Given the time of year, I thought it would be appropriate to dedicate a number of posts to Christmas and all things Christmastime. It is a day many of us partake in celebrations for, and whether it be spent with friends, family or both, it is a wonderful opportunity to come together and spend time with those we love most.
Aside from blatantly obvious information pertaining to Christmas, like the fact that it occurs annually on December 25th and is intended to represent the birth of Jesus Christ, I thought it would be interesting to do a little bit of digging and see what sort of information I could find about Christmas and its history. The following information comes from goodhousekeeping.com.
“While Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the actual date of the big event is lost to history. There’s no mention of December 25 in the Bible and many historians say Jesus was most likely born in the spring. Some historians posit the date was originally chosen because it coincided with the pagan festival of Saturnalia, which honored the agricultural god Saturn with celebrating and gift-giving.
“Christians may have grown up learning that we give gifts at Christmas to mimic the presents the Three Wise Men brought the baby Jesus, but like so many other traditions, that also has its roots in Saturnalia. The pagans originally gave offerings to the gods too.
“The tradition of Christmas trees goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptians and Romans, who decorated with evergreens during the winter solstice to signify that spring would return. Evergreens reminded them of all the green plants that were to grow once the sun returned.
“Brew a steaming cup of tea when trimming your tree this year to pay homage to its origins. When Prince Albert of Germany got a tree for his new wife, Queen Victoria of England, the tradition really took off across the pond. A drawing of the couple in front of a Christmas tree first appeared in the Illustrated London News in 1848. After that, more and more folks starting following suit,” the web page explains.
Check back tomorrow for more facts about Christmas.
Photo by Cameron Stewart on Unsplash
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