It is important to note that hundreds of years prior to Jesus, mid winter celebrations abounded throughout the world. Yule, a word often used during the Christmas season, was a Nordic celebration that involved the ubiquitous logs by the fire that you might find on a Christmas Card. The celebrations around winter solstice were probably timed because of the abundance of meat and fermented drink that was available at this time of year. In Germany, it was the Pagan god Oden that was the source of solstice observations. Oden traveled the world at night to determine who was good and who was bad. Sound familiar? Of course, if you were bad, it was believed that Oden would cause your demise.
Around solstice, Romans honored Saturn, the god of agriculture. During Saturnalia, Romans participated in celebrations that made Mardi Gras seem tame. Romans allowed their slaves to run the town for a few days and all commerce was shut down so that the party could be the focus.In contrast, much like the religious and secular divisions in our current winter holiday, Romans observed the birth of Mithra on December 25th (familiar?), which was a very religious holiday, and Juvenalia that catered to Roman children of Rome. (no Santa, but the parallels are interesting).
Early on, Easter was THE Christian holiday, not Christmas. The birth of Jesus was not celebrated. Sometime around the year 450, the Church decided to create a holiday to celebrate Christ's birth. Unfortunately, the actual date is not known, but most historians agree that the man Jesus was probably born in the spring. Pope Julius chose December 25th as the date of the Feast of the Nativity, adopting some of the traditions of the already established and lively Saturnalia Pagan celebrations. The nativity feast and Pagan Saturnalia customs spread to Europe by around 650 A.D.The strategy of making Christmas happen around the time of the winter solstice celebrations increased the likelihood that the holiday would have popular appeal. Over time, Paganism faded, and on Christmas, traditions involved attending church and then engaging in wild carnival celebrations that involved much drinking and questionable ethical behaviors (smile--it was the middle ages after all).
The idea of social flip-flopping continued as the tradition was that poor people would go to the doors of the upper classes and receive gifts of food and drink (emphasis on the "drink"). Christmas, by 1750 or so, was questioned by the Puritans, whose aversion to fun times had become legendary. The Puritans actually cancelled Christmas around this time. Can you do that? The Puritans did it, seeing it as a form of decadence and hedonism. Yes, Christmas celebration became a sin to religious radicals of the day. The pilgrims, also legendary in their radical religious aversion to fun, left Christmas behind when they came to America. In fact, for many years preceding 1700, Christmas was banned in Boston. Anyone exhibiting signs of Christmas spirit or outward celebration was fined 5 shillings, a sizable fine for the day.
It wasn't really until around 1800 that Americans gave Christmas a makeover, in response in part to the social unrest of the times that was rooted in unemployment, poverty, and social class tensions. The current ideals of Christmas were invented largely in the mind of author, Washington Irving, who saw the holiday as uniting people across class levels. English author Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol echoed that sentiment and was influential in solidifying the values that were beginning to be embraced by Christmas. It was also during this time that Christmas was shifting to a time to rain gifts upon the children.
Interestingly, this scripture seems to condemn Christmas Trees:
Jeremiah 10:2-4 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. Don't be a Heathen! (okay, I added that last sentence =)
Early on, Easter was THE Christian holiday, not Christmas. The birth of Jesus was not celebrated. Sometime around the year 450, the Church decided to create a holiday to celebrate Christ's birth. Unfortunately, the actual date is not known, but most historians agree that the man Jesus was probably born in the spring. Pope Julius chose December 25th as the date of the Feast of the Nativity, adopting some of the traditions of the already established and lively Saturnalia Pagan celebrations. The nativity feast and Pagan Saturnalia customs spread to Europe by around 650 A.D.The strategy of making Christmas happen around the time of the winter solstice celebrations increased the likelihood that the holiday would have popular appeal. Over time, Paganism faded, and on Christmas, traditions involved attending church and then engaging in wild carnival celebrations that involved much drinking and questionable ethical behaviors (smile--it was the middle ages after all).
The idea of social flip-flopping continued as the tradition was that poor people would go to the doors of the upper classes and receive gifts of food and drink (emphasis on the "drink"). Christmas, by 1750 or so, was questioned by the Puritans, whose aversion to fun times had become legendary. The Puritans actually cancelled Christmas around this time. Can you do that? The Puritans did it, seeing it as a form of decadence and hedonism. Yes, Christmas celebration became a sin to religious radicals of the day. The pilgrims, also legendary in their radical religious aversion to fun, left Christmas behind when they came to America. In fact, for many years preceding 1700, Christmas was banned in Boston. Anyone exhibiting signs of Christmas spirit or outward celebration was fined 5 shillings, a sizable fine for the day.
It wasn't really until around 1800 that Americans gave Christmas a makeover, in response in part to the social unrest of the times that was rooted in unemployment, poverty, and social class tensions. The current ideals of Christmas were invented largely in the mind of author, Washington Irving, who saw the holiday as uniting people across class levels. English author Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol echoed that sentiment and was influential in solidifying the values that were beginning to be embraced by Christmas. It was also during this time that Christmas was shifting to a time to rain gifts upon the children.
Interestingly, this scripture seems to condemn Christmas Trees:
Jeremiah 10:2-4 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. Don't be a Heathen! (okay, I added that last sentence =)
So the "reason for the season" being Jesus is a stretch, in a purely historical sense anyway. And the traditions are certainly not of Christian origin, implying that Christians cannot claim the sentiments and traditions as their own. Then again, any holiday can be whatever you want it to be. If Jesus is the reason for your season, enjoy it. But it is also true that the "godless heathens and pagans" of the world, as well as the agnostics, and non-Christians, can share equally in the hope, charity, peace, and love that is the deeper reason for the season.
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