The following article is a shortened version of an article at History.com
called "Christmas Traditions Worldwide."
Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and
commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been
observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular
in nature.
Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus
of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their
religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees,
attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting
for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25 – Christmas Day – has been a federal
holiday in the United States since 1870.
An ancient holiday
The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world.
Centuries before the birth of Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth
in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter
solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look
forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.
In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter
solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and
sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people
would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days.
The end of December was a time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At
that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be
fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a
supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was
finally fermented and ready for drinking.
In www.history.com/topics/germany"Germany, people honored the pagan god
Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they
believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and
then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people
chose to stay inside.
Saturnalia
In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north,
Saturnalia – a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture – was
celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and
continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and
drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down.
Businesses and schools were closed so that everyone could join in the fun.
Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a
feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes
often celebrated the birthday of Mithra on December 25. It was believed that
Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra's birthday
was the most sacred day of the year.
In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth
of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to
institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not
mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny
the legitimacy of the celebration).
Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the
spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I
chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in
an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival.
First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432
and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth
century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia.
Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13
days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings
Day.
By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan
religion. On Christmas, many people attended church but some celebrated
raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today's Mardi Gras.
In addition, Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could
repay their real or imagined debt to society by entertaining less fortunate
citizens.
In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way
Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces
took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part
of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was
restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular
holiday.
The pilgrims who came to America in 1620 were even more orthodox in their
Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in
early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually
outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five
shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement, 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, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first
Christmas under America's new constitution. Christmas wasn't declared a federal
holiday until June 26, 1870.
Irving reinvents Christmas
It wasn't until the 19th century that Americans began to embrace Christmas.
Americans re-invented Christmas, and changed it from a raucous carnival holiday
into a family-centered day of peace and nostalgia. But what about the 1800s
peaked American interest in the holiday?
The early 19th century was a period of class conflict and turmoil. 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 manor house. Irving's fictitious celebrants enjoyed "ancient
customs." Irving's book, however, was not based on any holiday celebration
he had attended. In fact, many historians say that Irving's account actually
“invented” tradition by implying that it described the true customs of the
season.
Also around this time, English author Charles Dickens created the classic
holiday tale, "A Christmas Carol." The story's message – the
importance of charity and good will towards all humankind – struck a powerful
chord in the United States and England and showed members of Victorian society
the benefits of celebrating the holiday.
The family was also becoming more sensitive to the emotional needs of
children during the early 1800s. Christmas provided families with a day when
they could lavish attention and gifts on their children without appearing to
“spoil” them.
As Americans began to embrace Christmas as a perfect family holiday, old
customs were unearthed. People looked toward recent immigrants and Catholic and
Episcopalian churches to see how the day should be celebrated. In the next 100
years, Americans built a Christmas tradition all their own that included pieces
of many other customs, including decorating trees, sending holiday cards and
gift-giving.
Although most families quickly bought into the idea that they were
celebrating Christmas how it had been done for centuries, Americans had really
re-invented a holiday to fill the cultural needs of a growing nation.
Christmas facts
• Each year, 30 to 35 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United
States alone. There are 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the United States, and
trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.
• Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated
13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three
Kings Day.
• From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston,
and law-breakers were fined five shillings.
• Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26,
1870.
• The first eggnog made in the United States was consumed in Captain John
Smith's 1607 Jamestown settlement.
• Poinsettia plants are named after Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister
to Mexico, who brought the red-and-green plant from Mexico to America in 1828.
• The Salvation Army has been sending Santa Claus-clad donation collectors
into the streets since the 1890s.
• Rudolph, "the most famous reindeer of all," was the product of
Robert L. May's imagination in 1939. The copywriter wrote a poem about the
reindeer to help lure customers into the Montgomery Ward department store.
• Construction workers started the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree
tradition in 1931.
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