- History of Christmas holiday
Christmas has had a long and varied history. It has been celebrated for centuries by different people, at different times, in different places, and in many different ways. Here you will find links to information about the different ways that the holiday we know as Christmas has been celebrated, or not celebrated, over the years.
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.
The history of Christmas trees
Christmas is the single most celebrated holiday in America. The time of year when we gather our friends and family together and engage in the giving of gifts, and in some cases, celebrate the birth of Christ
. Of course with this holiday comes the image of Christmas. The warm fires, sparkling lights, cold snowy evenings, and softly wafting music are all part of the Christmas image, but what Christmas would be complete without the main piece? The one thing that above all others says “Christmas!” is the Christmas tree!
One might wonder, why on earth do we celebrate Christmas with trees? Especially evergreen trees? After all, unlike the nativity scenes, doves, and angels, that may or may not be part of your town’s Christmas décor, trees are not especially Christian. One does not read the Christmas story as put forth by the New Testament and see any mention of trees.
The answer is surprisingly simple. Trees are the mainstay of the American Christmas experience because a very long time ago the Christians decided that they needed a more aggressive recruiting technique to generate more Christians. During the early days of Christianity
, while the faith was trying to spread from its base in the Mediterranean to the far reaches of Europe, the Christians noticed that it was easier to gain converts if they had holidays similar to those of the people they were trying to convert.
Thus, as missionaries wandered into the Pagan
wildernesses of what is now France and Germany they found people who celebrated the winter solstice. These Pagans believed that as the days got shorter the sun was going away, and if it did not come back, all of humanity would die. So out into the forest they would go in search of the largest living things they could find. The largest living thing was an evergreen tree, proof that life still existed even in the dark of winter. In addition to the great tree, the celebration to bring back the sun involved getting as much light as possible. So, a large fire burned non-stop while torches lit the homes of the pagans, and the living evergreens were decorated with lights to woo the sun back into existence.
After the early Christians spread to Rome they adopted December 25th as Christmas day to increase the probability of converting the believers of Mithras, a god of soldiers, sailors, and merchants, who celebrated his birthday on the 25th of December. Thus, it was not terribly difficult to show the natives to the north that they too had a winter solstice holiday. In an effort to be even more appealing to these Pagans, they to cut down large green trees and incorporated them into the worship of Christ.
By the Dark Ages Christianity was the prevailing religion
in what had once been Pagan territory, but the celebration of Christ’s birth with large green pagan trees continued. It became a revered tradition that was passed from generation to generation, and over time when waves of Germanic Christians came across the ocean in search of a new life in a new land, it came too. Thus, the celebration of Christmas with trees spread to the new world, where many were happy to see this beautiful custom and adopt it as their own.
Santa Claus:Is he a myth or a man? Could Santa Claus be an actual part of our history? There are many questions about the spirit know as Santa Claus. A child’s belief in this particular spirit is as strong as their belief in world happiness and peace. If we could look at Santa Claus through the eyes of a child, we would probably see a man who makes people all over the world happy. To a child, just the thought of Santa Claus could make them overcome with silliness and giggles. Santa Claus brings a special happiness to children and adults throughout the holiday season. The belief in one man delivering joy is strong enough to make some people forget their problems or anger and feel peace, even if it is just for one day.
Stories about a man called Santa Claus have been told throughout the years in different parts of the world. The story of Santa Claus supposedly originated overseas where a man named St. Nicholas would give candy and small toys to children each year on the night before Christmas. The children would leave their shoes out on their front porch and in the morning they would find their shoes filled with candy and toys. In the United States though, this spirit is known as Santa Claus. In other countries, Santa Claus is known by other names associated with the stories told in each country.
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Most parents pass on the story of Santa Claus to their children from birth. Then their children grow up believing in the spirit of Santa Claus and pass it on to their children. Adults love to see the expression on their children’s faces as they see the presents under the tree on Christmas morning. It gives them a feeling of happiness.
That is why the spirit of Santa Claus lives on today and will probably continue throughout the ages. The belief in Santa Claus is that strong, especially among children. Adults might not necessarily believe in the man but they do believe in the spirit. To believe in Santa Claus is to believe in giving, love and unselfishness. Christmas time is the one time each year where almost everyone all over the world gives to one another. It is the season of unselfishness. So the spirit of Santa Claus is the spirit of love.
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