Why did we start celebrating Christmas?
In the United States, 85% of people celebrate Christmas. Here is how Christmas began and why we have this tradition:
What is Christmas?
Christmas is a sacred yearly Christian celebration that honors the birth of Jesus Christ, the religion’s originator and moral authority. Christmas is widely observed as a religious holiday in many countries as well as a time to remember the birth of Jesus (Anderson, 2021).
Origins of Christmas
Christmas has roots in both Roman and pagan traditions. In December, the Romans had two festivals. One was Saturnalia, a two-week festival held in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture, on which the birth of the sun deity Mithras was commemorated on December 25. These two festivals were both wild parties. To dispel the darkness in December, the shortest month of the year, pagans lit bonfires and candles. The Romans used this practice for their own festivities as well. The Christian clergy could no longer repress paganism as Christianity expanded across Europe. They adopted paganism for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday because no one knew the day of his birth (Haas, 2017).
Is Christmas really the day Jesus was born?
In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the important celebration, and Jesus’ birth was not observed. Church leaders made the decision to declare the birthdate of Jesus a national holiday in the fourth century. Unfortunately, the Bible omits to mention Jesus’ birthdate. Pope Julius, however, decided on December 25 because some data points to Jesus’ birth occurring in the spring. The Church is usually believed to have selected this day in an effort to absorb and incorporate the customs of the pagan Saturnalia feasts. The tradition, which was first known as the “Festival of the Nativity,” moved to Egypt in 432 and reached England by the end of the sixth century. Editors, year 2022
How do people celebrate around the world?
・Poland – The breaking of bread
Every Christmas Eve, families come together to enjoy and share an Oplatiki. The tradition originated with a simple white wafer baked with flour and water and designed to display the image of Christmas.
・Iceland – Book giving
Also called “Jolabokaflod” which means “the Christmas book”. This is a tradition in Iceland, and they give books to each other and read with family and friends.
・Mexico – Night of the radishes
It is an annual event that takes place on December 23 and is called “Noche de los Rabanos” in Oaxaca City. The annual radish carving contest dates from 1897 and has been part of that year’s Christmas market ever since.
・Japan – KFC
Families gather around and eat a bunch of fried chicken in Japan. The first KFC enterprise manager, named Okawara, tells a white lie that Americans eat fried chicken to celebrate Christmas. That concept encouraged Japanese to buy fried chicken, and it worked.
・Austria – Krampus
Each year, the children of Austria await the visit of St. Nicholas. Children who have done wrong will be confronted by Krampus.
References
Anderson, C. (2021). What Is Christmas and Why Do We Celebrate It? [online] Reader’s Digest. Available at: https://www.rd.com/article/christmas-on-the-25th/ [Accessed 9 February 2023]
Editors, H. com (2022). History of Christmas. [online] HISTORY. Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas#is-christmas-really-the-day-jesus-was-born [Accessed 9 February 2023]
Haas, M. (2017). A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS. [online] Voice & Vision, Inc. Available at: https://voiceandvisioninc.org/blog/entry/a-brief-history-of-christmas/ [Accessed 11 February 2023]
Saqib, F. (2022). What is Christmas and when and how is it celebrated around the world? [online] Sky News. Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/what-is-christmas-and-when-and-how-is-it-celebrated-around-the-world-12766638 [Accessed 9 February 2023]
