The Origin & History Of Christmas, The Story Of Jesus, Santa, & Carols
Christmas is a day on which the birth of Jesus Christ is commemorated. According to existing records, Christmas was first celebrated on December 25 in 336AD. Christmas is a Christian religious holiday and festival which was originally intended to celebrate the birth of the Sun God in the annual winter solstice, but was adapted by the Catholic Church in the third century AD. Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on December 25th.
In the Bible, the Gospel of Luke states that Jesus was born at the time of a great census, which forced people to leave the field and go to the cities to enlist. Only in December, winters in the region of Israel are strict, preventing a large displacement of people. Even inside, the cold was unbearable in December. It is most likely that the birth occurred between March and November, when the climate is milder.
Christmas celebrations used to last up to 12 days, as this was the time it took for the three kings arrive to the town of Bethlehem and deliver gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus. Today, people often build trees and other Christmas decorations in early December and remove the decorations up 12 days after Christmas.
The decoration of Christmas trees was believed to begin in 1530, in Germany, with a man named Martin Luther. While walking through the forest, Luther was impressed with the beauty of the snow covered pine trees. Luther reproduced the tree branches in his home, and he used candles to show his family the beautiful scene he had witnessed in the forest. It was during the colonial period when some Germans brought the tradition to the Americas. The Christmas trees are present in many places, because in addition to decorating, symbolize joy, peace and hope.
The history and origin of Santa Claus was inspired by a bishop named Nicholas who was born in Turkey in 280 AD Bishop, a man of good heart who used to help poor people, leaving bags with coins next to the chimneys of the houses. The association of St. Nicholas with Christmas happened in Germany and spread throughout the world. Bishop Nicholas was transformed into a saint, St. Nicholas, by the Catholic church after numerous people had reported miracles attributed to him.
Santa Claus was depicted in a winter clothing in brown or dark green until the late nineteenth century. In 1886, the German cartoonist Thomas Nast created a new image for Santa Claus, which was clothes in red and white with black belt. An advertising campaign for Coca Cola included Santa Claus which showed the same costume created by Nast in 1931. It was this advertising campaign that helped spread the image of Santa Claus around the world.
Christians took over some of the customs of the Winter Solstice and gave them Christian meanings, as with Holly, Mistletoe and even Christmas songs ! The prickly holly leaves represent the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified. The fruits represent the drops of blood that were shed by Jesus because of the thorns. Mistletoe is a plant that grows on apple trees and willows. The Church York Minster in the UK used to hold a service Mistletoe in winter, where criminals could come and be forgiven. Kissing under the mistletoe originated in England. Originally, a berry had to be picked from the branch of mistletoe, before anyone could be kissed, then when all the berries were gone, the kissing was finished.
Christmas carols date from before AD 129. The early Christians took the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave people Christian songs to sing instead of the pagan songs. At that time, a Roman Bishop said that a Christmas song called " Angel's Hymn ' should be sung at a Christmas service in Rome. The first Christmas carol was written in 1410, a song that was about Mary and Jesus meeting different people in Bethlehem, but only a small fragment of which still exist. The word Carol actually means dance or a song of praise and joy! Christmas carols originated in the villages of England, where there were services in addition carol singing in the streets. These customs are still very popular with many of the services that are being performed in churches that are often referred to as carols by candlelight, which contributes to the atmosphere of the Christmas season.
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