Old Christmas dedicated to celebrating humbly

For many Americans, celebrating Christmas Dec. 25 is a time-honored tradition filled with serenity, joy, gift-giving, traditions and family.

For the Amish community, Christmas comes twice a year, with the celebration of Christmas Dec. 25 and another taking place on Old Christmas Jan. 6.

Old Christmas is an Amish tradition because it follows the date of Epiphany on the old Julian calendar and honors traditions kept before calendar reforms changed holiday dates. It is a day filled with respect and reverence, one of quiet and humble gratitude to God.

Before the 1700s, much of Europe including the ancestors of today’s Amish used the Julian calendar. When the switch to the Gregorian calendar happened, Christmas moved from Jan. 6 to Dec. 25 on the new system.

Most people adopted the new calendar, but many Anabaptist groups including the Amish kept observing Jan. 6 as a holy day out of tradition and simplicity.

Epiphany, which takes place Jan. 6, is a Christian holy day marking the visit of the Wise Men (Magi) to the Christ child. In older Christian traditions, Epiphany is just as important and sometimes more important than Dec. 25.

For Amish families, Old Christmas is a sacred day, focused on rest, family unity and togetherness, reflection of the nativity story, and devotion to time spent in prayer and reading.

Most importantly, Epiphany is considered a day of rest and not a second Christmas. Because of that belief, Amish do not celebrate Old Christmas with gifts, parties and big meals.

Instead, they treat it like a Sunday — a quiet, contemplative day. Businesses in Amish communities often close, and visiting among family may happen, but celebrations remain simple and spiritual.

The Amish value continuity and faithfulness to old customs, and observing Jan. 6 keeps them connected to their European ancestors and early Christian traditions and keeps them rooted to a slower, more reflective meaning of the holiday season.

It remains a holy remembrance carried through the centuries with the focus solely on Jesus’ birth and togetherness.

Old Christmas from the Amish perspective

This excerpt is written by Marcus Yoder, executive director at Behalt, where the history, traditions and faith story of the Anabaptist people, both Amish and Mennonite, are presented in detail. Yoder’s knowledge and passion for history allow him to provide insight into the meaning of Old Christmas.

From the Amish perspective, anyone not Amish is considered “English.” The Amish recognize and respect the “English” demarcation of Christmas on Dec. 25. For them, Christmas is a sacred day in honor of the birth of God’s only son Jesus Christ. And here again, many, though not all, will fast prior to their family gathering.

Amish actually celebrate Christmas twice, once on the standard date of Dec. 25 and again Jan. 6, commonly referred to as Old Christmas. In higher religions, that day is known as Epiphany. Unlike the rest of society that celebrates Christmas, the Amish do not have Christmas trees or decorations. They will, however, burn Christmas candles in honor of the day.

After the usual Christmas meal of turkey or ham and all the trimmings, the Amish will spend the afternoon and evening playing table games, board games and cards. None of the card games would involve using face cards. Of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without gifts, and the Amish carry out this tradition of gift-giving as well. The gifts will be wrapped, but usually nothing elaborate. Children will receive toys.

Old Christmas hearkens back to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar during the latter stages of the Reformation when Pope Gregory XIII switched Christmas to Dec. 25. Out of tradition and reverence for their forefathers, the Amish have continued to honor Christ’s birth on Jan. 6.

Unlike the more jovial Dec. 25 celebrations, Old Christmas is more solemn. It begins with fasting, followed by another typical Christmas meal and some more gift giving. However, the emphasis is on reflecting and visiting as opposed to reveling. No matter which holiday is being celebrated, family is always an important element in any get-together for the Amish. And that is true for any Amish order.