|
Christmas History
In the Western world, the birthday
of Jesus Christ has been celebrated on December 25th since
AD 354, replacing an earlier date of January 6th.
The Christians had by then appropriated
many pagan festivals and traditions of the season, that were
practiced in many parts of the Middle East and Europe, as
a means of stamping them out.
There were mid-winter festivals in
ancient Babylon and Egypt, and Germanic fertility festivals
also took place at this time. The birth of the ancient sun-god
Attis in Phrygia was celebrated on December 25th,
as was the birth of the Persian sun-god, Mithras.
The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a festival
dedicated to Saturn, the god of peace and plenty, that ran from
the 17th to 24th of December. |
|
|
|
Public gathering places were decorated
with flowers, gifts and candles were exchanged and the population,
slaves and masters alike, celebrated the occasion with great enthusiasm. In Scandinavia, a period of festivities
known as Yule contributed another impetus to celebration,
as opposed to spirituality.
As Winter ended the growing season,
the opportunity of enjoying the Summer's bounty encouraged
much feasting and merriment.
The Celtic culture of the British
Isles revered all green plants, but particularly mistletoe
and holly. These were important symbols of
fertility and were used for decorating their homes and altars.
New Christmas customs appeared in
the Middle Ages. The most prominent contribution was the
carol, which by the 14th century had become associated with the
religious observance of the birth of Christ.
|
In Italy, a tradition developed for re-enacting the
birth of Christ and the construction of scenes of the nativity. This is
said to have been introduced by Saint Francis as part of his efforts to
bring spiritual knowledge to the laity.
Saints Days have also contributed to our Christmas
celebrations. A prominent figure in today's Christmas is Saint Nicholas
who for centuries has been honoured on December 6th.
He was one of the
forerunners of Santa Claus. Another popular ritual was the burning of the Yule
Log, which is strongly embedded in the pagan worship of vegetation and
fire, as well as being associated with magical and spiritual powers.
Celebrating Christmas has been controversial since
its inception. Since numerous festivities found their roots in pagan practices,
they were greatly frowned upon by conservatives within the Church. |
|
The
feasting, gift-giving and frequent excesses presented a drastic contrast
with the simplicity of the Nativity, and many people throughout the centuries
and into the present, condemn such practices as being contrary to the
true spirit of Christmas. The earliest English reference to December 25th as Christmas Day did not come until 1043.
|
