O December 25th dates an extremely important celebration in the West: the Christmas. In this festival, the birth of Jesus Christ, understood within Christianity as the son of God. It is common that, in the month before Christmas, they are built nativity scenes and Christmas decorations such as the Christmas tree.
It is important to consider that Christmas is only celebrated on December 25 in the Catholic Church and in the West. Eastern churches, including the Orthodox and Coptic, commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ on the day January 7th.
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Historical origin of Christmas
Historians do not know precisely when Christmas appeared, although there is a theory that points to the Pope Julius I as creator of this festivity. It is believed that, at some point, among the 2nd centuries d. Ç. and IV d. Ç. that's when the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th began to be agreed upon.
This is because we know that at the end of the 2nd century d. C., the great Church theologians who debated the birth of Christ
did not consider December 25th as the day of such event. This is known because a declaration of Clement of Alexandria points to the consideration of different days for the birth of Christ: April 15th, May 20th, and April 20th or 21st.So why Christmas was placed on December 25th, when this date was not even considered until the end of the 2nd century d. Ç.? Historians do not have a right answer, but believe that the choice of December 25 was part of a strategy of the Church of weaken pagan celebrations that happened on that date.
One of these pagan celebrations was known as Dies Natalis Solis Invicti and was performed for the Sunundefeated, a Roman god. Over time, this party became associated with Miter, a Persian god who was worshiped in Roman lands. Another celebration that took place around December 25 was the saturnalia, party in honor of Saturn.
Historians claim, then, that putting Christmas on December 25 was a way to deflate the pagan festival and ensure faithfulness to Christianity. The rhetorical argument was basically to show that a person was not celebrating Mithra or the Undefeated Sun on that date, but rather the birth of Jesus Christ.
Thus, it is very likely that, gradually, during the 3rd and 4th centuries, the Christmas celebration on December 25th popularized to the point that Pope Julius I announced that the birth of Christ would, in fact, be commemorated in this date. The pope's announcement allegedly took place in 350, and the first written record showing Christmas on this date is from the year 354.
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Christmas symbols
Throughout history, Christmas has gained increasing importance within the liturgical calendar of Christianity, and it was in the Low Middle Ages that the commemoration gained importance in Europe Western. During the Protestant Reformation, some groups, like the Puritans, tried to fight the influence of Christmas, but without success.
nativity scene
![The nativity scene was created in the 13th century by St. Francis of Assisi.[1]](/f/4a9a6e06e9dfedb375869280ad216e99.jpg)
The evolution of Christmas and its spread across Europe meant that new symbols were being added to the celebration. One of the most common symbols at Christmas is the nativity scene, that representation, in the form of a sculpture, of the manger in which Jesus Christ was born, in Palestine.
The crib was created by the friar Saint Francis of Assisi, in 1223. That year, St. Francis was somewhere in the interior of present-day Italy preaching Christianity. To facilitate the understanding of Jesus' birth by those who watched him, he decided to build a nativity scene. The practice and its image ended up becoming popular and spreading across Europe.
Christmas tree
Another very common symbol is the Christmas tree. It is believed that she had a religious connection with peoples of pagan origin who used them as an ornament or as part of their religious rituals.
There is also a strong relationship between the tree and practices carried out by the peoplesScandinavians and Germans, who regarded the oak as a symbol of Thor and used pine trees as ornaments during the Jol — the religious festival that took place in Scandinavia right around the time of Christian Christmas. It is believed that this practice of the Scandinavians and Germans may have originated the root of the Christmas Tree.
Historians do not know exactly where and when this Christmas-related practice arose, but it is believed that it was sometime between the end of Middle Ages and the beginning of Modern age. From the 16th century onwards, there are reports of decorated trees being placed inside the houses.
In the 19th century, the practice became popular in the United Kingdom and from there it spread throughout the world. Also in the 19th century were created the christmas balls, decorative item that is placed on trees. The first Christmas balls were made of glass and appeared in present-day Germany.
Santa Claus
O Santa Claus it is another symbol well known to everyone in the West. The kids believe it's him who brings the gifts on Christmas Eve and that it is an old man with a white beard who moves in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. The story of Santa Claus refers to a catholic saint, but also has pagan elements.
In the case of the Catholic saint, Santa Claus refers to St. Nicholas, a bishop of the 3rd centuries d. Ç. and IV d. Ç. who used the wealth he inherited to distribute gifts to the dispossessed. There is a belief that part of the Santa Claus legend comes from Odin, God give Norse mythology. The current image we have of Santa Claus is, however, the result of a advertising piece created by Coca-Cola in the 1920s and 1930s. If you are more interested, read our text: Christmas symbols.
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Other practices
Modern Christmas has, for many, a more secular and less religious meaning. Therefore, many believe that Christmas is a more important date as a time to reinforce brotherhood and love for others. So, it is common that on that day there is exchange of gifts, actions ofcharity, food distribution etc.
Here in Brazil, it is common to carry out a Christmas dinner, which is usually held on Christmas Eve, that is, on the night of the December, 24. Many also extend the celebrations to December 25th. Christmas parties are usually a time of family meeting.
Again in the religious sphere, it is also very common for people to watch the rooster mass, a Mass held at the Vatican on Christmas Eve. It is not known exactly when the Mass of the Rooster was created, as some maintain that it was in the 5th century AD. a., whereas others point towards century II d. Ç. Anyway, the origin of its name is also unknown, and it is only known as Missa do Galo in Latin countries.
Image credits
[1]The_Golden_Dragon and Shutterstock
By L.do Daniel Neves
History teacher