Christmas day: Feature Article
Christmas day is one of the largest, and most well known days of celebration in the US, as well as many other countries around the world. Children cannot sleep the night before, and wait in anticipation of the day for months in advance. Parents use threats of coal in stockings to ensure good behavior, and slave over hot stoves baking home baked goods, spend hours making cards, shopping in crowded malls, decorating their homes, and doing silly traditions like singing door to door, and all for what? All for Christmas day. Christmas day, what is it? Why do we celebrate it? What day is it celebrated? What are the traditions and customs surrounding it? These are all great questions that are answered below.
Christmas day is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. However, many of the customs and traditions of Christmas day are celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike.
Christmas is always observed on December 25th. Christmas Eve, which is somewhat separate is celebrated on December 24th. There are a few variations to this around the world, but most everyone recognizes this day in December to be the day of Christmas celebrations.
|
|
Most people are not really sure why Christmas day is on the 25th of December, especially since it is commonly recognized and accepted that it is not actually the date of Christ's birth. In the third century, efforts were made to find out the date of the Nativity, and whether it was discovered or not is unknown. However, it was not until the year 336 that the date of the December 25 was set in commemoration of Jesus' birth. Festivals were held that day, and then, in 349, Pope Julius formally selected December 25 as the day of Christmas. So, other than that it was officially decreed that way, there is not a really specific reason Christmas day is December 25th. There are a lot of theories though, so if you are really curious you are sure to be able to find much information about why this particular date was selected.
Helpful Resources: Meaning of Christmas Day This site explores the meaning of Christmas day, it offers information and insight into the most popular customs and traditions and the meaning behind them are outlined and explained. Why We Celebrate on Christmas Day Customs and Traditions of Christmas Day Definition of Christmas Day History of Christmas Christmas Day All Things Christmas What's and Whys of Christmas Customs |
Some of the most common traditions for Christmas day include decorating houses and yards with lights, putting up Christmas trees, giving gifts, and sending greeting cards. Once again these have become traditions even for many non-Christian Americans, despite the fact that Christmas day started as a Christian celebration. However, beyond that customs and traditions for Christmas day are various and endless.
So, where did the Christmas day customs and traditions come from? Roman Catholics, Lutherans, members of the Dutch Reformed and Anglican churches, and those of the German sects were most responsible for establishing Christmas traditions in America. However, most of the Christmas day customs and traditions we observe are a compilation of Christmas customs from all over the world. Some started small, but as the US spread westward, so did many of the traditions surrounding Christmas, and pretty soon, they were firmly entrenched in American society. By the late 1800s almost every household in America celebrated Christmas day and practiced some sort of customs.
Most of the Christmas day traditions celebrated in the US are from other decent. Let's look at more detail about why Christmas day and the birth of Christ are celebrated on December 25th and where many of the celebrations came from.
The Christmas tree:
The Christmas tree actually started as a German tradition, and was started as early as 700 A.D. However, the person who can really take credit for Christmas trees entering homes and becoming a big part of Christmas is Queen Victoria of Britain. In the 1800s the tradition of a Christmas tree was widespread in Germany, then moved to England and then to America through Pennsylvanian German immigrants. Queen Victoria spurred its popularity by having an illustration of her and her family gathered in front on a decorated tree in their home printed in a ladies magazine.
Christmas ornaments were originally handmade home creations by children, but German glass blowers started creating ornaments, and as they caught on, others followed quickly, including some of the big retailers in America, like Woolsworth.
The lighting of Christmas trees is often credited to Martin Luther, in the 16th century. It is said he put a candle on the tree, and that evolved into the first electrically lighted Christmas tree in 1882. Of course the idea of lighted trees was thought of as foil ornaments caught and reflected light making the trees the center of attention in homes.
Many of our Christmas day traditions involve the Christmas tree, whether it is decorating it, putting gifts under it, or purchasing or making ornaments to put on it.
Santa Claus:
The tradition of Santa Claus started with a real person, Saint Nicholas, a minor saint from the fourth century, but was combined with the idea of the Magi bringing gifts, and the cartoon portrayal of a fictional character created by Thomas Nast.
The actual Saint Nicholas had a reputation for generosity and kindness, which led to a lot of stories and legends of miracles he performed for the poor and unhappy. Thus, during the Middle Ages there were many who showed devotion to Nicholas, and this extended to all parts of Europe. This eventually led to various forms of a Santa Claus figure.
Sinterklaas was the generous figure in the Netherlands, and the Dutch colonists took this tradition with them to what is now New York City in the 17th century. In the English tongue most people in New York spoke Sinterklaas became known as Santa Claus. The legend of a kindly old man was united with old Nordic folktales of a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good children with presents to get the modern Santa. The visual image of Santa mostly came from advertising and the Nast drawings.
Other Christmas day customs:
Today, most Americans blend religious and secular customs with their own family traditions to have a unique Christmas day. This usually means that while many things are standard, like giving gifts, having a tree, and more, everyone has their own way of doing things. For example, some people open exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve, but Santa gifts on Christmas day. Some people decorate their tree weeks before Christmas day, others the day of or evening before.
A popular Christmas custom is to send and receive Christmas cards. They are often sent in advance of Christmas, but many people include family letters and updates in their cards which are read on Christmas, and enjoyed by all. Card sending is meant to help express the sentiment of the season, and you can find Christmas cards in every genre, religious, secular, winter, and more
.
It seems that nearly every family has its own unique Christmas observances, so there is no set of customs observed only on Christmas day. Some have special meals that they serve on Christmas days, special scriptures they read, or music they listen to, but others do none of the previously mentioned things. How you choose to celebrate Christmas day is entirely personal, and while many customs are common, few are practiced in exactly the same way. Many people are especially proud of Christmas traditions brought to the United States from their countries of origin, and thus they may use those customs mixed with the more Westernized traditions.
Some Christmas day customs and traditions are religious in nature, for example, a family might put together costumes and spend the day of Christmas reenacting the journey to Bethlehem and the nativity scene of the birth of Christ. They may sing songs of worship, or attend Christmas mass, or other church services. Others celebrate Christmas day in a far more secular manner. They might wake up early and rush to the family room to see and open their gifts. They may spend the day playing with toys and enjoying the Christmas weather, sledding, building snow men, or just playing with their new toys. Some make Christmas day a family occasion where all gather for feasting and sharing of love and joy. Others want white Christmas's and ensure they are places with snow. For some, the best Christmas ever is the one far from friends and family spent lounging on an empty beach.
Because Christmas day, over the years, has become a blend of religious and secular customs, and is celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike, the federal courts have upheld its status as a legal holiday.
The main thing is that Christmas day is a date that originally was set to commemorate the birth of a Savior to the world, the Christ child, Jesus. Today it has combined many different cultures, traditions, and theories. It has a mystical being that originates from a real person, children get gifts, adults get time off, and everyone finds a way to enjoy the celebration.
