Culture - The History of Christmas
The history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years. Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ child was born. The 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the giving of gifts, carnivals with floats, singers going from house to house, the holiday feasts, and the church processions can all be traced back to the earlier times.
Some legends claim that the Christian "Christmas" celebration was invented to compete against the pagan celebrations of December. The 25th was not only sacred to the Romans but also the Persians whose religion was one of Christianity's main rivals at that time. The Church eventually was successful in taking many of the customs of their religions and bringing them to the celebration of Christmas.
The exact day of Christ birth has never been known. Traditions say that it has been celebrated since the year 98 AD. In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome ordered the birthday of Christ to be celebrated as a feast. In 350 AD another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, chose December 25th as the birth date of Christmas.
On the night before Christmas, all across the world, millions of children will be sleeping in their beds, eager to awake so that they can check to see if Santa Claus has come.
Santa Claus has become the most beloved of Christmas symbols and traditions. The image of the friendly man leaving toys and gifts for every child is known worldwide.
The history of Santa Claus begins with a man called Saint Nicholas, a religious leader in Turkey. Saint Nicholas was known for his charity and wisdom. Legends tell of him coming from a wealthy family and giving all his money to the poor. He was also said to possess magical powers. He died in 340 AD.
Late in the 11th century religious soldiers from Italy took the remains of the saint back with them to Italy. They built a church in honour of him, and soon Christian worshippers from all over the world came to visit. They took the legend of Saint Nicholas back to their native lands, and as the legend of Saint Nicholas spread it would take on the characteristics of each country.
In Holland, he sails in on a ship arriving on December 5th. He carries a big book which tells him how the Dutch children have behaved during the past year. Good children are rewarded with gifts and the bad ones are taken away by his assistant.
In Italy he is a she, and she is good witch who dresses all in black and brings gifts to children on January 6th.