Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated
Pope Julius I chose December 25 to be the day for birth of Jesus. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival
By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion
Christmas in Culture
Christmas Traditions
The Beginning
Christmas Officially
Norway is the birthplace of the Yule log. The ancient Norse used the Yule log in their celebration of the return of the sun at winter solstice
Decorating evergreen trees had always been a part of the German winter solstice tradition, In the 1820s, the first German immigrants decorated Christmas trees in Pennsylvania. In 1848, the first American newspaper carried a picture of a Christmas tree and the custom spread to nearly every home in just a few years.
Though it is not considered Christmas, the African-American community celebrates “Kwanzaa” which was first celebrated in 1966. The celebration usually starts on December 26 and last for seven days. Kwanzaa was created to unite, and empower african american community and culture.
Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah, “Hanukkah celebration revolves around the kindling of a nine-branched menorah, known in Hebrew as the hanukiah. On each of the holiday’s eight nights, another candle is added to the menorah after sundown; the ninth candle, called the shamash (“helper”), is used to light the others. Jews typically recite blessings during this ritual and display the menorah prominently in a window as a reminder to others of the miracle that inspired the holiday
In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January
Fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days
Christmas was not declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.
It was not until the 19th century that Americans began to embrace Christmas
Americans re-invented Christmas, and changed it from a raucous carnival holiday into a family-centered day of peace and nostalgia.
Americans built a Christmas tradition all their own that included pieces of many other customs, including decorating trees, sending holiday cards, and gift-giving.
Sources
Traditions (Cont.)
In 1828, the American minister to Mexico, Joel R. Poinsett, brought a red-and-green plant from Mexico to America, named poinsettias. By 1900, they were a universal symbol of the holiday.
An Englishman named John Calcott Horsley helped to popularize the tradition of sending Christmas greeting cards when he began producing small cards featuring festive scenes and a pre-written holiday greeting in the late 1830s.
Caroling also began in England. Wandering musicians would travel from town to town visiting castles and homes of the rich. In return for their performance, the musicians hoped to receive a hot meal or money.