The term "Christmas Adam" appears in Urban Dictionary, but how many people actually know what it means? In short, it's a holiday of sorts celebrated on Dec. 23, although the New York Times notes that "the Vatican certainly does not recognize it, and many churchgoers have not heard of it." The premise behind the name, and the celebration, is the ultimate dad joke: "Because Adam comes before Eve." Meaning, Dec. 23 comes one day before Christmas Eve—though as the Times points out, the "eve" in "Christmas Eve" refers to the word "evening," not to the woman from the Garden of Eden who the Bible says was created out of her partner Adam's rib.
Although the term seems to have really taken off on social media in Protestant evangelical circles in recent years, the origins of "Christmas Adam" appear to stretch back to at least the late 19th century, when lexicographers for the Oxford English Dictionary say children in Sunday school inquired about it. Celebrations to mark the occasion vary: Grammarist notes that some people honor the tradition by taking part in Christmas-centric activities, such as cruising around to see local holiday lights or baking cookies.
One pastor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, tells the Times that he posts a photo of a McDonald's McRib sandwich every year, then eats one. "It's become a ridiculous personal tradition of mine," he says of the nod to Adam's rib. One practical advantage of celebrating Christmas Adam is that churches can add services and spread out their holiday celebrations over three days instead of two, cutting down on overcrowded pews. These additional Christmas Adam services tend to be less formal than the ones held on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day—one church in Indiana serves hot cocoa and cookies and encourages congregants to wear ugly Christmas sweaters.
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However, some who initially embraced Christmas Adam are now backing away from its bro-leaning insinuation. "Our tradition is not actually one that wants to emphasize that Adam precedes Eve," the Rev. Rory Chambers of New Jersey's progressive First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck tells the Times. "We don't need to maintain that patriarchal sort of thing." (Dec. 23 has also been deemed Festivus, largely thanks to Seinfeld.)