The History of Christmas
Short Christmas history along with the christmas traditions and songs of many nations. The history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years. Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated by the early Mesopotamians centuries before the Christ child was born, during their New Year's celebration.
The Persians and the Babylonians celebrated a similar festival. As the Winter Solstice approached, with its long cold nights and short days, many people feared the sun would not return. Special rituals and celebrations were held to welcome back the sun.
The Romans celebrated their god Saturn. Their festival was called Saturnalia, which began on the middle of December and ended on January 1st. The celebration would include masquerades in the streets, big festive meals, visiting friends, and the exchange of good-luck gifts. The Romans also decked their halls with garlands of laurel and green trees lit with candles. Here we find the origins o some of our Christmas traditions, such as giving holiday presents and decorating the house and trees for the holiday season.
As Christianity spread, Christians were alarmed by the continuing celebration of pagan customs such as Saturnalia among their converts. Some legends claim that the Christian Christmas celebration was invented to compete against the pagan celebrations of December. The 25th was not only sacred to the Romans but also to Persians, whose religion Mithraism was one of Christianity's main rivals at that time. The Church eventually was successful in taking the merriment, lights, and gifts from the Saturnalia festival and bringing them to the celebration of Christmas.
The exact day of the Christ child's birth has never been pinpointed. Traditions say that it has been celebrated since the year 98 AD. In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome ordered the birthday of the Christ Child to be celebrated as a solemn feast. In 350 AD another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, chose December 25th as the observance of Christmas.
The History of the Christmas Tree
The history of Christmas has seen pagan customs become religious ones and many holiday traditions evolve greatly throughout time. The Christmas tree is one of these traditions that have undergone many changes.
Historians agree that the Druids in ancient England and the Romans in Europe both used evergreen branches to decorate their homes and public buildings to celebrate the Winter Solstice. But the custom of bringing a tree into the house for Christmas is said to have originated in Germany. Families would set up a tree in a prominent location of their home and decorate it with colored paper, small toys, food, and sometimes candles. As these people immigrated to other countries, they brought this tradition with them.
Many different things have been used to decorate Christmas trees. Candles were sometimes used, but often caused fires. Electric tree lights were first used only 3 years after Thomas Edison had his first mass public demonstration of electric lights back in 1879. The early Christmas tree lights were handmade and quite expensive. As the world moved into the 1900's, Christmas tree ornaments would include strings of popcorn, homemade cards and pictures, cotton to look like snow, candy in all shapes and sizes, and glass balls were used occasionally.
Today, many people prefer using plastic Christmas trees and Christmas ornaments come in all shapes and colors.
