Feliz Navidad!

Photo By srqpix (CC BY 2.0)

But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

-Luke 2:10-11

Feliz Navidad!  The voice is heard, that says, "Feliz Navidad!"  "Feliz" means blessed, fortunate, lucky, magnificent or grand; splendid, satisfied or content; opportune or timely. (1)

Here are some examples of this word in the Bible.  I looked feliz up in Spanish translations.  Here are the verses, in English, with the word in italics that was feliz in the Spanish translation:

Happy are the people with such blessings.

Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.
-Psalm 144:15

Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold

Anyone who listens to me is happy, watching at my doors every day, waiting by the posts of my doorway.  

Be wise, my son, and bring my heart joy, so that I can answer anyone who taunts me.
-Proverbs 3:13-14, 8:34, 27:11

He also said to the one who had invited Him,“When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.  On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
-Luke 14:12-14

Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:  “I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa.
-Acts 26:1c-2a

A wife is bound as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants—only in the Lord.  But she is happier if she remains as she is, in my opinion.  And I think that I also have the Spirit of God.
-1 Corinthians 7:39-40

Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.
-Ephesians 6:2-3

For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
-Titus 2:11-13

Feliz is more than "happy".  It means "good fortune has come", or "you are fortunate".  Remember "Felix The Cat"?  He is more than a happy cat.  He is blessed.

Don't misunderstand.  It does not mean "famous", but "fortunately blessed".  It means "lucky", in the sense also of a person who has received blessings.  When we sign a letter, "blessings", we are saying, "may you be receive good fortune".

Navidad is Spanish for Christmas or "birth of Christ" or "Christmastime". Navidad is from the Latin word nativitas, meaning "birth".  So, "Felice Navidad" means "Blessed Birth", but since is has referred to The Blessed Birth, it also means "Happy Christmas".

This is a continuation of the message I posted from last week, Christmastime All the Time.  Some of us are now coming into a special season of receive gifts.  So, here is what you can do: believe, receive, give thanks, and keep being generous.

Christmas in August?  Christmas is harvest time.  In fact, Jesus was likely born in the fall, around the time of The Feast of The Tabernacles.  As they say, "look it up!"

My next post, What Child Is This?, will carry on this theme.  Feliz Navidad!



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1. Websters Spanish Dictionary