The Young Chronicle: For Grade 3 December 19th, 2014 | Page 5

YOUNG CHRONICLE November 28th , 2014 Jesus and Christmas However, Christmas wasn’t celebrated in the early years of Christianity. It was Easter that was the main holiday. In the 4th century AD, church officials decided to institute the birth of Christ as the main holiday. Unfortunately, the bible doesn’t mention the date of Christ’s birth. Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia. Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger. Why is Christmas also called Xmas? Well, we all know that Christmas comes from Christ-Mass, the church service on the birth of Jesus. In the Greek alphabet, the letter Chi, looks like X (It’s pronounced as ‘kye’). Chi is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, Christos. Hence, when though, you may write Xmas, it is incorrect to pronounce it as Xmas, it should be pronounced as Christmas only. Christmas Cake Recipe: Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 2 cups golden raisins 1 cup currants 1 cup chopped raisins ½ cup red candied cherries ½ cup mixed citrus peel ⅓ cup rum 9 oz chopped butter 1 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla essence 4 medium eggs 4 oz melted dark cooking chocolate 2 tablespoons apricot jam 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon mixed spice 4 oz slivered almonds 2 oz melted dark cooking chocolate 2 oz melted white cooking chocolate confectioners' sugar (to dust) Method • Combine golden raisins, currants, raisins, cherries, peel and rum in a large bowl, cover, and stand for 1 hour or until ready to use. • Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line base and sides of a round 23cm (base measurement) deep cake pan with two layers each of brown paper and baking paper. • Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat until light and creamy. • Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate and jam. Add creamed mixture to fruit mixture wit