Buzz
Today is Christmas Day, a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, an event observed for centuries. Around the world, people gather to enjoy festive meals, exchange gifts, sing carols, drink together, and attend church services. In honor of this cherished holiday (which happens to be my personal favorite), we've compiled a list of interesting Christmas facts. I would like to extend my heartfelt wishes for a joyful Christmas to all who are reading.
10. The Significance of the Date
In the early Christian Church, Christmas was not initially a major feast day. The earliest known attempt to designate a specific date for Christ's birth occurred around 200 AD, when theologians in Alexandria suggested May 20th. By the late 4th century, the Church in Rome sought to unify the Christian world by establishing December 25th as the universal date for the feast. This eventually became the accepted day. The influence of Roman pagan festivals is evident, as December 25th was already celebrated as the birth of the sun. St. Cyprian reflected on this, saying: “O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born . . . Christ should be born.”
9. The Birth of the Nativity Scene
Saint Francis is a well-known figure – the revered saint famous for his miraculous bond with animals and his journey to the Middle East to convert Muslims, even offering to sacrifice himself by fire. Most people are familiar with nativity sets—small (or sometimes large) figurines that represent the people present during the birth of Jesus. However, few realize that it was Saint Francis who created the nativity scene in the 13th century!
8. The Tradition of Gifts and More
Gift giving, Christmas drinks, Christmas Cards, and many other Christmas traditions are not the result of modern capitalism (though capitalism certainly takes advantage of them) – they actually stem from the Ancient Romans, who exchanged these items on New Year’s Day as part of a custom called Strenae, named after Strenia, the goddess of New Year’s gifts. Initially, the Church rejected these practices (“(Do not) make vetulas, [little figures of the Old Woman], little deer or iotticos or set tables [for the house-elf, compare Puck] at night or exchange New Year gifts or supply superfluous drinks [another Yule custom].” -St Eligius, 7th century), but the traditions were deeply ingrained and eventually shifted to Christmas.
7. Christmas Banned!
In 1644, the English Parliament passed an Act that banned Christmas; the day was to be observed as a fast and a market day. Shops were required to remain open, and festive foods like plum puddings and mince pies were condemned as pagan. The conservatives resisted; at Canterbury, there was even bloodshed. However, following the Restoration, the holiday remained disfavored by Dissenters, who referred to Yuletide as “Fooltide.” After the Protestant Reformation, groups like the Puritans denounced Christmas, calling it a Catholic invention and dismissing its customs as the “trappings of popery” or the “rags of the Beast.” Christmas was officially banned in Boston from 1659 to 1681. The Pilgrim-imposed ban was overturned in 1681 by English Governor Sir Edmund Andros, but it wasn't until the mid-19th century that Christmas became widely celebrated in the Boston area.
6. Common Christmas Misconceptions
As is common with many ancient traditions, numerous myths have emerged surrounding Christmas. The most widespread claim is that the nativity story is fictional and derives from the pagan Mithras figure, a sun god. While various elements of Mithra's life are cited as evidence, this theory only gained traction in recent times. In truth, many of the similarities were borrowed from Christianity, which was flourishing during the peak of the Mithras cult. It is often claimed that Mithra's birth mirrored that of Christ, but in actuality, the pagans believed he was born atop a mountain. Furthermore, the depiction of shepherds at Mithra's birth did not appear until long after Jesus' nativity was well known globally. This serves as an example of paganism adopting elements of Christianity, not the reverse. [Source: “Textes et Monuments figures relat. Aux Mysteres de Mithra” (2 vols., Brussels, 1896-1899)]
5. Christmas Crackers
I was quite surprised to learn that Christmas crackers aren’t a common tradition in America. In the UK and many Commonwealth countries, crackers (not the edible kind) are placed on the Christmas dinner table, and people partner up to 'pull' one. A cracker is a small cardboard tube filled with a gift and a strip of paper that produces a bang when pulled. The cracker is wrapped in decorative paper and designed to resemble a bonbon. Inside, you'll typically find a joke, a small toy, and sometimes a party hat – all of which are kept by the person who claims the largest piece of the cracker. Crackers range in price, from inexpensive options to extravagant ones, like the $1,000 US versions sold at Harrods. Due to their affordability, crackers are a staple in homes worldwide, regardless of wealth. Tom Smith, a candy seller, invented crackers in 1847.
4. Christmas Tree
Many people are familiar with the story of how Martin Luther, the renowned Protestant reformer, supposedly introduced the Christmas tree (or in some variations, the idea of placing candles on the tree). This tale is not accurate. The first recorded connection between trees and Christmas can be traced back to Saint Boniface in the 7th century AD, when he famously felled a tree sacred to Thor to demonstrate to the local people that Norse gods were not divine. By the 15th century, it had become customary to cut down trees and bring them indoors, where they would be decorated with sugared fruit, candy, and candles. By the time Martin Luther appeared on the scene, the tradition of the Christmas tree was already well-established.
3. Candy Canes
In the late 1800s, a candy maker from Indiana sought to capture the essence of Christmas with a candy symbol. He had the idea to shape one of his white candy sticks into the form of a Candy Cane. Each element of the Candy Cane was meant to symbolize aspects of Christ’s love and sacrifice. The basic white peppermint stick represented the purity and sinlessness of Jesus. Three small stripes were added to reflect the suffering Jesus endured before His crucifixion, with the three stripes signifying the Holy Trinity. A bold red stripe was included to symbolize the blood Jesus shed for humanity. When viewed with the crook at the top, the shape resembles a shepherd’s staff, a reminder that Jesus is the shepherd of mankind. If turned upside down, it becomes the letter J, the first letter of Jesus' name. This candy was created as a Christmas reminder of the true meaning of the holiday. [Source]
2. Santa Claus
Santa Claus finds his roots in the figure of Saint Nicholas, an early Church Bishop. Born around 270 AD in the village of Patara in what is now Turkey, Saint Nicholas was renowned for his acts of generosity, particularly for secretly giving money to those in need. The modern portrayal of Santa as a jolly man dressed in red likely originated from the 1823 poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas,' better known as 'The Night Before Christmas,' which you can read in full here.
1. Xmas
The use of the word 'Xmas' often sparks frustration among many, especially among Christians who view it as disrespectful to substitute the name of Christ with an 'X.' Some even claim that it is a deliberate attempt to 'de-Christianize' Christmas. However, 'Xmas' has been around almost as long as the holiday itself. The 'X' is actually the Greek letter chi, which represents the first letter of Christ's name in Greek (Χριστός). Therefore, 'Xmas' is just as religious as 'Christmas.'
+ Merry Christmas
This concludes our special Christmas list for 2010. I hope you enjoyed it and that you all experience a wonderfully happy Christmas. To finish on a high note, I've included my favorite Christmas carol above. If you enjoyed this list, be sure to check out last year's Top 10 Bizarre Things You Didn’t Know About Christmas.
