CHRISTMAS
Hello everyone!
I pray you all have been much better than I. This pneumonia is really taking a toll on me. I appreciate so much all your prayers, thank you! So on this Monday before Christmas, I want to give you a heart felt Merry Christmas!
What exactly does Merry Christmas or Merry gentlemen mean? As you might have suspected, it means happy. Here is what the AD1828 Merriam Webster dictionary states:
“1. Gay and noisy; jovial; exhilarated to laughter. Man is the merriest species of the creation. They drank and were merry with him. Gen.43.
2. Causing laughter or mirth; as a merry jest.
3. Brisk; as a merry gale. [This is the primary sense of the word.]
4. Pleasant; agreeable; delightful.”
In the past I have heard that “merry” in the old definition meant business like. Has anyone else heard something along those lines? Other than the third definition of being brisk, (which in 1828 meant “frisk, fresh, lively, active, gay” rather than brief or hurried as it does today) all definitions pertain to a happy state.
So to have a Merry Christmas is to have a jovial, exhilarated, making gayety, frisk, fresh, lively and active Christmas. In other words, bring joy to others! And what better joy is there than the good news that Jesus has been born!
God bless, take care and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Willow Dressel
PS for other blogs pertaining to Christmas please search my blog. Some examples are; ornaments, Christmas tree, the virgin Mary, and the Bethlehem star.
References:
https://www.1828.mshaffer.com/d/search/word
Thank you! Wish you a happy new year in advance...I'm from Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome Michael! I hope it was a Merry one! God bless in all you do and my our Lord Jesus bless your beautiful country Nigeria!
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