What is Christmas all about? Wondering what are the origins of Christmas trees? Who is Santa Claus? Who is Immanuel? Check out this fun new family Christmas DVD from VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer.

You’ll learn what Christmas is all about. The DVD teaches the history of Santa Claus, the history of Christmas trees, and what is Hanukkah. Discover new meanings to your favorite Christmas traditions with Buck Denver and his friends.

What is Hanukkah?

Sunday School Lady
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday, celebrating something that happened in Jerusalem in between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Marcy
What happened?

Sunday School Lady
Well, about 200 years before Jesus was born, Israel was controlled by the Seleucid Empire.

Buck Denver
Empires are bad, right? Like in Star Wars?

Sunday School Lady
It depends on who’s in charge. Things got very bad for the Jews, though, when Antiochus IV Epiphanes became king.

Buck Denver
That’s quite a name.

Sunday School Lady
Yes it is.

Buck Denver
I wish my name was “Buckius Eleven Denveronius.”

Sunday School Lady
Let’s stay focused.

Buck Denver
Sorry.

Sunday School Lady
Antiochus didn’t like the Jews at all, so he banned their religion! He said they couldn’t go to the Temple or worship God!

Marcy
That’s terrible!

Sunday School Lady
To make it even worse, he sacrificed a pig on the altar – which was against God’s rules – then put a statue of Zeus in the Temple and told the Jews to pray to that!

Buck Denver
What?!? Zeus is a made-up god!

Sunday School Lady
I know! The Jews were so upset that five brothers led a rebellion against Antiochus! They were called the Maccabees.

Marcy
Once my dad was stung by a pack of bees.

Sunday School Lady
No, not “pack of bees,” Maccabees. The Maccabees actually beat Antiochus’s army and pushed them out of Jerusalem! Then they got rid of the statue of Zeus and spent 8 days cleaning the temple and rededicating it to the true God!

Buck Denver
That’s amazing!

Sunday School Lady
So every year Jews all over the world remember the 8 day rededication of the Temple by celebrating the 8 days of Hanukkah! Why even Jesus celebrated Hanukkah!

Buck Denver
Wait – what?

Sunday School Lady
It’s true! John 10:22 says, “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, it was winter, and Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.” The “Feast of Dedication” is now called Hanukkah!

Who Is Emmanuel?

Pastor Paul
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
To ransom captive Israel …

Ian
What’s it mean, anyway? “Emmanuel?”

Brother Louie
“Emmanuel” means “God with us!”

Chuck Waggin
Which he most certainly is not

Ian
Why do ya say that?

Chuck Waggin
Well, look at the day we’ve had! My truck broke down – then those ladies were rude to us – then you guys come along, what happens? Your sleigh breaks! Cuz of a rabbit! Where’s “God with us” in all that?

Brother Louie
I think you’re missin’ the point, Chuck Waggin.

Chuck Waggin
Well what’s it mean, then?

Brother Louie
It means the ultimate bad thing will never happen to you!

Ian
The what?

Clive
He’s right! “Emmanuel is one of the names for Jesus – Jesus is “God with us.” This is the most important bit of Christmas! This is what Christmas is all about!

Ian
Oh come on! I’ve heard that a million times! “Giving! What Christmas is all about!” “Family! What Christmas is all about!” “Gettin’ a great deal on a new TV! What Christmas is all about!”

Clive
No – listen. The world says the “real meaning” of Christmas is all sorts of things – shopping, family, big sales on TVs and refrigerators. But we know it’s Jesus, right? That’s why it’s called “Christmas!”

Buck Denver Asks Why Do We Call It Christmas?
Jellyfish Labs 2011
From VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer

The True Meaning of Christmas

Chester Whigget
And now, through the magic of popsicle stick puppetry, I present … The Upside Down Kingdom! “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.”

Chuck Waggin
Wait – this sounds kinda familiar.

Brother Louie
It sure does. Let’s see where he’s goin’ with it.

Ian
Um – who is Caesar, and what’s a “census”?

Chester Whigget
Caesar – he was the king of everything. A real big shot.

Brother Louie
And a census is when you count everybody to see how many people ya got!

Chester Whigget
That’s a-right. “Everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph – that’s this guy – went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.”

Ian
You mean KING David? Israel’s best king EVER?

Chester Whigget
Yah, that’s the one.

Ian
Is King David gonna turn upside down?

Chester Whigget
I’m not done yet! “Joseph went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.” This is Mary. She’s got a big tummy, cuz she’s gonna have a baby! Anyway … “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” Here he is! Isn’t he cute? Ahem. “She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

Ian
They put him in a WHAT?

Clive
A manger. It’s a feeding trough for animals!

Ian
Why would they put him in a feeding trough?

Clive
Because he was born in a BARN!

Chuck Waggin
My grandaddy was born in a barn.

Brother Louie
You don’t say?

Chuck Waggin
First thing he saw was a horse. Thought it was his mother until he was five years old.

Why Does Santa Claus Wear a Red Suit?

Cap’n Pete
See if you can answer this one, Mr. Smarty-Monkey! Why is Santa always wearing a red suit lined with white fur?

Monkey
Oh yes, I know that one too.

Clive
You see, St. Nicholas was a bishop in the church – that means he was the leader of ALL the churches in his area. Bishops wore red robes and red hats. St. Nicholas was most popular in Northern Europe, where it was very cold on St. Nicholas Day. So pictures of St. Nicholas visiting Northern Europe on December 6th show him wearing a red robe and hat, all lined with white fur to keep him warm while he delivers his presents to kids!

Monkey
That’s why Santa is always wearing a red suit with white fur!

Cap’n Pete
Well you just know everything don’t ya? What? Why’d we stop?

Monkey
This next part is going to be tricky.

The History of the Christmas Tree

Sunday School Lady:
The tradition of the Christmas tree comes from northern Germany, where, for thousands of years, tribes decorated with tree branches, and, before they knew about Jesus, even linked certain trees to make-believe gods!

Buck:
Wait – make-believe gods?

Sunday School Lady:
Yep. One giant oak tree was called “The Oak of Thor.” If anyone cut it down, they believed, the god Thor would strike them dead!

Buck:
Goodness gracious! Then what happened?

Sunday School Lady:
Well, a Christian named Boniface came to northern Germany to tell them about Jesus. They said, “We don’t believe in Jesus, we believe in Thor! Look! Here’s his tree!” Boniface had to find a way to show them Thor wasn’t real. So guess what he did?

Marcy:
I think I know!

Sunday School Lady:
He picked up an axe and chopped down the tree!

Buck:
What happened?

Sunday School Lady:
Nothing. So everyone realized Thor was fake and started believing in Jesus instead!

Marcy:
That’s amazing! But, um, where do Christmas trees come in?

Sunday School Lady:
Well, according to the story, Boniface then pointed to a small fir tree that was growing right next to Thor’s oak tree and said, “This will be your new symbol. You use this tree to build your homes – let Christ be at the center of your households. It’s leaves remain evergreen in the darkest days – let Christ be your constant light. It’s branches reach out to embrace and its top points to heaven – let Christ be your Comfort and Guide.”

From Buck Denver Asks Why Do We Call It Christmas?
Jellyfish Labs 2011
Phil Vischer

From Christ’s Mass to Christmas
Chuck Waggin:
I’ve been wonderin’, Brother Louie, why do they call it “Christmas” anyway? Why not call it “Jesus’ birthday day??”

Brother Louie:
That’s a good question, Chuck Waggin! Do you know what “communion” is?

Chuck Waggin:
Uh – do you mean when they serve bread and grape juice in church? Let me picture it … Yeah! That?

Brother Louie:
That’s it! It’s a way to remember Jesus and the Last Supper!

Chuck Waggin:
That’s why they call it Christmas?

Brother Louie:
I’m not done. Some churches call that “communion” – other churches call it the “Eucharist” – a word that means “to give thanks.” The celebration of the Eucharist is called a “mass” in those churches.

Chuck Waggin:
Where does Christmas come in?

Brother Louie:
Still not done. Once a year in Europe these churches would hold a mass to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ!

Chuck Waggin:
And?

Brother Louie:
That celebration was called “Christ’s Mass!”

Chuck Waggin:
“Christ’s Mass?” Christmas! That’s why we call it Christmas!

Brother Louie:
Exactly!

Chuck Waggin:
Let me see if I got this straight …

LYRICS:

Some churches have communion in a service called the Mass
And once a year they’d have one just for Jesus
And his birth!
And Jesus is the Christ -
Which means “the one who saves the world!”
And that very special service is the Christ’s Mass!

Behind each Christmas
There is a Christ’s Mass!
A day to celebrate when Jesus came to Earth!
Behind each Christmas
There is a Christ’s Mass!
A celebration just for Jesus and his birth!

From Buck Denver Asks Why Do We Call It Christmas?
Jellyfish Labs 2011
Phil Vischer

Lyrics:

Though my halls are decked with holly -
I’m not feeling very jolly
Far from merry or amusing
I find Christmas quite confusing!

Why is Christmas what we call it?
Why the impact on my wallet?
Why the presents? Why the tree?
What’s with Santa? Who is he?

How do meats and smelly cheeses
Celebrate the birth of Jesus?
Now perhaps I’m overthinking
When I should be eggnog-drinking
And I hate to sing the blues-
But Christmastime has me confused!

From Buck Denver Asks Why Do We Call It Christmas?
Jellyfish Labs 2011
Phil Vischer