The First Gift Of Christmas
The First Gift Of Christmas - Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is a sacred religious holiday and an international cultural and commercial event. For two thousand years, people around the world have preserved it with customs and practices that are both religious and secular. Christians celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Jesus of Nazareth, the spiritual leader whose teachings form the foundation of their religion.
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The First Gift Of Christmas
Popular traditions include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, going to church, sharing food with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus. December 25 - Christmas - has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. The middle of winter has always been a time of celebration around the world.
Centuries before the man called Jesus arrived, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Most people enjoyed winter, when the worst of the snow was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and more hours of sunshine.
In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, to January. In commemoration of the return of the sun, fathers and sons will bring home large logs which they will burn. People would hold on until the logs burned, which could take up to 12 days.
How Did Christmas Start?
The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born in the following year. The end of December was a great time to celebrate in many parts of Europe. At that time of the year, many cattle were slaughtered so that they could not be fed during the winter.
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For many it was the only time of year they could get fresh meat. In addition, most of the wine and beer is finally fermented and ready to drink during the year. In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the midwinter holiday. The Germans were afraid of Oden because they believed that he flew at night in the sky to see his people, and then decide who would live or die.
Because of its presence, many people chose to live inside. In Rome, where the winters were not as severe as those farther north, Saturnalia - a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture - was celebrated. Beginning in the week before the winter solstice and continuing throughout the month, Saturnalia was a time of rejoicing when food and drink were plentiful and the normal social order of Rome was turned upside down.
For a month, people in slavery were given temporary freedom and treated as equals. Shops and schools are closed so that everyone can participate in the celebrations. Also during winter, the Romans observed Juvenalia, a festival that honored the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper class often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the invincible sun god, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, the infant god, was born from a rock.
Saturnalia And Christmas
For some Romans, Mithra's birthday was the holiest day of the year. In the early years of Christianity, Easter was a great holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to introduce the birth of Jesus as a holiday.
Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention the date of his birth (a fact that the Puritans later protested against the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth took place in the spring (why would flocks graze in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is generally believed that the Church chose this day in an effort to accept and accept its traditions.
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of the pagan festival of Saturnalia. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the tradition spread from Egypt around 432 to England at the end of the sixth century. By keeping Christmas at the same time as the winter solstice, church leaders increased the chances of Christmas being widely accepted, but they lost control over how it was celebrated.
In the Middle Ages, Christianity largely replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers would go to church, then celebrate in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today's Mardi Gras. Every year a beggar or student is crowned the "Lord of Misrule" and the zealous celebrations are part of his rule.
Is Christmas Really The Day Jesus Was Born?
The poor would go to the houses of the rich and seek their best food and drink. If the owners do not respect each other, their guests will probably threaten them and treat them inappropriately. Christmas became the time of the year when the elite could pay their real or perceived "debt" to society by entertaining the less fortunate citizens.
In the early 17th century, many religious changes changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan army took over England in 1645, they promised to rid England of corruption and, as part of their efforts, to abolish Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and with him came the return of popular holidays.
The Pilgrims, the English pilgrims who came to America in 1620, were even more adamant in their Puritan faith than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was banned in Boston. Anyone who showed the spirit of Christmas would have to burn five shillings.
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In contrast, at the home of Jamestown, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident. After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Christmas wasn't declared a public holiday until June 26, 1870. It wasn't until the 19th century that Americans started celebrating Christmas.
Is Christmas Really The Day Jesus Was Born?
Americans reinvented Christmas, changing it from a scary carnival holiday to a family day of peace and joy. But what about the 1800s that sparked America's interest in the holiday? The early 19th century was a time of class conflict and unrest. During this period, unemployment was high and gang and class unrest were suppressed often during the Christmas season.
In 1828, the New York City Council created the city's first police force in response to Christian violence. This inspired various members of the elite to begin changing the way Christmas was celebrated in America. In 1819, best-selling author Washington Irving wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, gent., a series of stories about the celebration of Christmas in an English home.
The sketches show the squire who invited the peasants to his house for a holiday. In contrast to the problems facing American society, these two groups are unnecessarily mixed. In Irving's mind, Christmas should be a peaceful, warm holiday that brings together groups regardless of wealth or status.
Irving's mock ceremonies favored "traditional rituals", including the coronation of the Lord of Misrule. However, Irving's book was not based on the holiday he attended—in fact, many historians claim that Irving's book actually "created" culture by claiming that it described the true culture of the season.
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