Many Christmas customs are based on the birth of Christ. Such as giving presents because of the
Three Wise Men, who brought presents to the baby Jesus. Christmas carols based on Christ's birth
and scenes of the birth with figures of shepherds, the Three Wise Men, and animals surrounding
the baby Jesus.
But some of the ways people celebrate Christmas have nothing to do with Christ's
birthday. Many bits of older holidays have crept into Christmas! It wasn't until about 200 years
after Christ's death that Christians even thought about celebrating his birth. No one knows the exact
date of his birth. It is believed that December the 25th was chosen to turn people away from celebrating
other holidays in this time of the year.
Saturnalia, was the Romans holiday that they celebrated
in December. It was a time of feasting and parties. Also, in northern Europe there was a holiday
known as Yule. They celebrated this holiday by making great fires. They then would dance around
the fires, yelling for the winter to end.
In time, Christmas took the place of these holidays.
But people kept some of the old customs -- such as burning a Yule log and having feasts and parties.
The word Yule is still used as a name for the Christmas season.
As time went on, new customs
crept into Christmas. One was the Christmas tree, which was started in Germany. As the Germans settled
in new lands they brought with them this tradition.
Last but not least is Saint Nick. A long
time ago, a bishop named Nicholas lived in what is now the country of Turkey. No one knows much about
him. There are stories that he often helped children in need. Many years after his death, Nicholas
was made a saint. In time, he became the patron saint of children.
Christmas Traditions
From old English Cristes
maesse(Christ's Mass), older still, Yule, from the Germanic root geol. In some languages:
English: Christmas, Yule, Noel
German: Weihnachten
Finnish: Joulu
Swedish: Jul
Italian: Il Natale
Spanish: La Natividad
French: Noel
The traditional Christmas is not a single day but a prolonged period, normally from December
24th to January 6th. This included the New Year, thus increasing the festival value of Christmas.
Magi
From old Persian language, a priest of Zarathustra (Zoroaster). The Bible gives us the direction,
East and the legend states that the wise men were from Persia (Iran) - Balthasar, Melchior,
Caspar - thus being priests of Zarathustra religion, the mages. Obviously the pilgrimage had
some religious significance for these men, otherwise they would not have taken the trouble and
risk of traveling so far. But what was it? An astrological phenomenon, the Star? This is just
about all we know about it.
The Christmas Card
The practice of sending Christmas greeting cards to friends was initiated by Sir Henry Cole in
England. The year was 1843 and the first card was designed by J.C.Horsley. It was commercial - 1000
copies were sold in London. An English artist, William Egley, produced a popular card in 1849.
From the beginning the themes have been as varied as the Christmas customs worldwide.
Star
The astrological/astronomical phenomenon which triggered the travel of the Magi to give presents
to baby Jesus. Variously described as a supernova or a conjunction of planets it supposedly
happened around the year 7 BC - the most probable true birth year of Christ. A star is often put
on the top of the Christmas tree.
Christmas Day
The traditional date for the appearance of Santa Claus, obviously from the birthdate of Jesus
(the word Christmas is from old English, meaning Christ's mass). This date is near the shortest
day of the year, from old times an important agricultural and solar feasting period in Europe.
The actual birthday of Jesus is not known and thus the early Church Fathers in the 4th century
fixed the day as was most convenient. The best fit seemed to be around the old Roman Saturnalia
festival (17 - 21 December), a traditional pagan festivity with tumultuous and unruly celebrations.
Moreover, in 273 Emperor Aurelianus had invented a new pagan religion, the cult of Sol Invictus
(invincible sun, the same as the Iranian god Mithra), the birthday of this God being 25th December
(natalis sol invicti). The Christian priests obviously saw this choice as doubly meritorious:
using the old customary and popular feasting date but changing the rough pagan ways into a more
civilized commemoration. The first mention of the birthday of Jesus is from the year 354. Gradually all Christian
churches, except Armenians (celebrating 6th January which date is for others the baptismal day
of Jesus and the day of the three Magi), accepted the day. In American/English tradition the
Christmas Day itself is the day for Santa, in German/Scandinavian tradition the Christmas Eve
is reserved for presents.
Christmas Symbols
Candles,fires: Summer, warmth, paradise, end of darkness, Jewish Hanukkah
Straw: Stable & crib, pagan, handy material for deco
Sock: A prop (as chimney etc.)
Christmas Crib
Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. In Catholic countries this fact is brought to mind
with miniature replicas of the nativity scene. The manger, animals, miniatures of Jesus, Joseph,
Mary, the shepherds and the Three Magi are part of this very popular symbol. It was started
(says the legend) by St. Franciscus of Assisi. The Pope has his own in Rome but nowadays the
custom is followed in Protestant countries, too.
Mistletoe
Sacred to ancient druids and a symbol of eternal life the same way as Christmas tree. The Romans
valued it as a symbol of peace and this lead eventually its acceptance among Christmas props.
Kissing under mistletoe was a Roman custom, too.
Decorations
Anything goes nowadays. In old times they were simple, wood, paper, straw and often very intricate.
Themes follow the general taste of each time but national traditions can be discerned even now.
Christmas Gifts
There are many roots of this custom. There is St.Nicholas the anonymous benefactor, there is
the tradition of Magi giving precious gifts to Jesus, there is the Roman custom of giving gifts
of good luck to children during Saturnalia. The day of gift giving varies greatly in different
Christian cultures and times:
6th December - in memory of St. Nicholas
24th December - Christmas Eve
25th December - Birthday of Jesus
1st of January - the New Year
6th of January - The Epiphany, day of the Three Wise men, the Magi
The giver of the presents are many: Jesus himself, Old Father Christmas, Santa Claus,
a Goat, Befana (the female Santa in Italy), the three Magi, Christmas gnomes, various Saints,
the Kolyada (in Russia), the Joulupukki (in Finland). The oldest Finnish tradition did
not necessarily involve a giver of the presents at all: an unseen person threw the gifts in
from the door and quickly disappeared.
Christmas Carols
The Catholic Church valued music greatly and it is no wonder that the early Christmas songs date
from 4th century (the earliest known is Jesus refulsit omnium by St.Hilary of
Poitiers). The Medieval Christmas music followed the Gregorian tradition. In Renaissance Italy
there emerged a lighter and more joyous kind of Christmas songs, more like the true carols
(from the French word caroler, meaning to dance in a ring). These songs continued to be religious
and in Latin, though. In Protestant countries the tradition, as everything Christmas-related,
intensified.
Luther wrote and composed his song "From Heaven above I come to You". Music by
Handel and Mendelssohn was adapted and used as Christmas carols. The old Finnish/Swedish collection
Piae Cantiones was translated and published in English in mid - 19th century. The
most famous of all, Silent Night (Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht) was written by the Austrian
parish priest Joseph Mohr and composed by Franz Gruber, church organist, in 1818. In 19th century
and later many popular songs were written by composers (e.g. Adam, Sibelius). The themes of songs
surpassed religion and the totality of Christmas paraphernalia found its way to carol music.
Christmas Plays
Religious plays were part of the Medieval Christian tradition and many of them were connected
with Christmas. The plays were often communal with pageants and general participation. A popular
theme was the coming of the Magi (the Three Kings), because the plot allowed lots of pomp and
decorative props to please the audience. These plays live on in many places, for instance in
Finland in the form of the traditional Star Boys drama.
Food
Christmas means eating in most parts of the Christian world. In old societies hunger was the
supreme king and eating was the highest contrast, the supreme way to nirvana. Meat of some kind
was the most important dish (was this connected with the words of Jesus, "this is my flesh"?),
often pork, ham, goose,(later turkey), fish (carp, salmon). An innumerable variety of cakes and
pastries, often very intricate and only baked for Christmas were and are known throughout the
world. Cakes could be hung from the Christmas tree, too.
Magi
