Many of the traditions we associate with Christmas were celebrated centuries before Christ was born and can be traced back to the early Mesopotamians. Sacaea, celebrated by the Persians and Babylonians, was a similar festival during which slaves and masters would exchange roles which could be a bit dodgy if the slaves refused to exchange back afterwards!
The early Europeans believed in the battle between good and evil spirits and the dark days of winter demonstrated that the powers of evil were winning. In support of the good spirits, special rituals and celebrations were held to drive out evil and welcome back the sun. During winter above the Arctic circle in Scandinavia, the sun would disappear for many days. When it returned a Yuletide celebration was held and a special feast served around a burning Yule log fire.
The Roman's celebrated their god Saturn with a festival called Saturnalia which ran from 17 to 24 December. Celebrations included masquerades in the streets, festive meals, visits to friends and the exchange of good-luck gifts. The Romans used decorations of garlands of laurel and green trees lit with candles.
The fun and festivities in honour of a pagan god were frowned on by the early Christians who wanted to keep the birth of Christ a solemn, religious festival. Some theories claim that the Christmas celebration was invented by the Christians to compete against the pagan December celebrations. Eventually, the church brought in some of the merriment, lights and gifts from the Saturnalia festival into Christmas celebrations.
Celtic culture reveres all green plants, particularly mistletoe and holly. These were important symbols of fertility and used for decorating homes and altars.
The exact day of Christ's birth is not known. Traditions say that it was celebrated as early 98 AD. In 137 AD, the Bishop of Rome ordered Christ's birthday to be celebrated as a solemn feast. In 350 AD, the then Bishop of Rome, Julius I, choose December 25th for the observance of Christmas.
The earliest English reference to 25 December as Christmas Day dates from 1043. Christmas celebrations have always been controversial as many of the festive traditions have their roots in paganism. Frivolity and feasting, the giving of gifts and frequent excesses have always been in complete contrast to the simplicity of the Nativity and are often condemned as contrary to the true spirit of Christmas. Although not the original purpose of the day, Christmas remains a traditional time for families to meet, enjoy a meal, and make merry.
A brief history of Father Christmas
The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas' popularity throughout Europe. His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre. In Greece, he is the patron saint of sailors, in France he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium the patron of children and travellers. Thousands of churches across Europe were dedicated to him and some time around the 12th century an official church holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and charity.
After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas dwindled, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolaas was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought brought this tradition with them to America in the 17th century and here the Anglican name of Santa Claus emerged.