History of Christmas

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The first mention of Christmas Day as December 25 was in 354 AD. However, the history of Christmas can be traced back some 4,000 years ago to the Mesopotamian culture. Each year, in the winter months, the Mesopotamians celebrated a festival revolving around their God Marduk and his fight with evil spirits. The defeat of these spirits was celebrated in a twelve day festival known as Zagmuk. Many of the traditions which are associated with the history of Christmas, including the twelve day celebration, the yule log, the giving of gifts and the carolers going from house to house have their roots in the Zagmuk celebration.

Many other cultures had pagan celebrations during the winter months. The Persians and Babylonians celebrated a festival known as Sacaea, during which masters and slaves would trade places. In Europe, as the Winter Solstice approached with its short days and long nights, the people feared that the sun would not return. Festivals were held to welcome the sun back. December was also the perfect time to celebrate because this was when the cattle were slaughtered and the people had fresh meat. .The ancient Greeks had a similar festival to Sacaea honoring their God, Kronos, while the Romans celebrated their God, Saturn, by having street parades and masquerades, gift giving and the visiting of friends. As Christianity spread, however, the Romans grew worried about such pagan rituals. At first, the church forbad such celebrations, but the history of Christmas reveals that they could not be stopped. The Church decided to make the celebrations more somber, befitting the birthday of the Christian son of God.

One of the oldest Christmas traditions is caroling, which got its start during the Middle Ages in England and France. During this period in history, carols were dances accompanied by singing. Today, groups of people congregate in small choirs and spread Christmas cheer throughout the neighborhood by going from house to house singing such carols as Deck the Halls and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Another Christmas tradition is gift giving. This can be traced all the way back to the birth of Jesus, when the wise men brought frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. Today, families gather on Christmas Day and exchange gifts collected under the Christmas tree. Children are told that the gifts are brought by Santa Claus. The tradition of Santa Claus can be traced back to a real person in the 4th Century named Saint Nicholas. Nicholas had a reputation for generosity and kindness, which gave rise to legends of miracles he performed for the poor and unhappy. Today, every child waits expectantly for Santa Claus’ gifts. The Christmas tree is another holiday tradition. Bringing a tree into the home started in Germany in 700 AD and spread to England and then to the United States, where it is an exciting annual ritual.

What is Christmas today? It is most certainly a combination of pagan traditions and religious observance—at once a time for joyous celebration and solemnity.