Well, we've done the research on the history of Christmas for you to help you truly understand its backstory. As you probably guessed, the holiday has changed a lot since its inception. This year, when you're taking part in Christmas traditions like putting up your Christmas tree, whipping up a Christmas ham for your family, or even singing carols, you'll have a better grasp on the history of Christmas and a grander appreciation for the most wonderful time of the year.
Check out these interesting Christmas trivia questions, too, plus the history of the Christmas tree and the history of Christmas colors. Officially, Christmas as a holiday most likely began sometime around the 4th century. But let's back up a bit.
According to the History Channel , winter has always been a time of celebration—even before the arrival of Jesus. The Norse celebrated Yule, and Germans honored the god Oden. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia to honor Saturn, the god of agriculture, and the holiday Juvenalia was held on December 25 for the infant god, Mithra this was the most sacred holiday for some Romans at the time. But when Christianity first began, Jesus's birth wasn't celebrated—Easter was the main holiday.
The Bible doesn't even mention a specific birth date for Jesus, but it was thought to have taken place on January 6, not December That date still belonged to the Juvenalia holiday. All of that changed in the 4th century when Pope Julius I selected December 25 as the official date when Christians would celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Why the change? There's a little discrepancy about it but there's no question that the fact that it was celebrated in Rome as an important day with gift giving, candle lighting, and singing and decorating houses really cemented Christmas as December Another custom we can thank the pagans for? Christmas trees. Davis explained that the evergreen trees signaled the "return of life" and "light" as the winter solstice meant the days were starting to get longer.
So all of these things celebrate the idea that life and light are coming back into the world, which is essentially what Christmas means to Christians around the world. Mistletoe, though, that was started by the Druids, who believed it was an all-powerful healing item from the sacred oak tree.
According to the Catholic Church, Jesus may not have actually born on December 25 nor is this proclaimed. We celebrate it on this day. It's a celebration of the Incarnation, not a memorial of a specific day. One reason December 25 may have been thought fitting is its proximity to the winter solstice. After that date the days start to become longer, and thus it is at the beginning of a season of light entering the world cf.
John Even though it didn't become an official holiday until the 4th century, some Christians were celebrating the nativity on December 25th in the s - which is before the Roman holiday of Sol Invictus existed.
And they believed in a sort of serendipity where great men were thought to be conceived and die on the same day. March 25 is the Annunciation - the day of Jesus' conception. And it is older than Christmas, and nine months before. Some other church fathers liked to equate John the Baptist's statement, "He [Jesus] must increase and I must decrease," with the light beginning to increase at Jesus' birth and beginning to decrease with John's which is 6 months before, June 24th.
As for now, few people believe that Jesus was born on December But the natural symbolism of the world's light beginning to increase while "The light shineth in the darkness" and "the true tight was coming into the world" John chapter 1 is as powerful as ever.
I think the reason that Christmas is such a huge holiday bigger than Easter is because of the natural, powerful emotional response people have to this time of year. The symbolism of the Christmas candle varies. For example: It is taken as a symbol of Jesus, the Light of the World. It is also thought to symbolize the star over Bethlehem. In certain countries, such as Ireland and Spain, it was traditional to place candles in the window to guide the Holy Family to shelter.
In medieval Europe, a large candle, called the Christmas candle, was lit and was burned until Twelfth Night; this candle tradition is still used today in certain countries, such as France, Ireland, and Denmark.
I've always heard of candles symbolizing the comming of Jesus as the Light of the World. However, this mythology parallels many others that talk about the rebirth of the sun. I don't know where they got their info, but I guess that it could be said thata child has to be guided into tje world at birth. I have never heard of Christmas candles ever serving as a beacon to guide the Christ-child but rather as a symbol for Christ's coming into the world even as a child.
This is a significant theological distinction. Where did you get your information? I thought the tradition, in Ireland at least, of a candle in the window to guide the Holy Family was well known. During times of Catholic persecution, the candle also served as a sign to any passing priest that the home was a safe place to say mass. It's not really theology, just a tradition. Skip to main content.
Christmas Traditions, Folklore, Recipes, and More. By The Editors. November 1, Related Articles Calendar Holidays. Tags Christmas When is What do you want to read next? Christmas Facts and Trivia. Christmas Firsts: The Origins of
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