel that—well, when he talked about Jesus’ life you would have believed that he had been there himself! Dr Hulbert went Home in 2014, but you can still hear him on the seminary website: ciuclassics.org/sermon-speaker/hulbert-terry/.

Now, I will warn you that Dr. Hulbert is a real purist. He believes that what the Bible says is history and fact; and he showed us many things that we thought the Bible said but were not really there! You may discover a few of those today, and I challenge you to look into these things yourself. Don’t just take my word for it! You can find the references and the text on my website: wp.krigline.com/christmas.

This message was originally delivered at a church with both old and new Christians, as well as people who were still on their search for the Truth. Most of you are mature believers, but you may still be surprised a time or two as we go through the Christmas story in chronological order.

Of course, the Christmas story is really several different stories, often grouped together. Unfortunately, because they are so frequently grouped together, many think several parts happened at the same time or in the wrong order. What stories am I talking about? They include the birth of John the Baptist, the angel’s announcements to both Mary and Joseph, events in Bethlehem, Simeon and Anna in the temple, the visit of the Magi, King Herod’s rage, and more. But let’s start at the beginning.

God’s Silence is Broken

The Old Testament ends 400 years before the birth of Jesus with Malachi’s words about the forerunner to the promised Messiah: “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers…” (Malachi 4:5-6). As if God were just releasing the pause button on a CD player, the New Testament story begins with the angel Gabriel bringing Zechariah the same words: “he will go on before the Lord… to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous…” (Luke 1:17). The angel was talking about a son Zechariah and Elizabeth were about to have, even though they are well advanced in years—a son named John the Baptist.

About six months later, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, announcing that she would become the mother of the Messiah. (read Luke 1: 26-38, Eliz 39-56) Mary graciously received this wonderful news, along with the news that her supposedly “barren” relative Elizabeth was now six-months pregnant. The Bible says Mary “hurried” to a town in the hills outside Jerusalem to be with Elizabeth for her last three months of pregnancy. It was a logical thing to do: Zechariah was a priest so maybe he could help her process this incredible news, and since the angel had mentioned it, maybe that was a sign that Mary needed to be there to help. Besides, the hill country would be a good place to go to get away from her fiancé while Mary’s tummy started to grow! We don’t know if she told Joseph or her parents about the angel and miracle before she left—but Matthew’s text makes it seem unlikely.

Mary was three-months pregnant when she got home to Nazareth, there she “was found to be with child” (Matt 1:18), and so Joseph decides to break off the engagement. Interestingly, God lets him “consider” this for a while before bringing Gabriel back, this time appearing in Joseph’s dream. Joseph immediately believes and obeys the word from Heaven, and takes Mary to be his wife. (Read Matt 1:18-25)

Discussion: In Joseph’s dream, the angel says: “…that which is conceived in her [Mary] is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt 1:20-21 NKJV) Explain why some call this the shortest “Gospel presentation” in the Bible. Which is the greater miracle: God the Holy Spirit supernaturally making a virgin pregnant, or God the Son (Jesus) being willing and able to take on Himself the sins of all Believers, satisfying that eternal debt on the cross? Explain your answer.

In Bethlehem

Sometime in the next few months Caesar Augustus called for a census, for which everyone had to go back to the land of his ancestors—Dr Hulbert said this was the only time Caesar ever made such a requirement. Thus, Joseph had to head 85 miles south (140 KM) to Bethlehem, and Mary went with him.[1] The trip would have taken about a week by foot. We don’t know how long they were in Bethlehem before the baby was born, but the Bible says “while they were there” the time came, Mary gave birth, and laid Jesus in a manger (Read Luke 2:1-7).

[1] We are not told why Mary went with him; maybe simply because they were engaged, maybe because her family was also from Bethlehem, or maybe because they had decided to move to David’s hometown in order to rear the “Son of David.”

…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:6-7 NIV)

What’s that? You thought Mary arrived on a donkey, late at night, deep in labor pains, was turned away by a mean old innkeeper and had no choice but to go to a stable? Maybe. It makes for a dramatic story. But that stuff is not really in the Bible. Check it out yourself! You won’t find the words donkey, stable, innkeeper, or even inn (at least, not in Greek). And sorry, there’s also no drummer boy (even though I love that song).

Let me take a moment to address the “innkeeper” embellishments. In fact, there is really no “Inn” in the text! The Greek word is Katulama, which is always translated “upper room” elsewhere (as in “the Last Supper”). During the time of King James English translation, the term “Inn” was suitable since most inns were similar to a modern “Bed and Breakfast” which opened a spare room for guests. Historians and archeologists tell us that “inns” were only found on busy roads, and Bethlehem was not on such a road. Jericho was, and thus a different Greek word is used for the “inn” where the “good Samaritan” took his injured victim. Besides, “inns” were so expensive that only Romans or traveling businessmen would have used them; everyone else did what Jesus later told his disciples to do: stay with a relative or “man of peace” (Luke 10:5-7). In Bethlehem, the “upper room” was probably already crowded with guests (elders always would have been given this place), and so the family converted their “stable” into a more-or-less private room. (Dr Hulbert pointed out that “stable” is not in the text either; he said separate stables were rare, as people had only one or two large animals, who were brought in at night to a lower “entry area,” open to the outside.) Since we can trust God to get Mary to Bethlehem a few days (if not weeks) before giving birth, there would have been plenty of time to thoroughly clean out the area and make the conversion. From God’s perspective, the “public entry” was a better location than the “private upper room”; otherwise, the shepherds would have never been allowed to enter—and God was trying to show that This Babywas being born for all people. (Alternately, some hold that the “manger” was in a “cave” or separate “stable”—which are equally possible according to the sparse text of the momentous event. Extra-biblical narratives that added color and details date back to several centuries after the birth.)

As to the idea that Mary was “rejected” (as we get in some carols), Dr Hulbert pointed out that there is nothing in the Biblical text to indicate such; Jesus was not “rejected” until he offended people in a synagogue in Nazareth, 30 years later (Luke 4:29). Dr Hulbert said that no Jewish woman would allow a fellow Jew to bring her first baby into the world without help, especially a descendent of King David!

I think we also have to remember that this is God’s Son. Think of the preparations we make for a child’s birth—to me it looks like God made even more elaborate preparations (even in the heavens!), so I’m sure he saw to it that His Son arrived safely. Apparently, God also wanted to make the point that Jesus had come even for “lowly shepherds,” who were at the bottom of the social ladder (with only “women” below them). Isn’t it interesting that God chose to make despised shepherds into Divine messengers, and to make women (who couldn’t even testify in court) the first witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection? God loves to turn things around.

Why do the carols say the baby arrived at night? Well, the Bible does say that, “at night” nearby shepherds got a visit from a multitude of heavenly hosts (i.e. angels/messengers) who praisedGod (the text does not say “sang” but only “praised”). These angels told the shepherds that a Savior had been born, and that he was currently lying in a manger. The “manger” was especially Good News to the shepherds, because if the angel had said “in a Priest’s katulama”—or any other “guest room”—then the shepherds when have said, “Well, we would never be allowed to enter there.” But the “public area” by the manger was a different story. They decided to check out this Good News (and who wouldn’t!); they found the baby, and then started telling people about their “close encounter” with angels on the hillside.[2] (Read Luke 2:8-20)

[2] Notice that the shepherds were led by angels. There is no record of them “seeing the star” of the Wise Men—see below.

And when we visited Bethlehem a few years ago, I was surprised by the rocky terrane. The fields around Bethlehem were not flat, grassy places for sheep; they were rocky hills, with many caves. But this is where sheep were raised for the temple sacrifices. Dr Hulbert said that these would have been the great, great, great, great grandsheep of David’s flocks, and the best of them were destined for temple sacrifice. And our guide also pointed out something we had not heard before. He said that when a priest, like Zechariah, had a robe that was too worn out to use, it was cut into strips of cloth and given as a blessing to an expectant mother. Wouldn’t it be cool if Zechariah and Elizabeth had given such a bundle to Mary a few months earlier? If you saw the 2021 Christmas episode of “The Chosen,” Mary felt these swaddling cloths were so valuable that she saves them—maybe the writers knew about this priestly custom.

To Jerusalem, then Nazareth

Back to the story: Eight days after Jesus was born (Luke 2:21), Jesus was circumcised (likely in Bethlehem). Then on the 40^th day after the birth, they headed for Jerusalem to dedicate the baby in the Temple and offer a required sacrifice (Luke 2:22). This is the scripture that tells us Joseph was poor, because a rich man would have offered a different sacrifice. Some speculate that it would have been difficult to keep “Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Zechariah” away from Jesus’ dedication, knowing what they knew about the holy Child.

At the Temple, Mary and Joseph met Simeon, a Spirit-filled man (possibly advanced in years) who was looking for the Promised Messiah because God had told him he would not die until they had met face to face. This is another great Christmas mini-story (Luke 2:25ff). When Mary & Jesus got to the temple, the Spirit spoke to Simeon and revealed that this was the face of God’s promise! Then an 84-year-old prophetess named Anna got a similar revelation, and began to speak of Jesus to those who were looking for God’s redemption. (Read Luke 2: 22-40)

After this, Joseph, Mary and Jesus moved back to Nazareth (Luke 2:39). Note that we have not yet encountered the Magi. We are not sure how long they stayed in Nazareth (in the north), but by Matthew 2:1 they are again living in Bethlehem. Many scholars believe they simply went to Nazareth to collect Joseph’s tools and a few other things, and see Grandma and Grandpa, and then they moved to Bethlehem.

There are plenty of reasons for this supposition. Think about it. Angels have spoken to you or people you know four times (this was as uncommon then as it is now!). Two people in God’s Temple have also confirmed that your son is the Messiah. We know from Mary’s song in Luke 1:46 that she knew the Scriptures well (it contains 15 quotes from the Old Testament).  Perhaps this is why God chose Mary—she was extraordinary in a time when Rabbis were forbidden to teach the Bible to females. Joseph was probably just as dedicated to the Word of God. They knew Jesus was the Son of David, so it made sense to raise Him in the “City of David”—Bethlehem. They had relatives in Bethlehem. (Most of the world’s people have stronger connections to their “extended family” than highly-mobile Americans. Besides, Nazareth had only been settled for about two generations—these people would have had close relatives elsewhere.). Mary and Joseph had already lived in Bethlehem 2 to 4 months waiting on the baby and then waiting on the dedication, so Joseph had time to develop contacts and start to establish a reputation as a carpenter. Who knows, I wouldn’t put it past God to arrange things so that Bethlehem needed a good carpenter at just this time! Finally, more  evidence that they had moved to Bethlehem is found in Matt 2:21, as Joseph had originally planned to return to Bethlehem, not Nazareth, after the flight to Egypt. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Visit from the “Wise Men”

By now, we are in Matthew chapter two, and we can get to the account of the Wise Men, or Magi, and even “Kings.” We don’t know much about them; we don’t know how many there were (“three” according to tradition, but the Bible doesn’t say). Philo, a first century historian, talks about the Eastern school of Magi (in Persia), saying they understand and can explain the natural order. Some trace this “in the East” school back to Daniel–the wisest of the Wise Men (Daniel 1:20)–which means that they would have studied the writings of Daniel, which provides an interesting link to Israel. Some have described the Magi as one part astrologer (mystic), one part scientist (astronomer/historian/scholar), one part advisor (to kings/leaders). This makes sense because King Herod invited them in for a conversation.

And if I may digress, when I was working in China I ran across this remarkable information. Page 313 of Faith of Our Fathers by Chan Kei Thong shows Chinese court records from around 5 B.C. during the Han dynasty telling of a comet that was visible for 70 days. The first century Chinese astronomers added: “The appearance of this comet undoubtedly symbolizes change. The extended appearance of this comet indicates that this is of great importance.” Perhaps this is something else the “wise men” saw. Interestingly, the Chinese records also note a second comet about 13 months later. Furthermore, a 2003 book says that Liu Shang, chief astrologer of the Han court at the time of Christ’s birth–disappeared for two years after discovering a new star called the “king star.” (p5, PHattaway) China’s capital was Xi’an, the start of the well-traveled Silk Road to Europe. Could this Chinese scientist have been one of the “Wise Men from the East”?

What did these Magi see, that sent them to Israel looking for a new king? If not something supernatural, the most likely candidates are a comet, or the conjunction of stars and planets (both of which were called “stars” at the time). We are not sure what they say, but modern astronomers have learned that something very unusual occurred in space at about the time Jesus was born.

A lawyer named Rick Larson has become a sort of “expert” in these things. First, he found nine clues in the Bible about the “star of Bethlehem”. Briefly, the Maji could tell that something suggested “birth”, “the Jewish nation,” and “kingship”; the star rose in the east, the sight was widely seen (though not understood); it involved exact timing; the appearance either had a long duration or repeated itself; it was in front of them when they left Jerusalem, heading for Bethlehem (very helpful); and that this star “stopped” (telling us it was not a “fixed star” because they don’t stop).

The video is called “The Star of Bethlehem” (Rick Larson). You can watch the video for the whole story, but here’s some of what Larson found, using astronomy software that can show any sky in human history, from any place on earth. Think about that! We can create such software, because God gave us an orderly universe.

In Sept of 3 BC, Jupiter (the King planet) came close to the Regulus (the King star), in the constellation Leo (the lion), which was followed in the night sky by Virgo (the virgin, associated with Israel in the sky), “clothed in the sun with the moon at her feet” (as described in Rev 12). What’s more, it was the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year. Larson thinks God planned this before the dawn of time as the moment of Jesus’ conception.

Nine months later, June 17, 2 BC, there was a rare conjunction of Jupiter (king planet) and Venus (mother planet), producing the brightest “star” anyone in Jerusalem had ever seen (according to the math and software, the only occurrence in 2000 years). If you go to a planetarium at Christmastime, this is probably what they’ll show you, because it is well known and truly remarkable.

I don’t know if that’s what the Maji saw, or if this conjunction proclaimed Messiah’s birth. But if you were God, could you, would you, wind up the cosmic clock in such a way that this very rare, extra bright conjunction would take place on the night of Messiah’s birth? I would! Think about that the next time you think life’s events are random, and that God is powerless to help you. Larson points out several of these remarkable universe events, and calls it “cosmic poetry”—as if God planned even the rotation of the planets to announce Jesus’ birth and death. Think of how difficult it would be to plan such “cosmic poetry” but we have an awesome God, who wants us to know that He is soverign!

As it says in Psalm 19:1-4: (read this with me)

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
    ² Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
    ³ They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
    ⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

Due to the limitations of “naked eye” astronomy in the First Century, conjunctions made stars extra bright and were described as a “new star.” Each constellation was associated with a nation, and a conjunction in the “belly” of Virgo, might have been like a billboard or Heavenly Proclamation to people trained in such things: “NEW KING BORN IN ISRAEL!” So, the Magi went to the capital of Israel (a logical place to look for a king), and that is where Matthew 2:1 picks up the story.

Verse 3 says that when Israel’s King Herod heard what the Magi were looking for, he was “troubled, and all Jerusalem with him”(2:3). Historians tell us that Herod was both a great leader and an extremely evil/jealous man! After his priests send the Magi to Bethlehem, due to Micah’s prophecy, Herod lied to the Wise Men, asking them to report back so that “I too may come and worship him.” This was really the last thing in his mind.

In Matt 2 we learn a few more things about the star. Verse 16 indicates that the Magi first saw the star about two years earlier. And verse 9 says: “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” (NIV) This text is very helpful, because it tells us which part of the sky to look in as Jupiter “rises,” when the Magi leave King Herod with new information: and Bethlehem is five miles due south from Jerusalem. It also tells us that they were probably looking at “wandering stars” (which we call planets today), because this is the only kind of star that can “stop” (which we call retrograde motion, as the planet’s orbit, as viewed from earth, appears to stop and go backward).

So, Larson looked for Jupiter’s retrograde motion, when viewed from Jerusalem looking due south, and – you’re not going to believe this – Larson found Jupiter there in full retrograde motion on Dec 25, 2 BC. Wouldn’t it be an incredible coincidence (if you know the history of Christmas), if the Wise Men brought those first gifts to Jesus on Dec 25, 2 BC?

Whether on Dec 25 or some other day, did the Magi find the infant Jesus in a stable? Pay attention to verse 11 as someone reads Matt 2:1-12.

¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Seeing What Others Miss

According to the Biblical text, the Magi found Mary and Jesus in a “house” not a stable. This is another proof that the family had moved back to Bethlehem—they now had a house! And yes, there are different Greek words for “child” and “baby,” and this one indicates a toddler, not an infant.

So, did the shepherds and Wise Men rub elbows in a stable, standing in the glow of a bright star on the night Jesus was born? Well, that is not what the Bible says. There’s no indication that the shepherds even noticed what was happening in the night sky. They MISSED what others SAW, but fortunately, God doesn’t speak to us all in the same way. To the Wise Men, he spoke in the clockwork movements of the stars, mixed with some cultural knowledge, and a willingness to ask for direction. To the shepherds, God spoke through angels, praise, and the humble sign of a baby in a manger. How does He speak to you? And are you listening? Do you MISS what others SEE, or SEE what others MISS?

The Magi had not been on a casual holiday. They may have searched for this Child for up to two years, and thus it is no wonder that they “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” when they finally looked into the Messiah’s face. On bended knee they offered their gifts, which providentially would have come in very handy to finance the family’s flight to Egypt which finally brings us to the end of the Christmas story. Like some of my friends in Hong Kong and in Columbia, Jesus becomes a political refugee, in a strange land.

So, there you have it. The Christmas Story in chronological order. It spans about three years, and takes place in Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Hills of Judea, Rome, Egypt, and some unknown country or countries in the East.

To me, the Wise Men and King Herod typify humanity’s experience with Christmas. Herod knew from Scripture about the Messiah, but he acted in fear and self-interest. He refused to believe and thereby forfeited the chance to see the Messiah in person. Herod MISSED what others SAW. He then compounded his disgrace and eternal debt by killing all of the babies in Bethlehem under age two. According to Dr Hulbert, that was probably around 30-40 children within Bethlehem’s population of around 1000. King Herod is the ultimate example of someone who “missed” Christmas.

On the other hand, the Wise Men SAW what others MISSED. They believed the sign they got from Heaven—even though they were not even Jewish! They made a long search for the Child, and when they found Him they worshiped him and were filled with incredible joy. I can’t believe their lives were ever the same again. These men are the ultimate example of people who “find” Christmas.

The choice is ever before each of us. The path of doubt leads only to death. In Herod’s case it was both the death of innocent children, and his own death a year or two later.

The path of faith will be much harder. Mary risked losing her reputation and fiancée when she said yes to God. Joseph had to struggle with his choice. Shepherds had to leave their flocks and search door to door to find Jesus. Simeon and Anna had to wait—maybe for years—before they “found Christmas.” Finally, the Wise Men may have searched for two years before meeting Jesus face to face.

The Christmas story for each of these people has three things in common—and if we are to really “find Christmas” we need the same three things.

1) A Word from Heaven was essential in pointing them to the Christ Child.

2) They had to overcome some difficulty — or one might say they had to search with all their heart.

3) They looked into the Face of God the Son.

Two more favorite scriptures comes to mind: (Jeremiah 29: 11-14) [3]  “¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope…

[3] For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations…”

¹³And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”[4]

[4] “But from (exile) you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? God draws us, we look with all our heart, and then we find Peace and Hope through the presence of a special baby. There is an ornament on my Christmas tree that puts it this way: “When man reaches for God we call it religion; when God reaches for man we call it Christmas.”  Or as Jeremiah put it: “You will seek Me, and you will find Me, WHEN you SEARCH with ALL your heart…”

I wrote a song a number of years ago, with these thoughts in mind.  I call it “They Found Christmas,” and you can hear me sing it on iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, or wherever you listen to music. Thanks for letting me be with you today.

They Found Christmas (by Michael Krigline, 12/8/01 Shanghai)

Something in heaven… a new star shining bright
Drew the wise men, who journeyed many nights
After asking kings and prophets, and going where they told
With bended knee and joyful hearts, they offered gifts of gold

They found Christmas, when they looked with all their heart
A Word from Heaven told them where to start
And from that moment nothing on earth could outshine or erase
The Christmas peace and love they found when they looked on Jesus’ face

Simeon waited… praying night and day
To see God’s Promise, before he passed away.
When Mary came, the Spirit called this man to turn his face
And see God’s revelation — a Light for every Race

He found Christmas…

He’d heard the whispers… King Herod was afraid
Maybe this Baby would take his place one day
He thought that swords could stop the God who’d made both Earth and Space
And many died, as did a king who chose to turn from Grace.

He missed Christmas, for he looked without his heart
Ignoring Heaven, Who’d told him where to start
And from that moment nothing on earth could cancel his disgrace
Or bring the Peace he could have found, if he’d looked on Jesus face.

Christmas offers all of us a chance to win or lose
And who we are forever depends on what we choose…

My friend was reading… Matthew chapter two
His heart caught fire… like mine, when these words were new
Wise men sought Him, and found great joy; now we’ve done the same
‘Cause we’ve found Jesus’ greatest gift: salvation in His Name

We found Christmas, when we looked with all our heart
A Word from Heaven told us where to start
And from that moment nothing on earth could outshine or erase
The Christmas peace and love we found when we looked on Jesus’ face

(You can listen for free to They Found Christmas via “Michael’s Music” page; text, words & music copyright Michael Krigline, 2001-02; see Use Policy for permissions.)

NOTES/Extras:

I learned much of this content while studying at Columbia International University. You can hear some of the same info on a “CIU Faculty Podcast with Dr. Croteau” at https://vimeo.com/304167025

If you want to hear a Chapel Message by Dr Hulbert, saying many of these things, write to me for a link.

The Greek word often rendered “inn” (Luke 2:7) in the Christmas story is katalyma, which is translated “upper room” elsewhere (as in “the Last Supper” Mark 14:14). A manger would have been located in sort of a first-century “front porch” or entryway on the street level, open to the outside and used for animals at night. Even the phrase “no room” can be translated “not the place,” and a crowded, small Bethlehem home would be “not the place” to have a baby, if a more private “entryway” could be made available.

For a remarkable presentation on what the sky looked like around the time of Jesus, find “The Star of Bethlehem” (DVD; Rick Larson 2009).

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Scriptures quoted on this website are primarily from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982; also on line at www.biblegateway.com

For more information about Christianity, check out https://peacewithgod.net/

(For more information about Christmas, see these Christmas pages (underlined topics are on EFLsuccess.com or Krigline.com; others are on our older website): the traditional Christmas story, who is Santa (圣诞老人)?, candy canes, Christmas Perspectives (poem), and the pre-Christmas Advent season. Also look for Christmas wallpaper on our old website. You’ll also find movie study guides on this website (or our old site) for some great holiday films: A Snoopy/Charlie Brown Christmas, Last Holiday, White Christmas, The Grinch, Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life)

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