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Homework Help: Social Studies: World History: History of Christmas
Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. No one knows the
exact date of Christ's birth, but most Christians observe Christmas on December 25. On this
day, many go to church, where they take part in special religious services. During the
Christmas season, they also exchange gifts and decorate their homes with mistletoe, holly,
and Christmas trees. The word Christmas itself comes from Cristes maesse, an early English phrase
that means Mass of Christ.
The story of Christmas comes chiefly from the Gospels of Saint Luke and Saint Matthew in the
New Testament. According to Luke, an angel appeared to shepherds outside the town of Bethlehem
and told them of Jesus' birth. Matthew tells how the wise men, called Magi, followed a bright
star that led them to Jesus.
The first mention of Christmas
The first mention of December 25 as the birth date of Jesus occurred in A.D. 336 in an early
Roman calendar. The celebration of this day as Jesus' birth date was probably influenced by
pagan (unchristian) festivals held at that time. The ancient Romans held year-end celebrations
to honor Saturn, their harvest god; and Mithras, the god of light. Various peoples in northern
Europe held festivals in mid-December to celebrate the end of the harvest season. As part of
all these celebrations, the people prepared special foods, decorated their homes with greenery,
and joined in singing and gift giving. All these customs gradually became part of the Christmas
celebration.
In the late 300's, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. By 1100,
Christmas had become the most important religious festival in Europe, and Saint Nicholas was
a symbol of gift giving in many European countries. During the 1400's and 1500's, many artists
painted scenes of the birth of Jesus, the Nativity.
The popularity of Christmas grew until the Reformation, a religious movement of the 1500's.
This movement gave birth to Protestantism. During the Reformation, many Christians began to
consider Christmas a pagan celebration because it included nonreligious customs. During the
1600's, because of these feelings, Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English
colonies in America. The old customs of feasting and decorating, however, soon reappeared and
blended with the more Christian aspects of the celebration.
Gift giving
The custom of giving gifts to relatives and friends on a special day in winter probably began
in ancient Rome and northern Europe. In these regions, people gave each other small presents
as part of their year-end celebrations.
Other customs
In the 1800's, two more Christmas customs became popular - sending Christmas cards to relatives
and friends and decorating Christmas trees. Many well-known Christmas carols, including "Silent
Night" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," were composed during this period. In the United States
and other countries, Santa Claus replaced Saint Nicholas as the symbol of gift giving.
The celebration of Christmas became increasingly important to many kinds of businesses during the
1900's. Today, companies manufacture Christmas ornaments, lights, and other decorations throughout
the year. Other firms grow Christmas mistletoe, holly, and Christmas trees. Many stores and other
businesses hire extra workers during the Christmas season to handle the increase in sales.
The word Xmas is sometimes used instead of Christmas. This tradition began in the early Christian
church. In Greek, X is the first letter of Christ's name. It was frequently used as a holy symbol.
Homework Help: Social Studies: World History
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