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Origins of Christmas
 | From the Old English 'Cristes Mæsse' ~ meaning the 'mass of Christ' ~ the story of Christmas begins with the birth of a babe in Bethlehem. It is believed that Christ was born on the 25th, although the exact month is unknown. December was likely chosen so the Catholic Church could compete with rival pagan rituals held at that time of year and because of its closeness with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a traditional time of celebration among many ancient cultures. |
Luke, Chapter Two
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out
a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be
taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor
of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own
city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city
of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is
called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage
of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being
great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there,
the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And
she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room
for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the
angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the
angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For
unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying
in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
Santa Claus
 | The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas' popularity throughout Europe. His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre. |
In Greece, he is the patron saint of sailors, in France
he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium the patron of
children and travellers. Thousands of churches across Europe
were dedicated to him and some time around the 12th century
an official church holiday was created in his honor. The Feast
of St. Nicholas was celebrated December 6 and the day was
marked by gift-giving and charity.
After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas
dwindled, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the
Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolaas was eventually transformed
to Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes
by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children
by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought
brought this tradition with them to America in the 17th century
and here the Anglican name of Santa Claus emerged.
In 1822 Clement C. Moore composed the poem A
Visit From Saint Nicholas, published as The Night
Before Christmas as a gift for his children. In it, he
portrays Santa Claus:
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly,
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
Other countries feature different gift-bearers for the Christmas
or Advent season: La Befana in Italy ~ The Three Kings in
Spain, Puerto Rico, and Mexico ~ Christkindl or the Christ
Child in Switzerland and Austria ~ Father Christmas in England
~ and Pere Noël, Father Christmas or the Christ Child
in France. Still, the figure of Santa Claus as a jolly, benevolent,
plump man in a red suit described in Moore's poem remains
with us today and is recognized by children and adults alike
around the world.
Read even more about christmas traditions and Santa
Claus
Christmas Trees
 | In 16th-century Germany fir trees were decorated, both indoors and out, with apples, roses, gilded candies, and colored paper. In the Middle Ages, a popular religous play depicted the story of Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden. A fir tree hung with apples was used to symbolize the Garden of Eden -- the Paradise Tree. The play ended with the prophecy of a saviour coming, and so was often performed during the Advent season. It is held that Protestant reformer Martin Luther first adorned trees with light. While coming home one December evening, the beauty of the stars shining through the branches of a fir inspired him to recreate the effect by placing candles on the branches of a small fir tree inside his home |
The Christmas Tree was brought to England by Queen Victoria's
husband, Prince Albert from his native Germany. The famous
Illustrated News etching in 1848, featuring the Royal
Family of Victoria, Albert and their children gathered around
a Christmas tree in Windsor Castle, popularized the tree throughout
Victorian England. Brought to America by the Pennsylvania
Germans, the Christmas tree became by the late 19th century.
Read even more about Christmas Trees
Focus on Christmas Traditions in US
The variations of the Christmas traditions of USA equal the
number active cultures that have settled in the land. These
cultural contributions were given a new lease of life by creative
artists, authors, poets and songwriters, and it was melded
together by the power of secular and commercialized media
in record companies, radio stations, television, cinemas and
now the internet. The unwritten law of media is the presentation
of a seemingly uniform celebration of the Christmas traditions
of USA. This is responsible for the world wide acceptance
of a universal Christmas image which they get from the media.
Nevertheless, the celebrations are peculiar to each region.
Christmas Stockings
 | Â According to legend, a kindly nobleman grew despondent over the death of his beloved wife and foolishly squandered his fortune. This left his three young daughters without dowries and thus facing a life of spinsterhood. The generous St. Nicholas, hearing of the girls' plight, set forth to help. Wishing to remain anonymous, he rode his white horse by the nobleman's house and threw three small pouches of gold coins down the chimney where they were fortuitously captured by the stockings the young women had hung by the fireplace to dry. Read more about christmas stockings  |
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