Traditions and symbols which are deeply engraved in the folk consciousness take on a much deeper meaning as holidays are observed.
Christmas is a sacred religious holiday celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth whose teachings form the basis of the Christian religion. People from around the world have observed Christmas Day (December 25th) for two millennia. It has been a United States federal holiday since 1870 or for just one hundred forty-five years.
Christmas is also a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon which people observe by the decoration of Christmas trees, shared meals with family and friends, the giving of gifts, religious services at church and the arrival of Santa Claus.
The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration. In the darkest days of winter, early Europeans celebrated the winter solstice as a time when they could look forward to extended days of sunlight.
The Norse, in Scandinavia celebrated “Yule,” the winter solstice, from the 21st of December through January. Fathers and their sons brought home large logs which they would set on fire in observance of the return of the sun. A feast was held until the log burned out which took about twelve days. It was believed that each spark from the fire represented a new calf or pig to be born during the coming year.
In most areas of Europe, the end of December was the perfect time for a celebration as the majority of cattle were slaughtered in order that they would not have to be fed during the winter months. For many families this was the only time of year in which they enjoyed a good supply of fresh meat. Also, most beer and wine made earlier during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking at this time.
In Germany, Oden was honored, as it was believed, that he flew the night sky to observe his people in order to decide who would prosper or perish. Because of this belief, many folk stayed inside.
Germany also gave the world their “tannenbaum” or as it is better known, “the Christmas tree.” The old pagan custom of the sacrifice tree was revived by Martin Luther; but, ornaments and lights were used for decorations instead of the traditional live sacrifices. The tree was brought to America by Hessian mercenaries in the service of King George III of England during the American Revolution. Later, in the 1840’s, Prince Albert, the German born consort of Queen Victoria, set up a tree in the Palace.
In Rome, “Saturnalia” was a hedonistic holiday honoring Satum, the god of agriculture which was celebrated the week leading up to the winter solstice and continued for a full month. Perhaps this was because the winters in this geographic area were not as harsh as those in the far north. Food and drink were plentiful and the normal social order of the Romans was literally turned upside down. Slaves became masters and peasants were in command of the city. During the “Feast of Fools,” business and schools were closed in order that all could join in the fun. Each year, a student or beggar was crowned the “Lord of Misrule,” who presided as celebrants played the part of his court. Homes of the rich were visited by the poor demanding their best food and drink. If it was not forth coming, the visitors would terrorize the home owner with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined debt to society by entertaining those less fortunate.
Romans also celebrated “Juvenalia,” a feast honoring the children of Rome about the time of the winter solstice. On the 25th of December, members of the upper classes celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. Mithra’s birthday was the most sacred day of the year for some of the upper classes of Roman society.
Easter was the main holiday during the early years of Christianity as the birth of Jesus was not celebrated as a holiday. Church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday in the fourth century when Pope Julius chose the 25th of December, even though some evidence suggested that his birth occurred in the spring. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention the date of his birth. Later, the Puritans pointed out this fact in order to deny the legitimacy of the Christmas celebration.
It is commonly believed that the church chose the 25th of December in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the “Feast of the Nativity,” the custom had spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the Christmas celebration had spread all the way to Scandinavia.
Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches of today, celebrate Christmas thirteen days after the 25th of December. This holiday is referred to as the “Epiphany,” or “Three Kings Day,” as this is the day on which it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.
By allowing Christmas to be held during the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the possibility that Christmas would be embraced by the people, but, in doing so, they gave up the manner in which it was to be celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had just about replaced pagan religion. Believers attended church, then celebrated in a carnival-like atmosphere similar to today’s “Mardi Gras.”
The first eggnog was made and consumed in 1607 at Captain John Smith’s Jamestown settlement.
In 1645, when Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe as they had vowed to rid England of decadence; therefore, they cancelled Christmas.
Charles II was restored to the throne by popular demand, and with him came the return of the popular Christmas holiday.
The Pilgrims, who were English separatists that came to the colonies in 1620 aboard the ship, Mayflower, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than was Cromwell, resulting in Christmas not being a holiday in the Colony of Massachusetts. In 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings.
After the American Revolution, English customs, including Christmas, fell out of favor. Christmas was declared a federal holiday on the 26th of June 1870. In the early 19th century, Americans re-invented Christmas changing it from its raucous carnival style holiday into a family one which was centered upon remembrance, peace and joy.
This change most probably occurred as the early 19th century was a period of class conflict and turmoil. Unemployment was high with gang riots by the disenchanted occurring during the Christmas season. For instance, in 1828, the New York City Council instituted the city’s first police force in response to a Christmas riot. This caused members of the upper classes to begin to change the way Christmas was celebrated in the United States of America.
Washington Irving, the best-selling American author, wrote, The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gentleman, which was a series of stories about the celebration of Christmas in an English manor house. They feature a squire who invited the peasants into his home for the holiday. The two groups mingled effortlessly in contrast to problems faced by those in American society. Irving believed that Christmas should be a happy, peaceful holiday bringing groups together across lines of social status or wealth. His fictitious characters enjoyed “ancient customs.” Irving’s book was not based upon any celebration that he, himself, had ever attended. Many historians state that Irving’s account “invented” tradition by implying that it actually described the true customs of the season.
About this same time, Charles Dickens, the English author, wrote A Christmas Carol, which became a classic holiday story. The importance of charity and good will toward all humankind showed Victorian society in both England and America the benefits of celebrating the holiday season.
In America, Christmas was celebrated as the perfect family holiday resulting in people looking to new immigrants, the Episcopalian, and the Catholic Church to better understand the way this special holiday should be celebrated. Americans built a Christmas tradition all their own during the next one hundred years which included the sending of holiday cards, decorating trees, candy canes and gift giving.
Clement Clarke Moore had introduced the American people to the iconic image of Santa Claus in his 1823 poem, “A Visit From St Nickolas,” more popularly known as “The Night Before Christmas.” Four decades later, the modern-day figure of St. Nick dripped off of the pen of the famous illustrator, Thomas Nast for the 3rd of January 1863 cover of Harper’s Weekly.
Poinsettia plants were brought to the United States from Mexico in 1828. The plant was named for Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico.
The practice of sending Christmas cards is fairly recent. In 1843, Sir Henry Cole of England sent cards designed by J. C. Horsley to friends.
Since the 1890’s, the Salvation Army has been sending Santa Claus clad donation collectors in to the streets.
The Rockeffer Center Christmas Tree tradition was started in 1931 by construction workers.
In 1939, Rudolph, “the most famous reindeer of all,” came into being in the imagination of Robert L. May’s most famous poem, “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” which was written to lure customers into the Montgomery Ward department store.
Merry Christmas To All.
No comments:
Post a Comment