Christmas Celebrations – Where Did it All Begin?

On Saturday, November 6th, 2010 at 6:28 pm, No Comments »

Christmas celebrations all over the world are done by multitudes on the 25th of December to commemorate the birthday of Jesus Christ.

Even though the celebration of Christmas is a tradition most recently practiced by the Christian religion, it would be true to say that the date has been embraced as a holiday festival by nearly everyone, whether they are religious or not.

Even though the 25th of December has been celebrated as the birthday of Jesus for more than fifteen hundred years, the original date celebrated was January 6th. It appears that the Christian calendar was adjusted to take advantage of the established pagan festivals that were being celebrated at that time.

In fact the days of Christmas are a time of celebration for many other traditions. Even though they may not all mark the birth of Jesus, they do have their own reasons for declaring a holiday.

To begin with, this time of year was a period of celebration for the Persians and Romans; it was recognized in Egypt, Germany, Scandinavia, Babylon, as well as throughout the British Isles. Each culture had their own festival or holiday at one time but these have all been molded into what we now recognize as Christmas celebrations.

The timing of the Winter Solstice, being so close to Christmas, is also something that cannot be ignored. In the Northern Hemisphere this was the time that marked the return of the great Sun God, which was cause for much celebration.

The idea of giving gifts could be have originated from the tradition of leaving offerings for those Gods and Goddesses worshipped by pre-Christian cultures.

It is even known that the Roman Empire, which celebrated Saturnalia between the 17th and 24th December, exchanged gifts between masters and slaves.

There is also the fact that Christmas celebrations can be a source of great controversy. Many non-Christian festivities are also celebrated at this time of the year. In addition, for many in the Christian Church this special time of year has been transformed into a time of excess, standing in stark contrast to the simplicity of the birth of the Christ child.

Whatever your faith, Christmas represents a time of coming together with family and friends, a time of light and love. While the true meaning of Christmas may not be relevant for many, it is still a holiday season in many parts of the world where places of work are closed and gifts are given.

Enjoy your Christmas celebrations whatever your faith or your culture. Merry Christmas!