Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ who is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Many scholars believe Christ was born in the spring in about A.D. 4, though the exact date of his birth is unknown. The story of Christmas comes chiefly from the Gospels of Luke and Matthew in the New Testament. According to Luke, an angel appeared to shepherds outside the town of Bethlehem and told them of Jesus' birth. Matthew tells how the wise men, called Magi, followed a bright star that led them to Jesus. Even though historically this event likely occurred when Jesus was about two years old, it has been incorporated into the Christmas tradition. So why do Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th, and where do all of the Christmas traditions originate?

The first mention of December 25 as the birth date of Jesus occurred in A.D. 336 in an early Roman calendar. Pagan, non-Christian festivals held at that time probably influenced the celebration of this day as Jesus's birth date. The ancient Romans held year-end celebrations to honor Saturn, their harvest god; and Mithras, the god of light. Various peoples in northern Europe held festivals in mid-December to celebrate the end of the harvest season. Pagans celebrated the Winter Solstice on December 22, also called Midwinter. As part of all these celebrations, the people prepared special foods, decorated their homes with greenery, and joined in singing and gift giving. These customs gradually became part of the Christmas celebration.

In the late 300's, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The customs of feasting, gift giving and decorating blended with the more Christian aspects of the Christmas celebration - which had become the most popular celebration in Europe by 1100. In the 1800's, two more Christmas customs became popular -- decorating Christmas trees and sending Christmas cards to relatives and friends. Many well-known Christmas carols, including "Silent Night" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," were composed during this period. In the United States and other countries, Santa Claus replaced Saint Nicholas as the symbol of gift giving.

The word Xmas is sometimes used in place of the word "Christmas." In Greek, X (chi) is the first letter of Christ's name. The letter was frequently used as a holy symbol and became a substitute for "Christ" in the word, "Christmas."

-- Bree Burgundian


http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_menu.htm
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/christmas/real.html
http://www2.worldbook.com/features/holidays/html/history.htm