The History of Christmas


Tradions Every year, some people mourn the loss of tradional, more faith‐based Christmas celebraons. Yet most December 25th tradions are far less Chrisan and much more recently adopted in the UK than they may think.


CELEBRATING ON DECEMBER 25th


Jesus’ birth date isn’t documented and the gospels of Mahew and Luke, wrien long aer his death, give contradictory clues. Some scholars say the sheep on the hillside and the census suggest good weather, indicang spring to early autumn. So why is Christmas celebrated on the 25th of December?


Midwinter fesvals abounded by the me Chrisanity took hold. There were winter solsce celebraons such as Yule and Koleda, and the Roman fesvals of Saturnalia (which included decorang your home with evergreens) and Dies Natalis Solis Invic, ‘birthday of the unconquered sun’, on December 25th. It was easier for early proponents of Chrisanity to introduce it into these longstanding fesvals than to persuade people to give them up.


The first Chrisan Roman Emperor, Constanne, began celebrang Christmas on December 25th in 336. A few years later, Pope Julius I declared it the official date to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Some scholars believe he also chose this date to honour Hanukkah and Judaism.


Orthodox and Copc Chrisans celebrate the birth of Jesus on January the 7th ‐ the original December 25th. Our December 25th moved when we adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752.


YULE LOGS


Today, Yule logs have been mainly superseded by log‐shaped chocolate cakes here, but neither are connected to the birth of Jesus. Yule logs were part of the Scandinavian Yule celebraon, beginning at the winter solsce and running into January. Yule logs were burned to mark the


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return of the sun and fesvies connued unl they burned out.


Celts also burned a Yule log, believing it persuaded the sun to return and bestow good luck on those who dragged it from the forest.


HOLLY, IVY AND MISTLETOE


Evergreens were used in winter solsce fesvals to bring good


luck and signify the coming spring. The tradion of hanging mistletoe in the house is an ancient Druid custom


to ward off evil spirits, but in Norse mythology it’s also a symbol of love (hence kissing under the mistletoe).


CHRISTMAS PUDDING


The original Christmas pudding, was frumenty, a thin 14th century porridge containing raisins, currants, prunes, wine, spices, beef and muon. However, by around 1650, people ate plum pudding, and by Victorian mes, it was similar to themodern‐day Christmas pudding.


THE CHRISTMAS TREE


Evergreen fir trees have been used in winter fesvals for thousands of years, to symbolise the coming spring and everlasng life, although they were oen hung upside down from the ceiling rather than upright. Christmas trees emerged in the 1500s in town squares but took me to come into people’s houses. The Royal Family had one from Georgian mes, but an 1848 photo of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their family gathered around theirs, popularised the idea.


A MERRY CHRISTMAS


Christmas wasn’t celebrated widely in the UK unl the Middle Ages, when it was predominantly a me for merrymaking and feasng on animals, too expensive to feed through winter. It was later banned for many years by the Puritans for its Pagan origins. It began to recover in Georgian mes with a focus on charity and gi‐giving, paving the way for the idealised Victorian Christmas described by Charles Dickens.


To adverse call 01590 643969 or e‐mail info@lymingtondirectory.co.uk


By Alison Runham


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