HISTORY
OF CHRISTMAS
Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday
and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people
around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are
both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the
anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose
teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging
gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and
friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December
25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.
AN ANCIENT HOLIDAY
The middle of winter has long been a time of
celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called
Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of
winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the
winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended
hours of sunlight.
In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule
from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the
return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they
would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could
take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire
represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.
The end of December was a perfect time for
celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were
slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it
was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition,
most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for
drinking.
In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden
during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed
he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then
decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose
to stay inside.
SATURNALIA
In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as
those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of
agriculture—was celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter
solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time,
when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned
upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters. Peasants were in command
of the city. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could join in
the fun.
Also around the time of the winter solstice,
Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition,
members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god
of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an
infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra’s birthday was the most
sacred day of the year.
In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of
Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to
institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not
mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny
the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his
birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the
middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed
that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions
of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the
custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century.
By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia.
Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13
days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings
Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus
in the manger.
By holding Christmas at the same time as
traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances
that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate
how it was celebrated. By the Middle
Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion.
On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a
drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today’s Mardi
Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the “lord of
misrule” and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would
go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners
failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with
mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay
their real or imagined “debt” to society by entertaining less fortunate
citizens.
AN OUTLAW CHRISTMAS
In the early 17th century, a wave of
religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver
Cromwell and his
Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of
decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand,
Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the
popular holiday.
The pilgrims, English separatists that came
to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than
Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659
to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone
exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the
Jamestown settlement, Captain John
Smith reported that
Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident.
After the American
Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas.
In fact, Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.
IRVING REINVENTS CHRISTMAS
It wasn’t until the 19th century that
Americans began to embrace Christmas. Americans re-invented Christmas, and
changed it from a raucous carnival holiday into a family-centered day of peace
and nostalgia. But what about the 1800s peaked American interest in the
holiday?
The early 19th century was a period of class
conflict and turmoil. During this time, unemployment was high and gang rioting
by the disenchanted classes often occurred during the Christmas season. In
1828, the New York city council instituted the city’s
first police force in response to a Christmas riot. This catalyzed certain
members of the upper classes to begin to change the way Christmas was
celebrated in America.
In 1819, best-selling author Washington Irving wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon,
gent., a series of stories about the celebration of Christmas in an English
manor house. The sketches feature a squire who invited the peasants into his
home for the holiday. In contrast to the problems faced in American society,
the two groups mingled effortlessly. In Irving’s mind, Christmas should be a
peaceful, warm-hearted holiday bringing groups together across lines of wealth
or social status. Irving’s fictitious celebrants enjoyed “ancient customs,”
including the crowning of a Lord of Misrule. Irving’s book, however, was not
based on any holiday celebration he had attended – in fact, many historians say
that Irving’s account actually “invented” tradition by implying that it
described the true customs of the season.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Also around this time, English author Charles
Dickens created the classic holiday tale, A
Christmas Carol. The story’s message-the importance of charity and good
will towards all humankind-struck a powerful chord in the United States and
England and showed members of Victorian society the benefits of celebrating the
holiday.
The family was also becoming less disciplined
and more sensitive to the emotional needs of children during the early 1800s.
Christmas provided families with a day when they could lavish attention-and
gifts-on their children without appearing to “spoil” them.
As Americans began to embrace Christmas as a
perfect family holiday, old customs were unearthed. People looked toward recent
immigrants and Catholic and Episcopalian churches to see how the day should be
celebrated. In the next 100 years, Americans built a Christmas tradition all
their own that included pieces of many other customs, including decorating
trees, sending holiday cards, and gift-giving.
Although most families quickly bought into
the idea that they were celebrating Christmas how it had been done for
centuries, Americans had really re-invented a holiday to fill the cultural
needs of a growing nation.
CHRISTMAS FACTS
·
Each year, 30-35 million real Christmas trees
are sold in the United States alone. There are 21,000 Christmas tree growers in
the United States, and trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are
sold.
·
Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox
churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also
referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed
that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.
·
In the Middle Ages, Christmas celebrations
were rowdy and raucous—a lot like today’s Mardi Gras parties.
·
From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of
Christmas was outlawed in Boston, and law-breakers were fined five shillings.
·
Christmas was declared a federal holiday in
the United States on June 26, 1870.
·
The first eggnog made in the United States
was consumed in Captain John Smith’s 1607 Jamestown settlement.
·
Poinsettia plants are named after Joel R.
Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico, who brought the red-and-green plant
from Mexico to America in 1828.
·
The Salvation Army has been sending Santa
Claus-clad donation collectors into the streets since the 1890s.
·
Rudolph, “the most famous reindeer of all,”
was the product of Robert L. May’s imagination in 1939. The copywriter wrote a
poem about the reindeer to help lure customers into the Montgomery Ward
department store.
·
Construction workers started the Rockefeller
Center Christmas tree tradition in 1931.
REFERENCE
http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas
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