Christmas, the holiday of cheer, cocoa, candy canes, and celebration. No one hates Christmas—unless you’re the Grinch, obviously! As we head into this storied holiday, however, not many people pause to consider the history behind the season and celebrations that bring joy to our winter break. So this year, we’ll take a step back through time with the ghost of Christmas past, and potentially discover why Christmas has become so special through the ages.
For those of you who don’t know, the holiday of Christmas is traditionally a celebration of the day Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. However, the New Testament does not actually specify a date for Jesus’s birth. Therefore, the question of how this date was decided upon is not actually answered via a Biblical basis.
The actual date upon which Jesus was born was decided largely by the Chronograph of 354, a compilation of calendars laying out important dates in Roman society. Specifically, the day of Christmas being decided as the date of Jesus’s birth was delineated by Pope Julius I. He may have chosen this date primarily because it aligned with the former pagan holiday for Sol Invictus—the sun god of the Romans—a holiday that was highly popular during the time period. In addition to this, December 25th had been decided as the date of the winter solstice of the Romans previously, making the date especially important in Roman society already.
In 567, the popularity of the Christmas holiday only increased as a result of a medieval Christian group establishing the 12 days of Christmas, or Christmastide. (This is also where the popular Christmas song comes from!) Various Roman emperors also chose to be crowned on this day, which further cemented the holiday’s importance in the eyes of the public.
During the 1100s, the tradition of establishing nativity scenes during the holiday season came to be, a tradition that continues to see popularity primarily in Catholic households around the world. In addition to this, the traditional colors of red and green on Christmas were established around this time, with the red symbolizing the blood of Jesus he shed on the cross, and the green representing the concept of eternal life.
As Christmas became highly popularized, the notion of holiday indulgence began to become a common practice during the season every year. In Europe, elaborate feasts were held amongst royalty to celebrate the occasion, and Christmas caroling and the exchange of gifts came into existence by the 1300s.
The Protestant Reformation brought with it the tradition of the Christmas tree and all the glitz and glamor of the decorations associated with it. However, the very holiday itself was threatened during this time by Protestants who considered the holiday not to have proper religious backing. The holiday survived largely through continued celebration by Catholics and Anglicans.
During the 19th century, however, the holiday became increasingly popular again. It is also during this time that the figure of Santa Claus developed, largely based upon the real historical figure of Saint Nicholas, who gave gifts to children and the needy in the 4th century. Clement Clarke Moore’s poem, “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, as well as the writings of Thomas Nast, helped to develop Santa Claus’s appearance and character as we know it today. In the United States, the holiday of Christmas was first officially recognized on June 28, 1870.
As the holiday became widespread and celebrated even amongst the general population, the holiday has become increasingly commercialized, with the tradition of gift-giving taking center stage in the present unlike any other time in history. The secular themes of celebrating with family and general festive cheer have also become increasingly ingrained as a central theme of the holiday.
Overall, no matter how you celebrate it, it cannot be understated that Christmas has developed into a significant and beautiful time of the year, and so the Condor Insider wishes you all a Merry Christmas this year!
