Monday, December 24, 2012
No one seems to know the exact reason Christmas was placed on December 25. The day of Christ's birth was celebrated in different months depending on the local Church. It took until the 4th Century AD for the date to settle where it remains. It wasn't considered a major celebration for a time, and pagan rites were practiced jointly with it. However, once a day was fixed, the many ways of conducting Christmas grew over centuries. The modern Christmas -- a season of economic activity and gaiety -- isn't that far from early times. The trend to excise Christmas for alternatives of "Holidays", "Season" , "Winter Solstice" or other generic word is a recognition that it has different meanings in a secular society. There are those who get upset with this, but from a communications perspective, it makes sense. In America, there is no primacy of one religion over another. Those who do recognize Christmas as a special day in the Christian tradition can continue to celebrate it. Others can fete the day as they wish. For those who look back on history, this might be a disappointment. For those who look forward, it means they can reinvent tradition, as many have done.