User:Brisvegas/Christmas
In predominantly Christian countries, Christmas has become the most economically significant holiday of the year, and it is also celebrated as a
"Christmas" is a contraction of "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Old English Cristes mæsse. It is often abbreviated to
The story of Christmas
The story of Christ's birth has been handed down for centuries, based primarily on the Christian gospels of Matthew and Luke. The gospels of Mark and John do not address the childhood of Jesus, and those of Matthew and Luke give somewhat differing accounts, Luke's being closest to the public impression of the Christmas story and the version most often read in Christmas services.
According to Luke, Mary learned from an angel that she was with child, by virtue of impregnation without intercourse by the Holy Spirit. Shortly thereafter, she and her husband Joseph left their Nazareth home to travel to Joseph's ancestral home, Bethlehem, to enroll in the census ordered by the Roman emperor, Augustus. Finding no room in inns in the town, they set up primitive lodgings in a stable. There Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger, which has been translated in various ways, most commonly a feeding trough or stall. Christ's birth in Bethlehem of Judea, the home of the house of David from which Joseph was descended, fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah.
Matthew's gospel begins by recounting the genealogy and virgin birth of Jesus, and then skips to the coming of the
Another aspect of Christ's birth which has passed from the gospels into popular lore like this visit by the wise men, or Magi, is the announcement by angels to nearby shepherds of Jesus' birth . Like the Magi, the shepherds observed a huge star directly over Bethlehem, and followed it to the birthplace. The Magi have been variously interpreted as "wise men" or as kings; and are supposed to have come from Arabia, where they could have gotten their gifts of "gold, frankincense, and myrrh". Astronomers and historians have sought with varying success to explain what combination of traceable celestial events might rationally explain the appearance of a giant star that had never before been seen.1
The major gaps in narrative details between Matthew and Luke, the absence of any reference to Christ's birth in the other gospels, and the fact that even the accounts of Matthew and Luke were written decades later, without confirmation by eyewitnesses, have led to much speculation about the accuracy of these reports. As one of the tenets of their faith, Christians accept the veracity of the story of Christmas, apparent difficulties reconciling the different versions of events notwithstanding.
Dates of celebration
Efforts to fix a date for the birth of Christ began some two centuries after his death, as the
Dates for the more secular aspects of the Christmas celebration are similarly varied. In the
In practice, the Christmas period has grown longer in some countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, and now begins many weeks before Christmas, allowing more time for shopping and get-togethers. It extends beyond Christmas Day up to New Year's Day. This later holiday has its own parties. In some instances, including Scotland's Hogmanay—which occurs at the New Year— it is celebrated more than Christmas.
Countries that celebrate Christmas on December 25th recognize the previous day as Christmas Eve, and some of them follow Christmas day with Boxing Day. In the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, and Poland, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are called First and Second Christmas Day.
Customs and celebrations
An enormous number of customs, with either secular, religious, or national aspects, surround Christmas, and vary from country to country. Most of the familiar traditional practices and symbols of Christmas, such as the
was widespread and popular in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity, and the word for Christmas in the Scandinavian languages is still today the pagan jul (=yule). The Christmas tree per se is believed to have first been used in Germany.Rather than attempting to suppress such popular pagan feast days,
Secular customs
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Christmas.house.arp.750pix.jpg/250px-Christmas.house.arp.750pix.jpg)
Since the customs of Christmas celebration largely evolved in Northern Europe, many are associated with the Northern Hemisphere winter, whose motifs are prominent in Christmas decorations and in the Santa Claus myth.
Santa Claus and other bringers of gifts
Gift-giving is a near-universal part of Christmas celebrations. The concept of a mythical figure who brings gifts to children derives from
The French equivalent of Santa, Père Noel, evolved along similar lines, his red and white clothing inspired by the Coca-Cola commercial drawings of Santa which spread worldwide in the 1930s. In some cultures Santa Claus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter. In some versions, elves in a toy workshop make the holiday toys, and in some he is married to Mrs. Claus. Many shopping malls in North America and the United Kingdom have a holiday mall Santa Claus whom children can visit to ask for presents.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Jolly-old-saint-nick.gif)
In many countries, children leave empty containers for Santa to fill with small gifts such as toys, candy, or fruit. In the United States, children hang a Christmas stocking by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, because Santa is said to come down the chimney the night before Christmas to fill them. In other countries, children place their empty shoes out for Santa to fill on the night before Christmas, or for Saint Nicholas on December 5. Gift giving is not restricted to these special gift-bringers, as family members and friends also bestow gifts on each other.
Timing of gifts
In many countries, Saint Nicholas Day (December 6) remains the principal day for gift giving. In much of
One of the many customs of gift timing is suggested by the song
Christmas cards
Christmas cards are extremely popular in the United States and Europe, in part as a way to maintain relationships with distant relatives and friends, and with business acquaintances. Many families enclose an annual family photograph with the card, and/or a family newsletter which summarizes the adventures and accomplishments of family members during the preceding year.
Decorations
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Christmas_tree.jpg/220px-Christmas_tree.jpg)
Decorating a
The traditional Christmas flower is the
Municipalities often sponsor decorations as well, hanging Christmas banners from street lights or placing Christmas trees in the town square. In the United States, decorations once commonly included religious themes. This practice has led to much adjudication, as opponents insist that it amounts to the government endorsing one particular religious faith.
Social aspects and entertainment
In many countries, businesses, schools, and communities have Christmas parties and dances. These often take place during the several weeks before Christmas Day. Some groups put on Christmas pageants, which may or may not include a retelling of the story of the birth of Christ. Such enactments are especially common in Latin America. Groups also may go out carolling, visiting neighborhood homes to sing Christmas songs. Others are reminded by the holiday of man's fellowship with man, and do extra volunteer work, or hold fundraising drives for charities.
On Christmas Day or on Christmas Eve, a special meal of
Religious customs and celebrations
The religious celebrations begin with Advent, the anticipation of Christ's birth, around the start of December, and are marked by special church services. Advent services often include Advent carols, and the period is also celebrated with Advent calendars, sometimes containing sweets and chocolate for children. Immediately before Christmas, there are many Christmas services at churches, at which Christmas hymns and Christmas carols are sung. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, special services may include a midnight mass or a Mass of the Nativity.
The holiday's popularity is so pronounced that other faiths have emphasized their own winter holidays to serve as a Christmas surrogate. The most obvious example is
Christmas has a reasonable amount of acceptance in the Islamic world, as Jesus is a prophet of Islam and a celebration of his birth is not to be rejected outright. Many western, secular aspects of Christmas are becoming common in developed Muslim nations.
Regional customs and celebrations
Northern Europe
In Germany and the Netherlands, the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day on December 6th resembles the Christmas of the English-speaking world. Sinterklaas, from whom the English and American Santa evolved, is based on the real Saint Nicholas, and brings presents on the evening of December 5 to every child who has been good. He wears a red bishop's dress with a red mitre, rides a white horse over the rooftops, and is assisted by many mischievous helpers called 'zwarte Pieten' (black Peters). In some parts of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the frightening Knecht Ruprecht also appears, to the chagrin of many children.
Sinterklaasavond (St. Nicholas evening) remains more important in the Netherlands than Christmas, although in recent years, the Dutch have started to celebrate Christmas Eve with Santa as well. This sparks minor controversy each year over when it is "appropriate" to start celebrating Christmas, with shopkeepers preferring to start the lucrative Christmas season immediately after Sinterklaasavond (sometimes putting up decorations even earlier) while others argue that the "foreign" and "commercial" Christmas impinges too much on the traditional Sinterklaas celebrations. Considering the ancestry of Santa Claus, it has truly been said that Sinterklaas is in competition with himself here.
In Germany, Christmas traditions vary by region. Following Saint Nicholas Day, which is mostly for children, the actual Christmas gift-giving usually takes place on the night of Christmas eve, with gifts put under the Christmas tree after a simple meal. The culinary feast typically takes place at lunch on Dec. 25, and usually involves poultry (typically roast goose). The gifts may be brought by the Weihnachtsmann, who resembles St. Nicholas, or by the Christkind, a sprite-like child who may or may not represent the baby Jesus. Commercially, the Striezelmarkt is arguably a worldwide Christmas gift production center, boasting the specialities of the Dresden region, from ceramics and prints to various delicacies which are shipped worldwide.
In
The Norwegian Christmas celebration begins with feasting on Dec. 24, followed by a visit by "Julenissen", who brings gifts to children who have behaved. After a quiet Dec. 25, another large celebration follows on Boxing Day, when children may go door to door to receive treats and money from neighbors. Joulupukki (or Christmas Goat) is the Finnish Santa Claus. He travels with a sleigh and reindeer to deliver gifts to good children.
Southern Europe
Modern traditions combine with holdovers from their Roman forebears in the celebrations of Natale, the Italian Christmas. The pagan feast of Saturnalia coincides with the Christian advent, and the holiday season there spans from these weeks through Epiphany. Food, religious observances, nativity displays, and gift-giving are prominent. In some regions, presents are brought on Epiphany by La Befana, and in others by Baby Jesus on Christmas day or eve. In recent years Babbo Natale, a Santa Claus-like figure, is becoming more common.
The blessing on Christmas Eve of the
Central Europe
In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and 26. However the gifts are given a day before, on Christmas Eve, or Štědrý den (Štedrý deň in Slovak, meaning "open-handed day"). According to tradition, gifts are brought by Ježíšek pron. "Yezheeshek" (Ježiško pron. "Yezhishko" in Slovak), or "little Jesus". Many very old Christmas traditions are followed, mostly for fun. People are taught not to eat anything on Christmas Eve until a ceremonial dinner is served, in order to be able to see a "golden pig". The gifts are displayed under the Christmas tree (usually a spruce or pine), and people open them after the dinner.
Other Czech Christmas traditions involve predictions for the future. Apples are always cut crosswise; if a star appears in the core, the next year will be successful, while a cross suggests a bad year. Girls throw shoes over the their shoulders; if the toe points to the door, the girl will get married. Another tradition requires pouring a little molten lead into water and guessing a message from the shapes that appear when it hardens.
In Poland, Christmas Eve is a day first of fasting, then of feasting. The feast begins with the appearance of the first star, and is followed by the exchange of gifts. The following day is often spent visiting friends.
Christmas in Slovakia is largely a celebration of family, food, and religious observation. In 2001 a massive nativity scene was constructed and displayed in Bratislava's Plavecky Stvrtok, with plans to dissassemble it for future displays in other cities.
Russia
In Eastern Europe,
Christmas celebration in Russia has been revived since 1992, after decades of suppression by the communist government. It is centered around the Christmas Eve "Holy Supper", which consists of twelve servings, one to honor each of Jesus' apostles. The Russian traditions were largely kept alive by shifting some of them, including the visit by gift-giving "Grandfather Frost" and his "Snowmaiden", to New Year's Day. Many current Russian Christmas customs, including their Christmas tree, or "yolka", were brought by Peter the Great, after his western travels in the late 18th century.
United Kingdom
North America
In the United States and Canada, the Santa Claus traditions are essentially the same, except in Quebec, where the French offshoot of Santa Claus, Pere Noel, may appear. The Christmas tree and skating rink at
The focus of secular Christmas in Mexico is the posada. Over a nine day period, groups of townspeople go from door to door, in a fashion reminiscent of visitors to the baby Jesus, and are periodically called inside homes to participate in the breaking of a gift-filled piñata. Mexican food is very good also and a lot of people eat it.
South America
Religious themes predominate in Christmas celebrations in heavily-Catholic South America. The secular customs and gift-giving in these countries are an admixture of traditions handed down from European and Native American forebears, plus the increasing influence of American culture.
Gift giving traditions include "El Niño Jesus" (Baby Jesus) who brings gifts to children in Colombia, Chile's "Viejo Pasquero" (Old Man Christmas), and Brazil's "Papai Noel", the latter two resembling Santa Claus in many ways. South American "Santas" dress more lightly in keeping with the warmer Christmas there, and have adopted a number of means, from ladders to trampolines, to enter homes at night. Gift giving in Argentina occurs on January 6, their "Three Kings Day", when children leave shoes under their beds to be filled with snacks or small gifts by the Magi, who stop off on their way to Bethlehem.
Nativity scenes are a strong feature of South American Christmas, both in homes and in public places. In regions with large numbers of Native American descendants, such as Peru, the figures are often hand-carved in a centuries-old style. As in Mexico, village processions acting out the events surrounding the birth of Christ are also common. Family Christmas meals are very important, and their contents are as varied as the number of countries on the continent. Christmas lights are a near-universal holiday feature, and with the summery weather, fireworks displays are also found, especially over the cities of Brazil.
Asia
In Taiwan, December 25 is the date of the signing of the Constitution of the Republic of China in 1947. The official holiday on that date is largely treated as if it were Christmas. Japan has largely adopted the western Santa Claus for its secular Christmas celebration, but their New Year's Day is the more important holiday. In India, most educational institutions have a Christmas vacation, beginning shortly before Christmas and ending a few days after New Year's Day. Christmas is also known as bada din (the big day) in Hindi, and revolves there around Santa Claus and shopping. In South Korea, Christmas is celebrated as an official holiday.
The Philippines has earned the distinction of celebrating the world's longest Christmas season. Traditionally, Christmas Day in the Philippines is ushered in by the nine-day dawn masses that start on Dec. 16. Known as the Misas de Aguinaldo (Gift Masses) in the traditional Spanish, these masses are more popularly known in Filipino as the Simbang Gabi. Christmas Eve on Dec. 24 is the much-anticipated "noche buena" -- the traditional Christmas feast after the midnight mass. Family members dine together on traditional noche buena fare, which includes the queso de bola ("ball of cheese", usually edam) and hamon (Christmas ham).
Other Southern Hemisphere regions
In
Other areas
See
Christmas in the arts and media
Christmas has inspired many fictional Christmas stories that try to capture the spirit of Christmas in the form of a modern-day fairy tale. These often involve heart-touching tales involving a Christmas miracle. Several have become very popular, and have passed into popular culture to become accepted as part of Christmas tradition in their countries of origin.
Among the most popular are
If Dickens shaped the anglophone Christmas traditions, Thomas Nast and Clement Moore provided the English-speaking countries with their popular images of Santa Claus. Nast's 19th century cartoons gave Santa his familiar form, while Moore's poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas (popularly known as The Night Before Christmas) supplied the rotund Santa and his sleigh landing on rooftops on Christmas Eve.
Although these Christmas icons have become widespread through television and movies, Christmas is still a time when national traditions are strong, and both Santa's appearance and the stories told vary from country to country. Some Scandinavian Christmas stories are less cheery than Dickens', notably
Many Christmas stories have been adapted to
A few true stories have become enduring Christmas tales themselves. The story behind the Christmas carol "
Radio and television have also aggressively pursued entertainment and ratings through their cultivation of Christmas themes. Radio stations broadcast
see also:
Economics of Christmas
Christmas is typically the largest annual stimulus for the economies of celebrating nations. Sales increase dramatically in almost all retail areas, as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies for parties and for visiting guests. Shops introduce new products that are sold at premium prices, as customers take advantage of marketing opportunities. In the United States, the Christmas shopping season has lengthened such that it now begins the day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday in the retail industry. For some shops and businesses, Christmas Day is the only day in the year that they are closed. The economic impact of Christmas continues after the holiday, with Christmas sales and New Year's sales, when stores sell off excess inventories.
Many
In North America, the holiday movie season often includes release of studios' most prestigious pictures, in an effort both to capture holiday crowds and to position themselves for
Social impact of Christmas
Because of the focus on celebration, friends, and family, people who are without these, or who have recently suffered losses, are more likely to suffer from
It is widely believed that suicides and murders spike during the holiday season. However, the peak months for suicide are May and June. Because of holiday celebrations involving alcohol, drunk driving-related fatalities may also increase.
Non-Christians in predominantly Christian nations may be left bereft of entertainment around Christmas, as stores close and friends depart for vacations. The cliché recreation for them is "movies and
Theories regarding the origin of the date of Christmas
Related article:
Many different dates have been suggested for the celebration of Christmas. No explanation of why it is celebrated on December 25 is universally accepted. Theories include the following:
- The Catholic Encyclopedia article on "Christmas" offers a starting-point for Christmas, which does not appear among the earliest lists of Christian feasts, those of Egeria the 4th century pilgrim from Bordeaux, witnessed the feast of the Presentation, forty days after January 6, which must have been the date of the Nativity there. At Antioch, probably in 386, St John Chrysostomurged the community to unite in celebrating Christ's birth on December 25, a part of the community having already kept it on that day for at least ten years.
- It is an appropriation by early Christians of a day on which the birth of several pagan gods, Nimrod, was celebrated.
- It is an appropriation of the pagan Midwinter festivals, such as the Germanic festival of the birth of Unconquered Sun, celebrated on the day after the winter solstice, or the Roman festival of Saturnalia.
- It derives from the tradition that Jesus was born during the Jewish Festival of Lights (Hanukkah, the 25th of Kislev and the beginning of Tevet). Kislev is generally accepted as corresponding with December. Under the Old Julian calendar, the popular choice of 5 BC for the year of Jesus's birth would place the 25th of Kislev on the 25th of November.
- The date of Christmas is based on the date of Good Friday, the day Jesus died. Since the exact date of Jesus' death is not stated in the Gospels, early Christians sought to calculate it, and arrived at either March 25 or April 6. To then calculate the date of Jesus' birth, they followed the ancient idea that Old Testament prophets died at an "integral age"—either an anniversary of their birth or of their conception. They reasoned that Jesus died on an anniversary of the Incarnation (his conception), so the date of his birth would have been nine months after the date of Good Friday—either December 25 or January 6. Thus, rather than the date of Christmas being appropriated from pagans by Christians, the opposite is held to have occurred. [See Duchesne (1902) and Talley (1986).]
See also
- Christmas season
- Christmas carol
- Christmas song
- Christmas dishes
- Christmas around the world
- Giftmas
- Festivus
- Chanukah
- Kwanzaa
- Yule
Footnotes
1. David van Biema, "Behind the First Noel", Time magazine, Dec.13, 2004, pp.49-61.
2. The
3. When
4. In Stromateis, I, xxi in P.G., VIII, 888.
References
- "Christmas" (1913). The Catholic Encyclopedia.
- "Christmas" (1975). The New Columbia Encyclopedia. New York and London: Columbia University Press.
- Christmas in South America.
- Duchesne, Louis (1889). Les origines du culte chrétien: Etude sur la liturgie latine avant Charlemagne. Paris.
- Talley, Thomas J. (1986). The Origins of the Liturgical Year. New York: Pueblo Publishing Company.
- Time magazine, Dec.13, 2004.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Christmas in Norway History, traditions and recipes
- Christmas on the Net A glossary of Christmas decorating and cooking ideas
- Christmas Origins "Mr. Renaissance's History of Christmas
- Christmas - Is it a Christian Celebration? An anti-Christmas web site that attacks the holiday from a strict fundamentalistinterpretation.
- Christmas in Japan How the Western Santa and Asian customs fused to produce this unique holiday
- The History of Christmas Exhaustive recap of Christmas history
- The custom of celebrating with Christmas Lights Videos and pictures of some extreme forms of holiday lighting
- William J. Tighe, "Calculating Christmas" Magazine article details the efforts to establish the most accurate date for Christ's birth
- "Christmas gifts": A tale Animated Christmas story with pictures from around the world
- Christmas graphics Downloadable Christmas graphics
- Live Online Countdown To Christmas Not much happens here, but it is great if you can't read a calendar. Fantastic present idea generator as well.
- Christmas gift ideas Unique & Popular Christmas gift ideas from all around the world
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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