History of the Celebration of Christmas
People have celebrated a mid-winter festival since pre-historic times. They marked the beginning of longer hours of daylight with fires and ritual offerings. The Roman festival of Saturnalia -- a time for feasting and gambling -- lasted for weeks in December. Germanic tribes of Northern Europe also celebrated mid-winter with feasting, drinking and religious rituals.
It's thought that Jesus of Nazareth was born in springtime. A Pope, Julius I, chose December 25th for the celebration of his birth in the 4th century -- to include a Christian element in the long-established mid-winter festivals.
Also in the 4th century, a bishop in Turkey who came to be called St. Nicholas was known for good deeds involving children. St. Nicholas is illustrated in medieval and renaissance paintings as a tall, dignified and severe man. His feast day on December 6 was celebrated throughout Europe until about the 16th century. Afterwards, he continued to be known in Protestant Holland.
Dutch children would put shoes by the fireplace for St. Nicholas or "Sinter Klaas" and leave food out for his horse. He'd gallop on his horse between the rooftops and drop candy down the chimneys into the children's shoes. Meanwhile, his assistant, Black Peter, was the one who popped down the chimneys to leave gifts behind. Dutch settlers brought the legend of Sinter Klaas to North America -- where we came to know him as Santa Claus. Clement Clarke Moore first described the “jolly old elf” with his sleigh drawn by reindeer, in the poem "The Night Before Christmas.
Although it was never celebrated in biblical times, Christmas is celebrated in local churches here in Visalia, California in praise of the fact that God loved us so much; he sent his one and only son to earth. He was wholey god and wholey man. Whereas we have succumbed to the temptations of this earth, Jesus was able to overcome all temptations and live a sinless life. He was then crucified as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. One cannot understand why we celebrate the birth of Christ without seeing the other end of his life. He was crucified for our sins and resurrected.
Christmas was declared a Federal Holiday in America on June 26, 1870 under the government headed by President Ulysses S.
In Early Modern Europe festivals were the setting for heroes and their stories, to be celebrated by the populace. They posed a change from their everyday life. In those days people lived in remembrance of one festival and in expectance of the next. Different kinds of festivals were celebrated in different ways. There were festivals that marked an individual occasion and weren't part of the festival calendar, like family festivals such as weddings and christenings. Some took place at the same time every year and were for everyone, like community festivals like the different saints' days. Pilgrimages took place all year round. Annuals festivals like Christmas and Midsummer always took place on the same day every year.
Is Santa truly a secular figure or is he a religious one? This has been a long-standing argument. However, instead of viewing Saint Nick as either secular or religious, it would be more beneficial to examine him as a figure consisting of both religious and secular elements. It is true that the contemporary Santa Claus may be more associated with secular concepts, such as consumerism, but it is also crucial to emphasize the origins of the jolly old man. He is the product of Western Christianization. It is thought that he was created from a combination of the historical figure of Saint Nicholas, a Christian saint, who was known for giving gifts, and the fictional character of Father Christmas from British folklore (CITE). Santa Claus can be viewed
Of all religious holidays that have been adopted by secularists, one of the most popular would be Christmas, originally meant to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. With the exact date of Jesus' birth unknown during ancient times, Christmas was initially assigned to January 6th, but was changed to December 25th under the influence of the winter solstice (Nothaft 903). Peculiarly however, is the universal celebration of Christmas al...
There is a man that comes to visit young girls and boys all over the world every Christmas Eve, some call him St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Santa Clause. No matter what he is called, he is a global iconic figure, dating all the way back in 280 AD (St. Nicholas). Many people celebrate this iconic figure along with Christmas, children will make out a list of goodies they want Santa to bring them on Christmas and wait for the magical sleigh pulled by reindeers to stop by their house. How did this bishop take his devotion in his faith and his generosity to one famely become such as global sensation of a whimsical jolly man? This is how the modern day holly jolly Santa with a red outfit pulled by reindeers on Christmas so many years ago
It is not known exactly when Jesus was born, but according to the Christian calender, his birth year was circa 4 B.C. Christmas, the day of Christ’s birth, is celebrated by Christians on December 25, but the actual day and month of his birth are unknown. Rachel Zurer, a followe...
Not only that, Santa Claus is influential in American culture because it’s like a religious figure. Actually, Santa is a story based on St. Nicholas who was a Greek Christian bishop of Myra. He gave away his wealth that he has and traveled other countries to help the poor. Because of his kindness, he is popular and well known as the protector of children and sailor. The history is fuzzy but the folktales based on the life of St. Nicholas and people admire him and celebrated on the anniversary of his death. I think that’s why Santa is important in American
specific date of his birth is not known but is celebrated on the feast of
Christmas was originally supposed to be a celebration of the birthday of Jesus Christ. Modern historians suggest that Christ was actually born sometime in April, but that is hardly the point; the point is that a day on which to celebrate his birth and life was needed, and so one was chosen. During the season surrounding this holiday -- especially since it coincided with that of other, similar holidays -- it was thought right to honor Jesus by acting as he did, i.e., in a kind, generous, and forgiving manner. Out of this sprung the custom of giving gifts to loved ones on this holiday.
Christmas is a holiday celebrated by most of the world. Christianity is very popular in the US and Hispanic cultures. In the US, Christmas is celebrated with going to Church on Christmas Eve, spending time with their families, and many other things. People also reenact the nativity scene, sing Christmas carols, and do
Nicholas is celebrated in parts of Europe on 6 December. In Alpine countries, Saint Nicholas has a devilish companion named Krampus On the preceding evening of 5 December, Krampus Night or ', the wicked hairy devil appears on the streets. Sometimes accompanying St Nicholas and sometimes on his own, Krampus visits homes and businesses.
... Religious Customs, History, Legends, and Symbols from around the World; Supplemented by a Bibliography and Lists of Christmas Web Sites and Associations. Detroit, Mich: Omnigraphics, 2003. Print.
One might ask, where did the tradition Santa Claus come from? The answer to this question unfortunately is not quite as straight forward. Somehow this tradition wove itself into the holiday season during the 4th century from Turkey, where a wealthy bishop, by the name of Nicholas habitually gave gifts to children. Following the death of Nicholas, he was honored as a saint, Sinter Nikolass, and a holiday was established in honor of him on December 6th. Dutch people in the Netherlands later shortened the saint's name to Sinter Klaas, which eventually evolved into Santa Claus in the US following Dutch i...
On Christmas Eve, they have a midnight mass and the bonfires they have. First off, in Spain they call midnight mass "La Misa Del Gallo" (The Mass of the Rooster). It is the ringing of the bells which call families together for a candlelit ceremony. They then have their bonfires. What people usually do at these bonfires is they jump over them to show that they have protection of illness. This type of tradition is mainly to be seen in Gr...
Carols, snow, mistletoe, cookies and milk. These are all synonymous with the Christmas season. However, for many, the true staple of Christmas is Santa Claus. Every child has felt the joy of Christmas Eve, spending time with family, leaving treats out for Santa, tossing and turning in their beds in anticipation for old St. Nick’s arrival. Although what Santa does is well known, his origins are slightly less familiar to most. The man we identify with Christmas has developed over a long time and has encountered many changes. “The original St. Nicholas is for the most part a shadowy figure, lost in historical mists and religious myths. (Myers 318).
How Christians Celebrate Religious Festivals and Why they Continue to Celebrate Them Today The church year is called the liturgical year, which begins with Advent, and it has many liturgical seasons. Each season has one or more religious festivals. Festivals are celebrations to remember the important events in Jesus' life. There are three cycles in the Christian year, these are; (i) The Christmas cycle begins with Advent , a period of preparation prior to Christmas Day, December 25th, when Jesus was born.