Christmas, the celebration of the birth of the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, is celebrated in many different ways around the world, by both Christians as well as those who do not hold to the Christian faith. So how did Christmas, with all its traditions and celebrations, begin and evolve? We track the history of this popular and much-cherished holiday, and the pastimes we associate with it today.
Was Christmas Based on a Pagan Holiday?
Even though Roman Catholicism did have a habit of incorporating figures and holidays from other faiths and reworking them into Catholic Tradition, Christmas was not one of the holidays co-opted from other faiths. The New Testament has no record of the celebration of the birth of Christ in any form, and it seems to not be mentioned by any of the early Chirstian leaders following the New Testament period, like Irenaeus or Tertullian. Easter seemed to be celebrated in some form within the early church, as it was a gradual modification of the Hebrew Passover celebration, but Christmas did not evolve from any Jewish festival practice.
What Are the Origins of the Date for Christmas?
A common claim is that the date of December 25th was borrowed by Christianity from the Roman pagan holiday of Saturnalia, which had a feast to the sun god, Sol. However, Hippolytus of Rome in the early 200s CE wrote in his Commentary on Daniel:
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Sign up to our Free Weekly Newsletter“For the first advent of our Lord in the flesh, when he was born in Bethlehem, was December 25th…”
Hippolytus’ writing predates the celebration of Saturnalia among the Romans, and is possibly derived from an old belief that people generally died on the date they were conceived. Catholic tradition held Jesus’ conception around Passover, nine months before December 25th.
The first reference to Christmas as being an annual celebration is from the Chronograph of 354, which refers to Jesus’ birth as being celebrated on December 25th beginning in 336 CE. While it is unknown as to when Christmas began to be celebrated regularly, the description within the Chronograph would mean that Christmas as an annual event may have gone on for some time before 336 CE.
Where Did the Word “Christmas” Come From?
The word “Christmas” is derived from the combination of two words, “Cristes Maesse” or “Christ’s Mass.” The earliest usage of the term is from 1038 CE, in a book from Saxon in England. Before that time, it appears that the celebration on December 25th was known as the Feast of the Nativity, or the Feast of the Holy Birth.
Where Does the Tradition of Gift-Giving Come From?
The Gospel of Matthew records the “magi, “or “wise men from the East” having come to bring gifts for a new king – gold, frankincense, and myrrh – to Jesus in Bethlehem some time after His birth. The story in Matthew, combined with what may HAVE come from a pagan practice of gift-giving, gradually gained popularity, and by the 336 pronouncement would be a more widespread practice around Christmas. Combined with the legends surrounding Saint Nicholas, who supposedly gifted dowries to several poor women, the tradition of gift-giving around Christmas has been long established among Christians.
When Did We Begin Decorating Christmas Trees?
Decorating Christmas trees is a much later development among Christians, and actually originates out of 16th Century Germany and Livonia (Estonia and Latvia). Christmas trees also may have originated as a Protestant tradition, rather than a Catholic one. In 1539, the first recorded Christmas tree was in the Cathedral of Strasbourg while it was under Protestant control after the Protestant Reformation. A Protestant tradition also holds the Martin Luther was the first to have a lit Christmas tree around this time as well, using candles for the lighting.
