Xmas
1 What is and when started -XMAS?
KR? The celebration of Christmas on December 25 is thought to have begun
in 336 CE during the reign of Constantine, the first Christian Roman
emperor. The Catholic Church in Rome may have started celebrating Christmas
on this date to replace pagan celebrations.
However, some theories and ancient manuscripts suggest that Christmas
celebrations may have begun even earlier than 336 CE. For example, the
winter solstice may have been a special moment for some cultures in
Neolithic times. The layouts of archaeological sites like Stonehenge and
Newgrange in England and Ireland seem to be aligned to point to the winter
solstice sunrise and sunset.
Some other factors that may have influenced the choice of December 25 as
the date for Christmas include:
The Annunciation
According to a primitive Christian tradition, Mary was told she would give
birth to Jesus on March 25. Roman Christian historian Sextus Julius
Africanus estimated Jesus' conception to be on this date, which would be
December 25 after nine months.
Saturnalia
December 25 was also a day to celebrate the Unconquered Sun and the return
of longer days in ancient Rome. Saturnalia, a festival of feasting and
gift-exchanging, took place before Christmas. The* celebration of Christmas
started in Rome about 336, but it did not become a major Christian festival
until the 9th century.* *An earlier version, X'temmas, dates to 1551.
Around 1100 the term was written as Xp̄es mæsse in the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle. Xmas is found in a letter from George Woodward in 1753. Lord
Byron used the term in 1811, as did Samuel Coleridge (1801) and Lewis
Carroll (1864).* *The date of the birth of Jesus is not stated in the
gospels or in any historical sources and the evidence is too incomplete to
allow for consistent dating. However, most biblical scholars and ancient
historians believe that his birth date is around 6 to 4 BC. It is said that
Mother Mary got this prediction on March 25 and nine months later on
December 25 Jesus was born. This might be one of the theories where
December 25 was arrived at as the birth of Jesus and hence is celebrated.
Post this prediction, Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Thus 25th
is not based on any valid authentic data whose history is just 2000 year
old; however, the Christians wrote our ancient Sanatana texts as myth and
mocked at on date!?*
2 So who is a pagan?
KR: The word pagan has multiple definitions, including:
A person who worships nature or the earth, or many gods and goddesses
A person who practices a religion that existed before Christianity,
Judaism, or Islam
A person who is not religious or has no religious beliefs
A nonreligious person who enjoys sensual pleasures and material goods
The word pagan comes from the Latin word paganus, which originally meant
"country dweller" or "civilian". Christians began using the term pagani in
the 4th century to refer to people who practiced religions other than
Christianity, Judaism, or Islam.
Pagans believe that nature is sacred and that the cycles of birth, growth,
and death have spiritual meanings. They see humans as part of nature, along
with other animals, trees, stones, and plants.
Modern Paganism was influenced by:
The artistic and cultural celebration of pre-Christian mythologies
The religion of Wicca
The counterculture of the late 1960s and the '70s
The collapse of Marxist-Leninist governments across the Eastern bloc in the
1990s
3 History of Christmas by: History.com Editors: December 9, 2024
Christmas Facts
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious
holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two
millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions
and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians
celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of
Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their
religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas
trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of
course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25—Christmas Day—has
been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.
How Did Christmas Start?
The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world.
Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans
celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples
rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was
behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours
of sunlight.
In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter
solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, 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. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new
pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.
The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of
Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would
not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of
year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer
made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.
In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter
holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal
flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would
prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay
inside.
Decorated trees date back to Germany in the Middle Ages, with German and
other European settlers popularizing Christmas trees in America by the
early 19th century.
Christmas Traditions: The Rockettes
Since 1925, first known as the Missouri Rockets, this iconic dance troupe
has been kicking up its heels, officially becoming the Radio City Music
Hall Rockettes in 1934. They're best known for their annual Christmas show.
Christmas Traditions: Advent Calendar
Early versions of this tradition, started in Germany in 1903 by publisher
Gerhard Land, offered a way for children to count down to Christmas by
opening one “door” or “window” a day to reveal a Bible passage, poem or
small gift.
Christmas Traditions: Gingerbread Houses
Although Queen Elizabeth I gets credit for the early decorating of
gingerbread cookies, Germans lay claim to starting the gingerbread house
tradition.
Christmas Traditions: The Nutcracker
With music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and originally choreographed by
Marius Petipa, the romantic tale of the young Clara’s Christmas Eve
premiered December 18, 1892, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Christmas Traditions: Cookies for Santa
While leaving treats for Santa and his reindeer dates back to ancient Norse
mythology, Americans began to sweeten up to the tradition during the Great
Depression in the 1930s.
Christmas Traditions: Ugly Christmas Sweaters
Ugly Christmas sweaters became a party trend in Vancouver, Canada in 2001,
according to the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Book.
Christmas Traditions: Candy Canes
Candy canes date back to 1670 in Germany. The red and white sticks arrived
stateside in 1847, when a German-Swedish immigrant in Wooster, Ohio placed
them on a tree.
Christmas Traditions: Eggnog
The yuletide cocktail stems from posset, a drink made with hot curdled milk
and ale or wine from medieval England. American colonists made it popular
by adding rum.
Christmas Traditions: Wreaths
Wreaths have been around since the ancient Greek and Roman times, but they
eventually took on Christian meaning, with the circular shape representing
eternal life and the holly leaves and berries symbolic of Christ’s crown of
thorns and blood.
*The first official Christmas card debuted in 1843 England with the
message, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.”* The idea of a
mailed winter holiday greeting gradually caught on in both Britain and the
U.S., with the Kansas City-based Hall Brothers (now Hallmark) creating a
folded card sold with an envelope in 1915. READ MORE: Some of the Earliest
Christmas Cards Were Morbid and Creepy
Christmas Traditions: Christmas Trees
Edward Hibberd Johnson had the bright idea of stringing bulbs around a
Christmas tree in New York in 1882.
Christmas Traditions: Mall Santa
Lining up at the mall to snap a photo of the kids on Santa’s lap may seem
like a modern Christmas tradition, but it dates back to 1890, when James
Edgar of Brockton, Massachusetts had a Santa suit made for him and dressed
as the jolly fellow at his dry goods store.
Christmas Traditions: Fruitcake
A favorite of the Brits, fruitcake has been the subject of long-running
American holiday jokes. Truman Capote wrote a short story about “fruitcake
weather” in 1956, the small town of Manitou Springs, Colorado holds an
annual Fruitcake Toss Day on January 3.
Christmas Traditions: Cookie Swap
References to “cookie parties” date back to the late 1800s, and they began
to be called “cookie exchanges” by the 1930s, and “cookie swaps” in the
1950s.
Christmas Traditions: The Night Before Christmas
The reading of this classic by poet Clement Moore is an American holiday
tradition. Believed to have been written on Christmas Eve of 1822, the New
Yorker is said to have been inspired by his sleigh ride home.
Christmas Traditions: Luminarias
Dating back more than 300 years, luminarias line sidewalks and churches in
places such as Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Christmas Traditions: The 12 Days of Christmas
The Christian 12 days of Christmas, which span the birth of Jesus and the
visit of the Magi, actually take place December 25 to January 6. The
earliest version of the poem-turned-song is thought to have been published
in Mirth With-out Mischief, a children’s book from 1780.
Christmas Traditions: Poinsettias
America’s Christmas flower, these plants native to Central America were
brought to the United States (and given their name) by the country’s first
U.S. ambassador to Mexico, botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, in the 1820s.
Christmas Traditions: Salvation Army Bell Ringers
The tradition started in 1891 when San Francisco Salvation Army Capt.
Joseph McFee wanted to raise money to offer a free Christmas dinner to
1,000 of the city’s most destitute.
Saturnalia and Christmas
In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north,
Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was
celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and
continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food
and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned
upside down. For a month, enslaved people were given temporary freedom and
treated as equals. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could
participate in the holiday's festivities.
Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a
feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper
classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the
unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that *Mithra*, an infant
god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra’s birthday was the most
sacred day of the year. {KR SO CAN YOU CONNECT AGRI, SUN ETC WHICH WAS THE
REASON OF CONSTANTINE?
*Is Christmas Really the Day Jesus Was Born?*
In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth
of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials
decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the
Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed
out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration).Although some
evidence suggests that Jesus' birth may have occurred in the spring (why
would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose
December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an
effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival.
First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432
and to England by the end of the sixth century.
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. On Christmas, believers attended church, then
celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to
today’s Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the
“lord of misrule” and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The
poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and
drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely
terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the
upper classes could repay their real or imagined “debt” to society by
entertaining less fortunate citizens.
*When Christmas Was Cancelled*
In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way
Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan
forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence
and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand,
Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the
popular holiday.The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in
1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a
result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681,
the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone
exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in
the Jamestown settlement, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was
enjoyed by all and passed without incident. After the American Revolution,
English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. *In fact, Christmas
wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.*
How the Civil War Changed Christmas in the United States
As a divided nation fought, the holiday became more important than
ever.Washington Irving Reinvents Christmas in America: It wasn’t 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. But what about the 1800s
piqued American interest in the holiday? The early 19th century was a
period of class conflict and turmoil. During this time, unemployment was
high and gang rioting by the disenchanted classes often occurred during the
Christmas season. In 1828, the New York city council instituted the city’s
first police force in response to a Christmas riot. This catalyzed certain
member of the upper classes to begin to change the way Christmas was
celebrated in America. In 1819, best-selling author Washington Irving wrote
The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, gent., a series of stories about the
celebration of Christmas in an English manor house. The sketches feature a
squire who invited the peasants into his home for the holiday. In contrast
to the problems faced in American society, the two groups mingled
effortlessly. In Irving’s mind, Christmas should be a peaceful,
warm-hearted holiday bringing groups together across lines of wealth or
social status. Irving’s fictitious celebrants enjoyed “ancient customs,”
including the crowning of a Lord of Misrule. Irving’s book, however, was
not based on any holiday celebration he had attended—in fact, many
historians say that Irving’s account actually “invented” tradition by
implying that it described the true customs of the season.
'A Christmas Carol'
Also around this time, English author Charles Dickens created the classic
holiday tale, A Christmas Carol. The story’s message-the importance of
charity and good will towards all humankind-struck a powerful chord in the
United States and England and showed members of Victorian society the
benefits of celebrating the holiday. The family was also becoming less
disciplined and more sensitive to the emotional needs of children during
the early 1800s. Christmas provided families with a day when they could
lavish attention-and gifts-on their children without appearing to “spoil”
them.
Origins of Santa Claus
Christmas Facts
Each year, 25-30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States
alone. There are about 15,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States,
and trees usually grow for between four and 15 years before they are sold.
In the Middle Ages, Christmas celebrations were rowdy and raucous—a lot
like today’s Mardi Gras parties. When Christmas was cancelled: From 1659 to
1681, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston, and law-breakers
were fined five shillings. Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the
United States on June 26, 1870. The first eggnog made in the United States
was consumed in Captain John Smith’s 1607 Jamestown settlement. Poinsettia
plants are named after Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico,
who brought the red-and-green plant from Mexico to America in 1828. The
Salvation Army has been sending Santa Claus-clad donation collectors into
the streets since the 1890s. Rudolph, “the most famous reindeer of all,”
was the product of Robert L. May’s imagination in 1939. The copywriter
wrote a poem about the reindeer to elp lure customers into the Montgomery
Ward department store. Construction workers started the Rockefeller Center
Christmas tree tradition in 1931.
K RAJARAM IRS 251224
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