1 00:00:02,100 --> 00:00:06,540 Steve Webb: It's day 23 of the 2022 encore of the 2009 season 2 00:00:06,540 --> 00:00:09,660 of the Lifespring White Christmas show hosted by James 3 00:00:09,660 --> 00:00:13,440 Cooper, creator of whychristmas.com and me the OG 4 00:00:13,470 --> 00:00:18,000 Godcaster Steve Webb of Lifespringmedia.com. I've got 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,780 over 3000 podcast episodes over there. Take a look. Christmas 6 00:00:21,780 --> 00:00:24,630 Eve is tomorrow already. You will need to get your entry in 7 00:00:24,630 --> 00:00:26,970 for the drawing to win the autographed copy of Bryan 8 00:00:26,970 --> 00:00:31,410 Duncan's A NehoSoul Christmas CD by tomorrow at 6pm pacific time 9 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,620 when I'll be recording the Christmas Day show. For details 10 00:00:34,620 --> 00:00:38,070 on how to enter go to Lifespringmedia.com slash day 11 00:00:38,070 --> 00:00:42,690 nine to see how to do that. That's Lifespringmedia.com slash 12 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:47,370 d a y numeral nine no spaces. You could be the winner. Have 13 00:00:47,370 --> 00:00:50,100 you smiled or learned something this month while listening to 14 00:00:50,100 --> 00:00:53,160 the Lifespring Why Christmas show? Isn't that worth 15 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:56,070 something? If you're feeling generous gifts for your 16 00:00:56,070 --> 00:01:00,150 Christmas podcast hosts are welcome at Lifespringmedia.com 17 00:01:01,260 --> 00:01:02,790 slash support. 18 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:26,976 Welcome to the light spring Why Christmas show number 23. Which 19 00:01:27,037 --> 00:01:30,792 means Christmas is only two days away. I can hardly wait. Time 20 00:01:30,853 --> 00:01:34,064 Steve Webb, your host. As children, we anticipate the 21 00:01:34,124 --> 00:01:37,759 arrival of Christmas morning with giddy anticipation of what 22 00:01:37,819 --> 00:01:41,394 presents might be under the tree? Will it be a new bicycle, 23 00:01:41,454 --> 00:01:45,149 a new doll, a baseball glove or a ps3? How many presents will 24 00:01:45,210 --> 00:01:48,724 there be? What will Santa bring? As parents the tables are 25 00:01:48,784 --> 00:01:52,540 turned? Now our anticipation is focused on what our children's 26 00:01:52,601 --> 00:01:56,417 reaction will be when they open their gifts. We so want to hear 27 00:01:56,478 --> 00:02:00,415 those five words. It's just what I wanted. And of course, we want 28 00:02:00,476 --> 00:02:04,353 to see what Santa brought us to. So how did the custom of giving 29 00:02:04,413 --> 00:02:07,927 and receiving presents on Christmas begin and how do other 30 00:02:07,988 --> 00:02:11,319 cultures do it? Well, of course God gave the very first 31 00:02:11,380 --> 00:02:15,075 Christmas gift when he gave us Jesus. John 316 says God loved 32 00:02:15,136 --> 00:02:18,528 the world so much that He gave His one and only Son that 33 00:02:18,589 --> 00:02:22,102 whosoever believes in Him may not be lost but have eternal 34 00:02:22,163 --> 00:02:25,374 life. I think that the anticipation I have leading up 35 00:02:25,434 --> 00:02:29,008 to Christmas morning as the father of three sons is nothing 36 00:02:29,069 --> 00:02:32,764 compared to the anticipation God the Father had leading up to 37 00:02:32,825 --> 00:02:36,278 that first Christmas morning when Jesus was born into the 38 00:02:36,338 --> 00:02:39,912 family of Mary and Joseph and into the human family. He had 39 00:02:39,973 --> 00:02:43,365 just what we want it. And of course the wise men brought 40 00:02:43,426 --> 00:02:46,697 gifts frankincense, gold and myrrh. Frankincense was a 41 00:02:46,758 --> 00:02:50,332 perfume used in Jewish worship and as a gift it showed that 42 00:02:50,392 --> 00:02:54,148 people would worship Jesus. Gold was associated with kings and 43 00:02:54,209 --> 00:02:58,025 Christians believe that Jesus is the King of kings. Myrrh was a 44 00:02:58,086 --> 00:03:01,781 perfume that was put on dead bodies to make them smell better 45 00:03:01,842 --> 00:03:05,476 and as a gift it showed that Jesus would suffer and die. And 46 00:03:05,537 --> 00:03:08,929 then today all over the world, families and friends give 47 00:03:08,990 --> 00:03:12,261 presents to each other. Most children around the world 48 00:03:12,322 --> 00:03:16,138 believe that St Nicholas Santa Claus or Father Christmas brings 49 00:03:16,199 --> 00:03:19,591 them presents but in Germany they believe that it is the 50 00:03:19,652 --> 00:03:23,165 Christian or Christ child. In Spain they believe it is the 51 00:03:23,226 --> 00:03:26,739 wise men and in Italy they believe it's an old lady called 52 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,616 Befana. These presents are also left in different places. He in 53 00:03:30,677 --> 00:03:34,494 most of Europe, the presents are left in shoes or boots put out 54 00:03:34,554 --> 00:03:38,371 by the children. And in Italy, the UK and the US presidents are 55 00:03:38,431 --> 00:03:42,005 left in stockings often left hanging by a fireplace. And of 56 00:03:42,066 --> 00:03:45,458 course in many countries presents for friends and family 57 00:03:45,519 --> 00:03:49,275 may be left under the Christmas tree in the UK and here in the 58 00:03:49,335 --> 00:03:52,970 US they're often opened up on Christmas Day morning with all 59 00:03:53,031 --> 00:03:56,544 the family together. presents are opened on different days 60 00:03:56,605 --> 00:04:00,300 around the world as well. The earliest presents are opened is 61 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,753 on St Nicholas II on December 5 When children in Holland 62 00:04:03,813 --> 00:04:07,327 received their presents. And then in Belgium, Germany, the 63 00:04:07,388 --> 00:04:11,143 Czech Republic and some other European countries st Nicholas's 64 00:04:11,204 --> 00:04:15,020 days on December 6, and that's when they opened their presents. 65 00:04:15,081 --> 00:04:18,655 Children in the UK, the US and many other countries such as 66 00:04:18,716 --> 00:04:22,350 Japan open their presents on Christmas Day, December 25. The 67 00:04:22,411 --> 00:04:26,167 latest that presents are opened is on January 6, and that's on 68 00:04:26,227 --> 00:04:29,620 the day known as epiphany, and it's mainly celebrated in 69 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,618 Catholic countries such as Spain and Mexico. Tomorrow James has a 70 00:04:33,679 --> 00:04:37,556 very, very special show planned and on Christmas Day, of course, 71 00:04:37,616 --> 00:04:41,251 we'll both be back for one last time for this 2009 series of 72 00:04:41,312 --> 00:04:44,764 Lifespring White Christmas shows. We'll have some fun and 73 00:04:44,825 --> 00:04:48,581 we'll draw the winning name from satis app to see who gets the 74 00:04:48,641 --> 00:04:51,792 autographed Bryan Duncan Christmas CD of a Neil soul 75 00:04:51,852 --> 00:04:53,670 Christmas. We'll see you then.