Celebration Of Smithmas

[Daniel Peterson]

It's sometimes (often?) alleged by critics of the Church -- predominantly if not solely, in my experience, by disaffected former believers -- that "Smithmas" or, at any rate, the celebration of Joseph Smith's 23 December birthday is a really big deal for Mormons.

I'm writing to get responses on the matter from those, believers or not, who grew up or have been Latter-day Saints.

In my household, we actually do celebrate Joseph Smith's birthday on 23 December. We've done it for roughly ten years now. Maybe fifteen. We'll do it tomorrow night. We invite friends over, have a potluck meal and a white elephant party, maybe tell a story about Joseph Smith (we once had Scott Faulring as a guest), and mostly sing carols. (We're fortunate to have some friends who are extremely good musicians -- including a Ph.D. in composition and a soprano who has performed at Carnegie Hall -- so that's a really fun part of the night.)

It's an excuse to have a party, but my wife and I also did it precisely because, in our experience growing up as Mormons in Colorado and California, respectively, and now living in Utah, we seldom saw any mention of Joseph Smith's birthday, and we wanted to do something in his honor. Still, it's largely a Christmas party. The carols are, obviously, not about Joseph.

I'm just curious about the experiences of others. Was celebrating the birthday of Joseph Smith a big deal in your experience as a Latter-day Saint? It certainly has never been in mine, excepting this little party that we ourselves have invented and sponsored. Nor had I ever heard of anything to that effect from anybody else. (I won't even ask about the ridiculous and transparently false claim made by some disingenuous critics that, in Mormonism, "Smithmas" -- a derisive term that I've only ever heard hostile people -- is a bigger holiday than Christmas.)

[cinepro]

Other than 2005, I've rarely heard mention of Joseph Smith's birthday in December.

As a point of data, the Ensign almost always has a Christmas/ Nativity themed cover for December. Going back to 2000, they are all Christmas covers except for 2005, when this was the cover:

Edited December 22, 2011 by cinepro

[Damien the Leper]

Didn't think my original response was conducive to the intent of the OP. Sorry, Daniel.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Valentinus

[LeSellers]

It's not the same thing, but we have a son who chose to marry on 27 Jun, at about 4:20 pm (Mountain Daylight Time).

Could that count?

Lehi

[Pahoran]

It's not the same thing, but we have a son who chose to marry on 27 Jun, at about 4:20 pm (Mountain Daylight Time).

Could that count?

Lehi

Lehi,

I realise that marriage is often a very great sacrifice, but I'm not entirely sure it rises to the level of martyrdom.

Regards,

Pahoran

[LeSellers]

I realise that marriage is often a very great sacrifice, but I'm not entirely sure it rises to the level of martyrdom.

For him, it was no sacrifice at all. But we are discussing celebrations. Such a celebration I cannot imagine greater.

Lehi

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

If you had asked me what JS B-day was before this post I could not have told you with out searching for it on Google. That is how often we celebrated JS b-day. So, like, never, would be my response.

[William Schryver]

It's not the same thing, but we have a son who chose to marry on 27 Jun, at about 4:20 pm (Mountain Daylight Time).

Could that count?

Lehi

Was it a shotgun wedding?

[Cobalt-70]

It's sometimes (often?) alleged by critics of the Church -- predominantly if not solely, in my experience, by disaffected former believers -- that "Smithmas" or, at any rate, the celebration of Joseph Smith's 23 December birthday is a really big deal for Mormons.

...

I'm just curious about the experiences of others. Was celebrating the birthday of Joseph Smith a big deal in your experience as a Latter-day Saint? It certainly has never been in mine, excepting this little party that we ourselves have invented and sponsored. Nor had I ever heard of anything to that effect from anybody else. (I won't even ask about the ridiculous and transparently false claim made by some disingenuous critics that, in Mormonism, "Smithmas" -- a derisive term that I've only ever heard hostile people -- is a bigger holiday than Christmas.)

I've never heard of this, but I hope it doesn't catch on. If Smith were born some time other than two days before Christmas, then that would be great. But anything that celebrates both Joseph Smith with Jesus in the same context is not a good thing for Mormon PR.

[William Schryver]

It's sometimes (often?) alleged by critics of the Church -- predominantly if not solely, in my experience, by disaffected former believers -- that "Smithmas" or, at any rate, the celebration of Joseph Smith's 23 December birthday is a really big deal for Mormons.

I'm writing to get responses on the matter from those, believers or not, who grew up or have been Latter-day Saints.

In my household, we actually do celebrate Joseph Smith's birthday on 23 December. We've done it for roughly ten years now. Maybe fifteen. We'll do it tomorrow night. We invite friends over, have a potluck meal and a white elephant party, maybe tell a story about Joseph Smith (we once had Scott Faulring as a guest), and mostly sing carols. (We're fortunate to have some friends who are extremely good musicians -- including a Ph.D. in composition and a soprano who has performed at Carnegie Hall -- so that's a really fun part of the night.)

It's an excuse to have a party, but my wife and I also did it precisely because, in our experience growing up as Mormons in Colorado and California, respectively, and now living in Utah, we seldom saw any mention of Joseph Smith's birthday, and we wanted to do something in his honor. Still, it's largely a Christmas party. The carols are, obviously, not about Joseph.

I'm just curious about the experiences of others. Was celebrating the birthday of Joseph Smith a big deal in your experience as a Latter-day Saint? It certainly has never been in mine, excepting this little party that we ourselves have invented and sponsored. Nor had I ever heard of anything to that effect from anybody else. (I won't even ask about the ridiculous and transparently false claim made by some disingenuous critics that, in Mormonism, "Smithmas" -- a derisive term that I've only ever heard hostile people -- is a bigger holiday than Christmas.)

Thanks for reminding me that Joseph Smith's birthday is 12/23. For some reason, I get confused and think his birthday is on 12/5. I've done it for years. I'm not sure why. I know it's in December, but I can't keep the day straight. If someone had asked me earlier today, before I read this thread, I would have replied that Joseph Smith was born on December 5th.

[ERMD]

If you had asked me what JS B-day was before this post I could not have told you with out searching for it on Google. That is how often we celebrated JS b-day. So, like, never, would be my response.

I could have written this.

[Bernard Gui]

I can't remember any kind of private or public celebration of Joseph Smith's

birthday in wards and stakes in which I have lived. I have never observed any

hint of his birthday overshadowing Christmas. Nor should it. Why this gives

some people heartburn has always been a mystery to me.

For 30 years, Mrs. Gui and I have hosted a holiday event similar to the one you describe,

but it has only been in celebration of Christmas. We invite all our acquaintances who

are professional or amateur musicians, and everyone shares a tune with the rest.

The only rule: You MUST NOT Practice For This Event! In consideration of all the stuff musicians

are involved with during the holidays, one more thing to practice for is no fun at all.

We've had everything from bagpipes to Cowboy Poetry to the Gui family orchestra...

all 9 of us plus in-law kids playing some kind of musical instrument.

Then we have a grand finale of carols from the Oxford Book of Carols, and recently,

from Walter Whlpple's arrangements of Polish carols. Last year we had a family from

Australia visiting us, all 4 of whom are professional violinists. They joined our festivity and

it was indeed marvelous. This year, our potluck was "bring your favorite take-out food."

Yum.

Bernard

Edited December 22, 2011 by Bernard Gui

[lachrymolotov]

Raised LDS. Never celebrated. Was only vaguely aware that his B-day was in December. Never heard of anyone doing it in my ward or stake, either. Never heard of "Smithmas" until just now.

[Sine Saw Square]

My 2 sons were born in the month of December. Add to that multiple Christmas activities and I have enough partying in December to satisfy even the most jaded fratboy (minus alcohol + debauchery of course). I admire your reasoning and the idea of it, seems kind of nice to me. I was aware that JS's birthday was in December but before now wouldn't have got the date correct without reference. Thanks for the reminder.

Where do the claims that celebrating his birthday is a big deal to general membership of the church? Seems unfounded in my experience.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Sine Saw Square

[Sine Saw Square]

This year, our potluck was "bring your favorite take-out food."

Yum.

Bernard

I missed the lack of music at this years party. :/

[Bernard Gui]

I missed the lack of music at this years party. :/

11 concerts in 2 weeks did me in. If I hear Jingle Bells one more time, someone

is going to get hurt. Wouldn't want that on my conscience on Christmas eve.

Bernard

[Duncan]

Raised LDS. Never celebrated. Was only vaguely aware that his B-day was in December. Never heard of anyone doing it in my ward or stake, either. Never heard of "Smithmas" until just now.

this is my experience as well. My father's birthday is the 22nd of Dec and we celebrate that! But not Joseph Smith's birthday-our guts are still begging for mercy on that day!

[Daniel Peterson]

I've never heard of this, but I hope it doesn't catch on. If Smith were born some time other than two days before Christmas, then that would be great. But anything that celebrates both Joseph Smith with Jesus in the same context is not a good thing for Mormon PR.

I'm certainly not recommending it as any kind of official Church commemoration. It's just a party -- mostly a Christmas party -- that my wife and I have sponsored for ten or fifteen years. If it weren't near Christmas, I don't expect that we would do it.

[LeSellers]

Was it a shotgun wedding?

How rude!!!

While in the Sealing Room, I happened to realize it was the anniversary of the martyrdom, and noted that the final words of the officiator occurred within five minutes of the hour of Joseph's death.

Lehi

[Sky]

My family never once observed Joseph Smith’s birthday. The most we ever did was to give it a brief mention. However, December 23^rd was always a special day for me because it was the day I got baptized.

On another note, Joseph Smith was born in the year 1805. And I do remember a few years back in 2005, the Church put on some kind of satellite broadcast commemorating the 200^th anniversary. I believe it was President Hinckley and Elder Ballard broadcasting from Sharon, Vermont.

[Sethbag]

Merry Hitchmas everyone, or as we say in German, Fröhliche Hitchnachten!

Seriously though, I don't think critics mean to imply a lot of members celebrate Smithmas privately, as just recognize the not-insignificant attention paid to Smith's birthday by the official church which, coming just a couple of days before Christmas, could be seen as relating the two in importance. It's kind of a bummer for Smith, really, because it's nobody's fault he was born on December 23.

[thesometimesaint]

The only time my famiy and I "recognized" JS birthday was in 2005.

Edited December 22, 2011 by thesometimesaint

[Michael Sanders]

Aaaah, the cat is out of the bag - you really do worship Joseph Smith! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Mike Sanders

Book of Mormon Believer

Independence, MO

[thesometimesaint]

Well if we "worship" JS every 200 years. I won't feel too bad.

[Sine Saw Square]

How rude!!!

While in the Sealing Room, I happened to realize it was the anniversary of the martyrdom, and noted that the final words of the officiator occurred within five minutes of the hour of Joseph's death.

Lehi

I do believe WS meant that as a joke/pun.