The History of Christmas

Christmas is officially here! To celebrate, we thought we'd give you a short history on its origins. How did it start? Where did it come from?

Well, hold onto your Santa hats because we're taking a trip back in time... to ancient Rome, to be precise!

In ancient Roman times, for example, there was a festival held each year in Winter in honour of the God of Saturn, aka 'Saturnalia'. This festival initially took place on December 17th but later extended to December 23rd, during which there were public banquets and exchanges of gifts and more. Across Northern Europe, people celebrated the Winter solstice by participating in a holiday called 'Yule'. 'Yule' took place from December 21st and lasted all the way through January. This was a celebratory period during which people drank, feasted, and generally partied. Today, people across Europe still adopt Yule traditions like Yule log and Yule singing!

But of course, Christmas, if you break it down, is 'Christ' and 'mas', the latter part 'mas' referring to 'church mass'. Christmas was officially named after the birth of Jesus, a central figure in Christianity whom the virgin mother Mary gave birth to in Bethlehem between 6 and 4 BC.  The story goes that an angel named Gabriel had told a young Mary that she would give birth to the saviour who would deliver their people from sin. Mary and her husband Joseph travelled 65 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where all the inns were full, forcing them to stay in a stable where Mary gave birth, placing the newborn into a feeding trough for animals, otherwise known as a 'manger'. That same night, shepherds in a field not too far from Bethlehem made their way to the stable, greeting Jesus before spreading the news to the world. Jesus was also met by three wise men from eastern countries who had navigated their way to him via a star in the sky they followed. They presented to him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Christmas was officially named after the birth of Jesus, whom the virgin mother Mary gave birth to in Bethlehem between 6 and 4 BC.

While there is no exact date for when Jesus was born, our association of his birth with December 25th is said to derive from Sextus Julius Africanus' belief, back in 221, that the birth of Christ was that day. Some believe, however, that the choice to have Christmas on December 25th coincides with March 25th, the Spring equinox and 'time of creation' when Christ would have been conceived and subsequently born nine months later on December 25th. 

Christmas traditions as we know them today evolved from many Victorian festive practices. It was Prince Albert, for example, who popularised Christmas trees, bringing them in from his home country of Germany in 1840, starting the tradition of decorating the tree with lights, etc. This was also the first point during which children would receive sweets and oranges at Christmas time, with richer children getting gifts like toy trains. Christmas crackers, eating turkey, and Christmas pudding also originated from this time period.

Prince Albert was responsible for popularising Christmas trees, bringing them in from his home country of Germany in 1840.

But certainly, we cannot forget the association of Christmas with the legend that is Santa Claus, something that can be traced back to a 3rd-century monk who was called (you guessed it) St. Nicholas! St. Nicholas, believed to be born in Asia Minor, in the village of Patara, was known as a pretty chill guy who was very kind and generous. Legend tells us he gave all his money to the poor and looked after many vulnerable children. His legend spread across the globe and was incorporated into many European cultures, including the Dutch, who gave him the name 'Sinter Klaas', which would later lead to the name we all know and love today: Jimmy! Just kidding, Santa Claus!

The classic Santa Claus fictional figure was later created by a New York fella called Clement Clarke Moore in 1822. Moore had written a long poem for his daughters about a man who would come down the chimney at Christmas and leave presents for them if they were good that year. This poem is now referred to often as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'. Moore's character came to life through a New Yorker cartoonist named Thomas Nast, who drew Santa Claus with red cheeks and a long beard.

The fictional Santa Claus originated from a long poem by New Yorker Clement Clarke Moore in 1822.

And there you have it, folks, the history of Christmas!

We at Langton Greenhouse and Garden Centre wish you all a fantastic Christmas. 

Websites Consulted

Hans J. Hillerbrand and others,'Christmas Holiday', Britannica, October 25, 2021, <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas> [Accessed 21 December 2021].

 Shreya Sharma,'Birth of Jesus', Bedtime Short Stories: Bible Stories, April 28, 2016, <https://www.bedtimeshortstories.com/birth-of-jesus> [Accessed 21 December 2021].

Author(s) Anonymous,'What is the origin of Christmas?', Christmasphere: Traditions, November 9, 2021, <https://christmasphere.com/what-is-the-origin-of-christmas/> [Accessed 21 December 2021].

Author(s) Anonymous,'The history of Christmas', GB Mag, December 6, 2019, <https://greatbritishmag.co.uk/uk-culture/history-of-christmas/> [Accessed 21 December 2021]. 

Author(s) Anonymous, 'History of Christmas', Christmas 2021: The History of Christmas, <https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/christmas/the-history-of-christmas/> [Accessed 21 December 2021].