Christmas: the day when SOME Christians celebrate the birth of Christ

Christmas is literally "the anniversary date of the birth of Christ", the day when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. Several theories exist about the date of December 25: the choice of the date, where Christmas was first celebrated, who were the first to celebrate Christmas...

We have gathered several of these pieces of information in this article, to give you a little more information about one of the most celebrated Christian holidays of the year.

In this article we present to you:

• The etymology of the word Christmas
• The history of Christmas
• Christians who do not celebrate Christmas and those who celebrate it on another date
• Where do Christmas traditions come from?
• Where does Santa Claus come from?
• The image of the modern Santa Claus
• Christmas today
• Summary

1. Etymology

The etymology of the word Christmas comes from the Latin adjective "natalis", which means "related to birth".

2. History

The first Christmas celebrations date back to the 4th century, in Rome. At that time in Rome, they also celebrated the Saturnalia festivals (the Romans worshipped the sun god: Saturn), the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year) and the Sol Invictus (the rebirth of the unconquered sun).

3. NOT all Christians celebrate Christmas... but not only that

First of all, it should be known that not all Christians celebrate Christmas. Some Christian denominations such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Restored Church of God, or the Christian Churches of God reject the Christmas holiday. According to these denominations, the Christmas holiday was not celebrated by the first Christians and therefore has no reason to be celebrated by Christians today.

But among Christians who celebrate Christmas, the date varies according to denominations.
Western Christians celebrate the Nativity on a fixed date, December 25. Some Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6, Epiphany day (the day when the three wise men Gaspar, Balthazar, and Melchior met Jesus). Other Orthodox denominations celebrate the birth of Jesus on January 7 and Epiphany on January 19.

4. Where do Christmas traditions come from?

According to historians, the Western Christmas holiday, as we know it, began as a pagan festival that was Christianized. The Christmas tree or fir tree is, for example, a pagan symbol of fertility.

In Nordic countries, when the nights are cold and very long, the Christmas holiday gave Christians something to look forward to: rich food (reindeer if you are in Sweden, pork and lamb if you are in Greece), candles, a Catholic midnight mass or Protestant services on Christmas morning. Fir trees were brought inside and candles were lit as a symbol of hope that spring would return with abundant new harvests.

It is also an interesting coincidence that the Jewish festival of lights, Hanukkah, falls every year in November or December and is celebrated with the lighting of the candelabrum (menorah), games, gifts, and traditional foods.

5. Where does Santa Claus come from?

The myth of Santa Claus (spoiler alert: do not read further if you are under 10 years old!) comes from the legend of Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was a bishop of the city of Myra (in modern Turkey), who wanted to help poor young women find a husband. He secretly left bags of money on the doorstep of their family home, an anonymous gift to the poor. Thus, he became the patron saint of virgins and children. Over time, his generosity was remembered by people who secretly gave gifts to children during the feast of Saint Nicholas, celebrated on December 6 (in Western Christian countries) and December 19 (in Eastern churches).
His name in English became Clause, from the Dutch Sinterklaas. Dutch children and other children in Western Europe leave food in an iron or a clog for Nicholas's horse on the eve of December 6, and receive gifts on the feast day.

6. The image of the modern Santa Claus

Our modern image of Santa Claus, a man of a certain age, dressed in a red and white suit and matching hat, comes from an incredibly successful Coca-Cola marketing campaign in the 1930s. Since then, suburban Santas always dress according to the image created by the Coca-Cola brand. But this image comes from an earlier representation of Santa Claus that had nothing to do with the American Santa Claus until the 1850s.

From the 1850s, the English Santa Claus was depicted as an old bearded man wearing a long red robe trimmed with white fur and a pointed red hat, who brought gifts to good children. This image is found on early 20th-century English postcards.

7. Christmas today

Today, we give gifts to adults as well as children on the eve or the day of December 25, and generally in a non-anonymous way.

Our gifts also recall the tributes that the three Wise Men - who symbolize, according to tradition, non-Jewish peoples - paid to the infant Jesus.

The Magi gave Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh, when they understood that the baby they were looking at was both human and the son of God.

8. Summary

The history of Christmas is a mix of religious and pagan elements.

Not all Christian denominations agree on the authenticity and relevance of this celebration.

All the traditions we know today about Christmas are also a mix between a biblical historical heritage and more or less modern interpretations from different parts of the globe and different cultures.

Christmas remains a magical and joyful time of the year, both for children and adults. Christmas is a holiday that promotes solidarity, mutual aid, and love for one's neighbor.