Title: Lunar New Year and Christianity
Contents
Title: Lunar New Year and Christianity
Bible: Bible Exodus 12:2
2007. 2. 11. daytime
Today is our happy New Year's Day.
On this New Year's Day, I pray that God's blessings will fill the homes and businesses of our beloved members.
1. Origin of Lunar New Year
1) Meaning of words
The word seol is derived from -seol-seolda = seolda. It means unfamiliar. It has the meaning of a day to be sober and careful = <a day to be careful and to be careful>.
New Year's Day is also called the first day of the new year, namely, washing face (歲首), Wondan (元旦), Wonil (元日), and Shinwon (新元).
2) The origin and history of Lunar New Year
It is not clear when the Lunar New Year began as a Korean holiday, but according to records, the Silla people bowed to each other on the morning of Wonil (元日) and worshiped the god of the moon and moon.
Seol has a long history as one of the nine great festivals in the Goryeo Dynasty and one of the four great holidays in the Joseon Dynasty.
However, during the Japanese colonial period, the theory of the lift based on the lift was weakened by coercion, and this continued even after liberation. The three days of the first day of the solar calendar were designated as national holidays, and the Lunar New Year was called double taxation, so it was not a public holiday.
After that, the public opinion was reflected, and from 1985, it was called “Folk Day” and took a day off. As it was designated and implemented as a lunar new year, people who had previously renounced the solar calendar are returning to the lunar new year, and the solar calendar has become a speculative trend centered on government officials and public officials.
In Taiwan, January 1 to 3 of the Gregorian calendar is designated as the anniversary of the foundation of the country, and all government offices are closed. In the private sector, the Lunar New Year is much grander than the beginning of the solar year, so it is common to rest 3 or 5 days on the first day of the lunar calendar. In the past, it was also 15 or 30 days.
In China, since 1949, January 1 of the solar calendar is a day off as a New Year's holiday, and January 1 through 4 of the lunar calendar is called the Spring Festival.
In Japan, after adopting the solar power in 1872, the transition from the lunar calendar to the solar calendar started.
2. New Year's Rite (祭禮)
Our ancestors made as many sacrifices as 47 times to their ancestors in the course of a year. However, it has been greatly simplified by the rules of family rites. It was the turn of Mother's Day, Lunar New Year's Day, and Chuseok.
3. Christianity and Sacrifice
The biggest problem in Christianity was the issue of sacrifice. In Christianity, while equating sacrifice with idolatry, they also hated the term sacrifice itself. Our people treated Christianity as something that did not know their parents and ancestors. Thus, a clash between Christianity and our national traditions occurred.
However, we must not overreact to the sacrifice. In the Old Testament, there were many sacrifices offered to God as sheep. Among the sacrifices, the sacrifice that Jesus Christ died on the cross is the greatest.
However, it requires understanding and persuasion on how to offer sacrifices.
Of course, bowing to the dead in the traditional way is an act of idolatry. Therefore, we must offer sacrifices to God. In modern terms, this is worship.
“The sacrifices of the Gentiles are to demons, and not to God; I do not want you to be communers with demons.”
If so, how should the sacrifice be made?
1) Memorial service
Christians on New Year's Day. On Chuseok and other special days, family members can gather to worship the memorial service.
The worship of Christians is a worship of thanksgiving to God who created all things in the universe, and a worship of thanksgiving for the grace of redemption through Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we are thankful for the grace that healed and nurtured our physical life through our ancestors.
Therefore, in a strict sense, worship is only accepted by God, and humans are not the object of worship. Therefore, when families gather to think of their ancestors, it should be a time of determination to become a person who filially filializes the parents as a family community, shows kindness and love to each other, and does good deeds to society and neighbors by supporting their parents.
2) How to hold a memorial service
Do not bow in front of the Yeongjeong after using fat or setting up a table like in traditional rituals.
Instead of setting the table, the family first gathers to worship God.
It is better to offer it in the form of a memorial service on the anniversary, and it is better to offer it in the form of a family thanksgiving service on New Year's Day or Chuseok.
After the worship service, family members share new hopes and dreams with each other and pray for each other. As we look back on the past year, we share reflection and gratitude, think about what God will accomplish through our family this year, and comfort each other.
It is permissible to hold a grave on New Year's Day or Chuseok, but it is not permitted to bow down with food in front of the grave.
4. Traditional folk customs
1) triple
On New Year's Day, it is a good custom to offer a ceremony to family, friends, and elders. Show your sincere respect with respect for the elders. If you are in a room, be sure to enter the room, politely bow down, kneel in front of an adult, and then sit in a comfortable position when asked to sit comfortably. If you meet an adult on the street, bow your head politely.
2) play
There are few games that Christians deserve to enjoy.
yut play There are games such as chess, but it would be better to play yut as a game that can be enjoyed jointly. Hanafuda or speculative entertainment should be avoided. The brothers create a time of harmony between the brothers by boasting about themselves or singing.
3) Fellowship of love
Above all, we Christians should use this as an opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ. Often, one of the reasons for not being able to save the family is that those who believe in Jesus do not show an example of love first, but rather have selfishness or disparaging thoughts about non-Christians. Therefore, in such a case, I must make sacrifices first and express love to create an opportunity for family salvation in the future.