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Christmas

Christmas - otherwise known as Xmas - is one of the most joyous festivals in our Western year. Although ostensibly a Christian celebration it is today also observed by people of many religions and many people of none. We buy ornaments and presents, decorate our trees, throw parties and generally enjoy ourselves.

Christmas Story
Abrams, Peggy
16 in. x 12 in.
Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com

The modern Christmas is something of a strange mixture. Some of the traditions, decorations and symbolism date back many centuries, others are surprisingly new.

The Origin of Christmas

Like many of our modern festivals, Christmas can trace its roots back to pagan times. Midwinter festivals celebrated the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year. For the Romans this period of the year was marked by the seven day Saturnalia festival. The early Christians adapted these ancient Yuletide festivals and incorporated them into Christmas, probably some time during the 4th century CE.

The Modern Christmas

Many of our customs - for example Yule logs and mistletoe - also date back to pagan times. However much of what we think of today as "Christmas" is remarkably modern. For example, although the story of Saint Nicholas dates back to around 280 CE our modern image of Santa Claus really only began in the 19th century. Clement Clarke Moore wrote "An Account of a Visit From Saint Nicholas" - better known as "The Night Before Christmas" - which is credited with inventing the idea of Santa as a bearded fat man riding a sleigh drawn by reindeer.

There's a lot more to the history and folklore of Christmas than most people realise. For example, in England the celebration of Christmas was actually banned for about twenty years during the 17th century!

On these pages I'll explore in more detail the origin of the customs and traditions that make our Christmas what it is today. Hopefully this information will help you to enjoy the holiday season even more.