The Origins of Christmas, and its Traditions

This blog has nothing to do with breast cancer, or healthy eating; but the subject is near and dear to my heart. And I was told, knowledge does no one any good, unless you share it; so, this is my Christmas gift to you!

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, ever since I was little; but I was never really excited about history class, while growing up. I only began getting excited about history, when I learned about it, beyond the boundaries of my text books. It’s very liberating, when you discover the truth!

All of us who grew up in church, were taught that Jesus is the reason for the season; he is God in the flesh, and was born to save us all from sin. One of my favorite images, this time of year, is the Kneeling Santa. I just love the symbolism...it’s beautiful!

But, truth be told (John 8:32 says the truth will set us free), Christ’s birth is not the true reason; he wasn’t even born in December. Shepherds wouldn’t be tending their flocks outdoors, that late in the year...even in that region, it’s too cold. It’s more likely He was born sometime between spring and fall.

These days, everyone gets a bug up their butt, when they see someone appropriating someone else’s culture; but that’s exactly what the early Christians did. The early Church appropriated pagan holiday customs, traditions and symbols; and gave them all a Christian “make over”, in order to convert the pagans to Christianity. 

Keep reading....

Christmas Tree - Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return.

Yule Log - “Our Fore-Fathers, when the common Devices of Eve were over, and Night was come on, were wont to light up Candles of an uncommon Size, which were called Christmas-Candles, and to lay a Log of Wood upon the Fire, which they termed a Yule-Clog, or Christmas-Block. These were to Illuminate the House, and turn the Night into Day; which custom, in some Measure, is still kept up in the Northern Parts. It hath, in all probability, been derived from the Saxons. For Bede tells us, That [sic] this very Night was observed in this Land before, by the Heathen Saxons. They began, says he, their Year on the Eight of the Calenders of January, which is now our Christmas Party: And the very Night before, which is now Holy to us, was by them called Mædrenack, or the Night of the Mothers … The Yule-Clog therefore hath probably been a Part of those Ceremonies which were perform'd that Night's Ceremonies. It seems to have been used, as an Emblem of the return of the Sun, and the lengthening of the Days. For as both December and January were called Guili or Yule, upon Account of the Sun's Returning, and the Increase of the Days; so, I am apt to believe, the Log has had the Name of the Yule-Log, from its being burnt as an Emblem of the returning Sun, and the Increase of its Light and Heat. This was probably the Reason of the custom among the Heathen Saxons; but I cannot think the Observation of it was continued for the same Reason, after Christianity was embraced. …" ~ Henry Bourne

Mistletoe - Kissing under sprigs of mistletoe is a well-known holiday tradition, but this little plant’s history as a symbolic herb dates back thousands of years. Many ancient cultures prized mistletoe for its healing properties. The Greeks were known to use it as a cure for everything from menstrual cramps to spleen disorders, and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder noted it could be used as a balm against epilepsy, ulcers and poisons. The plant’s romantic overtones most likely started with the Celtic Druids of the 1st century A.D. Because mistletoe could blossom even during the frozen winter, the Druids came to view it as a sacred symbol of vivacity, and they administered it to humans and animals alike in the hope of restoring fertility.

Santa Claus - He is a mashup of the tale of the Turkish Saint Nicholas and the German, Kris Kringle or the Dutch, Sinterklaas. Click on the link, to learn more!

Midwinter festivals - “If you happen to live in a region in which midwinter brings striking darkness and cold and hunger, then the urge to have a celebration at the very heart of it to avoid going mad or falling into deep depression is very, very strong.” ~ Ronald Hutton, a historian at Bristol University.

Winter Solstice, this year, is on December 21st; those who celebrate Yule, will be making merry from December 22 - January 2, this year. What is Yule?

Christmas Day - Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th? The popular answer is that it is Jesus’ birthday. However, it is necessary to reconsider that belief, No records exist in the Bible, or elsewhere, suggesting Jesus was born on that date. If it was not the birth of Christ which set Christmas Day apart from others in the calendar, what was it? To find out, you need to take look at ancient Persian and pagan traditions.

Stockings and Gift-Giving - While there are no written records of the origin of the Christmas Stocking, there are popular legends that attempt to tell the history of this Christmas tradition.

The early church leaders tried to outlaw this Pagan custom of exchanging gifts, but the people loved it so much they refuse to give it up. The church leaders therefore looked for a Christian justification for this much-cherished practice. And this justification was found in the three wise men’s act of bearing gifts to the baby Jesus; as well as in the concept that Jesus was God’s gift to humankind, and comes with the promise of redemption.

Caroling - Christmas carols today carry cozy connotations of ancient traditions as old as King Wenceslas, but Christmas caroling as we know it dates back to the 19th Century and not much further. In fact, caroling itself didn't always involve Christmas, and the ancient tradition of traveling from house to house to wish neighbors good cheer didn't always involve singing. There's a distinction to be made between carols — songs stemming from medieval musical traditions — and today's Christmas caroling, says Daniel Abraham, musicology expert and choral director at American University in Washington, D.C. "The concept of carol in its origins has actually nothing to do with Christmas," Abraham says. Medieval carols were liturgical songs reserved for processionals in the 12th and 13th centuries. And though modern carols sometimes take their form from these original carols — starting with a refrain, followed by verses of uniform structure — they're separate entities.

Cookies and Milk for Santa - Leaving cookies and milk for Santa—and perhaps a few carrots for his reindeer—took off as an American holiday tradition in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. In that time of great economic hardship, many parents tried to teach their children that it was important to give to others and to show gratitude for the gifts they were lucky enough to receive on Christmas. Some 80 years later, many children still set out cookies and milk for Santa, whether out of the goodness of their hearts or (in less wholesome cases) as a bribe to receive more gifts from the jolly bearded man in the red suit.

The original roots of this holiday food tradition go back even further—all the way to ancient Norse mythology.

If you've made it this far...thank you for reading my blog! I hope your holiday celebration has become richer, now knowing what you've learned. I do hope you hare this newfound knowledge with others, during your festivities! And have a blessed holiday season!