Each year approximately two billion people will gather together on the 25th of December to exchange gifts and pleasantries as part of a holiday called Christmas. Many honest-hearted individuals believe that Christmas is in celebration of Jesus’ birth. What many people do not know is that people have been celebrating years before Jesus was born. There are many aspects of Christmas deeply rooted in paganism including the Christmas tree, the Yule log, Christmas lights, Mistletoe, as well as the date chosen for the celebration.
In the Norse culture, they celebrated a festival called Yule around December 21 for winter solstice. “Fathers and sons drag evergreens indoors as reminders of life and set logs on fire as a promise of good fortune.” (Origins of Christmas Video) This is where the modern day Yule logs and the Christmas tree come from. “As late as the 1840s Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.” (History.com Staff) Mistletoe also has pagan origins dating back to involvement with Norse mythology and druidic medicine. (Why Do We Kiss under the Mistletoe)
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Saturnalia is characterized by gift-giving, eating, and drinking in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. Soldiers and high ranking officials also worshipped the sun god Mithra. “To this small but powerful sect, the birthday of Mithra, December 25th, was the holiest day of the year.” (Origins of Christmas Video) The church is thought to have chosen to use this day as the birth of Jesus since pagans already held celebrations at this time in order to draw more people to join the
Nothaft, C. The Origins of the Christmas Date: Some Recent Trends in Historical Research. Church
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.
Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America in the 1840s and it soon became an integral part of our fall festivities.
This is not your typical Christmas tale. This story is about a group of friends who decide giving is better than receiving around this time of year. There are tons of children who aren’t fortunate enough to get Christmas presents, let alone plenty who don’t even have family to spend the holidays with. Three best friends ended up figuring that out and worked together to truly create a Christmas miracle.
Christmas is not a Bible doctrine. If our blessed Lord had wanted us to celebrate His birthday, He would have told us when to celebrate it and how to celebrate it. But Christ never told anyone to celebrate His birthday. Furthermore, we know from the Bible and from the church that the apostles and the early church never celebrated Christ's birthday.
According to William Muir Auld’s book Christmas Traditions, the Christmas tree found its way into the hearts and homes of Christian people with their thoughts and sentiment. Auld writes, “On the night in which Christ was born, all the trees in the forest, despite snow and ice, bloomed and bore fruit” (Auld 138). This story was first told by a geographer of the tenth century named Georg Jacob. This story was as highly believed as the birth of Christ. Christmas trees can be dated back through writing, specifically songs and are associated with the Church, specifically to post-Reformation times. The trees, which decorate homes worldwide, are linked to a spiritual tradition practiced by a variety of religious groups. (The Fir Tree, page 241 in
... 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.
Halloween is believed to have been developed over two thousand years ago, before even the birth of Jesus. It originated from the Celtic people native to Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, and
The Christmas tree can truly be called a Victorian innovation. The custom of a lighted tree began in Germany then made its way to America. “It wasn't until Prince Albert, of German descent, brought the Christmas tree to England in 1840 that it gained popularity there. By 1847, the trees at Windsor Castle were laden with presents as well as wax candles.” Michelle J. Hoppe. The tradition spread as English citizens followed the Royal example. The trees and other decorations were removed on Twelfth Night (January 6).
They also were believed to be historical people who became blinded by fame, therefore becoming demonized; they showed the common theme of humans which was Greed and Gluttony. But Pagan gods even were looked upon for the seasons. Not all of these seasons are put to one specific god, but to several. In Lughnasadh, there are several gods who represent the harvest, and not all the seasons could be represented to one god; there are specific gods for specific seasons, such as the god Yule, the goddess Ostara (or Eostre), and the god and goddess Beltane. As you might conclude, Yule is somewhat viewed as Santa Claus, but he surely is not.
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...
Diwali and Christmas are both celebrated due to events that occurred in the history of Hinduism and Christianity. Diwali has been celebrated for years by the Hindu community. This ancient holiday is a memorable occasion honouring the return of Lord Rama after being exiled for fourteen years. The tale of Diwali begins with Rama and his wife Sita being banished to live in the forest accompanied by his brother Lakshmana. Due to the circumstances the demon King Ravana heard of Sita's beauty and kidnapped her, leaving Rama and his brother alone. The events that occurred upset Rama resulting in his attempt to battle Ravana and his army. Rama killed Ravana leading himself, Lakshmana, and Sita out of exile. On the journey home citizens of the Kingdom put out oil lamps in their windows escorting Rama and his family home. The history of Diwali is extremely relatable to the story of Christmas. The Christian holiday Christm...
Frosty the Snowman waves hello alongside Santa 's reindeer that are ready to take off. Candy canes line the sidewalk and the ginger bread dolls dance in a merry circle. The trees all sparkle with thousands of red, yellow, purple, blue, and orange lights. Out back, Mary and Joseph stand over baby Jesus, Choo-Choo train’s chug in spot, stars twinkle with bright yellow bulbs, and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clause wave in the distance. Kerkhoven, MN, the location of the happiest house on the block. Every year my breath is always taken away as my eyes struggle to soak in the utter abundance of Christmas spirit. I 'm smiling and we 're not even inside yet.
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.
People set time aside to prepare, by repenting their sins or doing something cheerful, like opening one window of an Advent Calendar every morning and reading the spiritual message inside, to guide them throughout the day. Christmas cards, a fairly recent custom, are sent to others wishing a happy Christmas. Christmas Day,December 25th ,is the second most important festival of the liturgical year. People can do many things to commemorate Jesus' birth, like Carol singing or the cultural tradition of decorating a