Christmas, short for Christ Mass, isn’t just the huge religious holiday and capital enterprise it’s become today; it has its roots in a conglomeration of pre-Christian European traditions that took place around the same time of year. Incorporated into Christmas were the ancient festivities revolving around the Winter Solstice such as the Roman Saturnalia, Nordic Yule and Slavic Koleda and in earlier times it was called Midwinter, Noel and Nativity.
The actual birth date of Jesus is unknown so December 25th is used and is taken from birth date of Sol Invictis, the Sun God of the Roman festival Dies Natalis Solis Invicti.
The Christmas Tree has connections to several cultures that practice tree worship from Roman to Viking to Chinese.
- The first lights on the trees were candles (scary)
- The first decorations included paper roses, apples and confectioneries
Santa Claus
- Santa Claus is the Westernized version of several historical figures who were revered as personifications of Christmas, such as Saint Nicholas/Sinterklaas, Father Christmas and Kris Kringle
- Sinterklaas has been associated with the Germanic god Wodan/Odin of the Wild Hunt who rode through the skies and was apprised of good and bad behaviours
- Father Christmas was formerly concerned with adult feasting and merry-making until he was re-popularized as a gift-bringer for children
- An old anonymous children’s poem Circa 1821 portrays him as Santeclaus on a sleigh led by reindeer and hailing from the northern winter who leaves presents for good children and a punishment rod for bad ones
- Parade Santa was part of Macy’s capitalizing on an idea and subsequently made department store Santa more famous through both the parade and the movie Miracle on 34th Street
Department store Santa started as an idea in the late 1800s by James Edgar who was a Santa at heart and had the suit made special for the occasion after which he gave the gift of repairing thousands of shoes for children
Christmastime festivals
On a multi-cultural level Christmas also coincides with other ethnic celebrations that have not been incorporated into it, such as Jewish Hanukkah and African Kwanzaa. Let’s hope they can remain a part of our history forever and not be Christianized and then lost to us like Saturnalia and others that we are trying to recoup.
These days fanatics like to instill ridiculous notions that they call political correctness in civil society as a way to make us all the same, but we’re not. They prefer we all use the term Happy Holidays, but if it’s your culture to say Merry Christmas don’t let anyone correct you; it’s your cultural heritage and right to do so.
The focus remains
Regardless of its origins and also because of them Christmas is a time of celebration, be it the birth of Christ or the Invincible Sun, or to honour the Winter Solstice. The festivities include gift-giving, goodwill, recognizing equality, decorating, caroling and feasting. Just as many of today’s traditions have been incorporated into the Christmas mix as the celebration itself has evolved over time it’s good to remember where it came from so we can celebrate all the parts we love.
