Whether you're festive or not, religious or irreverent, the Christmas season touches our lives in every way. Many families have their own traditions and expectations, and those who don't celebrate are certainly aware of the ubiquity of Christmas. But traditions always come and go, and so do meanings over time. So, as we settle in for the holiday season, let's think about the long history of Christmas.
In modern society, Christmas has become more and more secularized, and it is like a Frankenstein holiday that is cemented together by various traditions drawn from different cultures. But you probably don't need to be reminded that this was not the case at one time.
The first explanation is that some people may be tormented by such an explanation, but the Bible does not tell us exactly when Jesus was born. From the Christian scriptures, we know a lot about the events and circumstances associated with the birth of Jesus, but we don't know exactly when these happened.
As a result, historians sometimes speculate and debate how Christmas became the day of Jesus' birth. But around 336 AD, the Roman Church officially began celebrating Christmas on this day, which also happened to be the date of the Roman winter solstice celebration, the Feast of Sato.
This winter festival honors Saturn, the god of agriculture and abundance. In this joyous time, people celebrate the disappearance of winter and welcome longer days and more sunshine.
In Scandinavia, the Norse/Germanic peoples of Northern Europe celebrate the festival of Yule. Every year on the winter solstice on December 21, they gather large trees together and burn them. The wood on fire marks the beginning of a feast, which they can enjoy until the wood burns out. It's not a rushed burning event, the whole thing could burn for 12 days.
The number 12 has been linked to modern Christmas celebrations, but there has also been a perception that the characteristic shape of many holiday cakes and desserts may have originated from it.
What about the mistletoe on the door? This tradition probably stems from the beliefs of the ancient Celts, who believed that this parasitic plant had mystical and healing magical effects. Mistletoe is evergreen, so it's easy to spot in environments with leafless host plants, which explains why it's often collected during Christmas time (fun fact: kissing under mistletoe was once considered a prelude to marriage, so be sure to think carefully before kissing). It has been suggested that Germanic beliefs associated with many holiday Xi are closely related to modern Santa Claus.
There is an opinion that Odin is the prototype of the modern Santa Claus. Another popular view is that Santa Claus is based on Bishop Nicolaus. The historical Bishop of Nicklaus is known for his philanthropic work and as such became the inspiration for the Dutch Settkáss (the predecessor of Santa Claus).
In Russia and other regions, it is also widely believed that shamans who eat red and white mushrooms are related, and Santa's red and white costumes follow this mushroom-eating tradition. According to this idea, the Russian shaman drank the urine of the reindeer to trigger a consciousness after realizing the psychic experience of flight. You might as well read more about Santa Claus and limited connections. It's not as crazy as you might think. ✨✝️️