The History of Christmas

The history of Christmas is as varied as the countries that celebrate. Part myth, part religion, and part tradition, the holiday we know today is the result of a vast mesh of cultures two thousand years in the making. From mangers to trees to sleighs, the Christmases of today are nothing like the Christmases past.

Before the advent of Jesus, Europeans celebrated the winter solstice. It was a way, during the depressing times of winter, to celebrate birth and light. Scandinavians brought home "yule" logs to burn. They wer eso large that many burned for as long as twelve days. The end of december is slaughtering time, so the solstice festival was one of the only times that most had fresh meat. It was also when many wines and beers were finally ready.

In the Roman Empire, the solstice was celebrated differently. Winters were more temperate and the festivities were more jovial. They celebrated three separate holidays around this time. Saturnalia honored Saturn. He was the Roman god of agriculture. During this celebration, the social structure would flip. For an entire month, slaves would control their masters, and peasants ruled the city. Even businesses and schools shut down. Juvenalia was a feast day athat celebrated the children. On December 25, the birthday of Mithra was celebrated. In mythology, Mithra was born from a rock. Her birthday was, for many, the most important day of the year.

Christmas wasn't always a celebrated holiday. In the beginning, Easyer was the only holiday. Christmas celebrations weren't instituted until the fourth century. While no one knows for certain what part of the year Jesus was born, evidence points toward the spring. However, Pope Julius I decided on using December 25. The church felt it would be easier to convert pagans by adapting one of their feast days. Because of this, churches had trouble regulatin the celebrations. Originally called the Feast of the Nativity, the holiday quickly spread throughout Europe, Scandinavia, and Egypt.

By the middle ages, a majority of Christians attended church on Christmas, then they'd take to the streets in a raucaus party similar to Mardi Gras. In a tradition similar to trick-or-treating, the poor would knock on the doors of the affluent and demand food and drink. If they refused, they would often fall victims of mischief.

In later years, religious reforms saw Christmas celebrations prohibited. Puritans had taken over England and wanted to rid it of all overendulgence. It wasn't until Charles II became king that Christmas was again celebrated.