[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":431},["ShallowReactive",2],{"content-/evolution/336-christmas":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":422,"extension":423,"meta":424,"navigation":426,"path":427,"seo":428,"stem":429,"__hash__":430},"content/evolution/336-christmas.md","336 (Christmas)",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":401},"minimark",[9,13,32,52,57,60,87,99,103,110,119,123,126,131,151,155,163,167,180,184,197,201,213,217,220,285,289,293,302,306,319,323,331,353,357,360,394],[10,11,5],"h1",{"id":12},"_336-christmas",[14,15,16],"blockquote",{},[17,18,19,20,25,26],"p",{},"There is no mention of birth celebrations in the writings of early Christian writers such as Irenaeus (c. 130–200) or ",[21,22,24],"a",{"href":23},"206-tertullian","Tertullian"," (c. 160–225). Origen of Alexandria (c. 165–264) goes so far as to mock Roman celebrations of birth anniversaries, dismissing them as “pagan” practices—a strong indication that Jesus’ birth was not marked with similar festivities at that place and time. As far as we can tell, Christmas was not celebrated at all at this point... — ",[21,27,31],{"href":28,"rel":29},"https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/andrew-mcgowan-how-december-25-became-christmas",[30],"nofollow","Warden and President of Trinity College at the University of Melbourne, Australia",[17,33,34,39,40,45,46,51],{},[21,35,38],{"href":36,"rel":37},"https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas",[30],"On 25 December 336 AD, under Pope Julius I, the church in Rome formally celebrated the Nativity",". Little is known about the specific liturgy of that first year, but it likely involved ",[21,41,44],{"href":42,"rel":43},"https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/301-600/the-1st-recorded-celebration-of-christmas-11629658.html",[30],"a special \"Christ Mass\" and feast",". At this time, ",[21,47,50],{"href":48,"rel":49},"https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas",[30],"\"Christ Mass\" was less important than Epiphany (January 6) and Easter",", but it gradually grew in prominence as Christianity spread.",[53,54,56],"h2",{"id":55},"origin","Origin",[17,58,59],{},"Christmas has pagan roots from Saturnalia and Sol Invictus",[61,62,63,77],"ul",{},[64,65,66,70,71,76],"li",{},[67,68,69],"strong",{},"Saturnalia (Dec 17–23):"," ",[21,72,75],{"href":73,"rel":74},"https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/saturnalia",[30],"A Roman festival honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture. It was characterized by feasting, gambling, gift-giving, and a carnival atmosphere where social roles were overturned",".",[64,78,79,70,82,76],{},[67,80,81],{},"Sol Invictus (Dec 25):",[21,83,86],{"href":84,"rel":85},"https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sol-Invictus",[30],"The \"Unconquered Sun\" was a popular Roman deity. Emperor Aurelian established an official festival for Sol Invictus on December 25th in 274 AD",[17,88,89,93,94,76],{},[21,90,92],{"href":48,"rel":91},[30],"Church leaders likely chose this date to rival these popular pagan festivals",", allowing Christians to adopt and \"baptize\" existing traditions while shifting the focus from \"the Sun God\" to ",[21,95,98],{"href":96,"rel":97},"https://son.ofgod.info/son-as-god",[30],"\"the Son God\"",[53,100,102],{"id":101},"choice-of-date","Choice of Date",[17,104,105,106,76],{},"The choice of 25 December was strategic rather than based on historical accuracy regarding Jesus' birth. ",[21,107,109],{"href":36,"rel":108},[30],"The Bible does not specify a date for the birth of Jesus",[17,111,112,113,118],{},"Some suggest that early Christians calculated the date based on the belief that ",[21,114,117],{"href":115,"rel":116},"https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/how-december-25-became-christmas/",[30],"Jesus was conceived on the same date he died (March 25th)",". Adding nine months to March 25th results in a December 25th birth.",[53,120,122],{"id":121},"christmas-symbols","Christmas Symbols",[17,124,125],{},"Many \"traditional\" Christmas symbols have origins that predate Christianity or were adapted from secular customs.",[127,128,130],"h3",{"id":129},"the-christmas-tree","The Christmas Tree",[17,132,133,134,139,140,145,146,76],{},"The modern Christmas tree ",[21,135,138],{"href":136,"rel":137},"https://www.britannica.com/plant/Christmas-tree",[30],"originated in 16th-century Germany",". Legend has it that ",[21,141,144],{"href":142,"rel":143},"https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees",[30],"Martin Luther was the first to add lighted candles to a tree to recreate the starlight he saw amidst evergreens",". It was ",[21,147,150],{"href":148,"rel":149},"https://www.royal.uk/encyclopedia/christmas-at-the-royal-palaces",[30],"popularized in Britain and America in the 19th century after Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, brought the tradition from Germany",[127,152,154],{"id":153},"the-star","The Star",[17,156,157,158,76],{},"The star atop the tree represents ",[21,159,162],{"href":160,"rel":161},"https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-the-christmas-star.html",[30],"the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi (Wise Men) to the infant Jesus",[127,164,166],{"id":165},"mistletoe","Mistletoe",[17,168,169,174,175,76],{},[21,170,173],{"href":171,"rel":172},"https://www.history.com/news/why-do-we-kiss-under-the-mistletoe",[30],"Ancient Druids believed mistletoe possessed mystical powers and brought good luck. In Norse mythology, it was associated with Frigg, the goddess of love",". ",[21,176,179],{"href":177,"rel":178},"https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/christmas/the-history-of-mistletoe/",[30],"The custom of kissing under the mistletoe appeared in 18th-century England, originally among servants",[127,181,183],{"id":182},"presents","Presents",[17,185,186,187,191,192,76],{},"Gift-giving has roots in ",[21,188,190],{"href":48,"rel":189},[30],"the Roman Saturnalia, where candles and small figurines were exchanged",". Christians on the other hand associate it with ",[21,193,196],{"href":194,"rel":195},"https://www.britannica.com/topic/Magi",[30],"the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh presented by the Magi",[127,198,200],{"id":199},"carols","Carols",[17,202,203,174,208,76],{},[21,204,207],{"href":205,"rel":206},"https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/blog-posts/history-of-christmas-carols/",[30],"The word \"carol\" originally meant a dance to a song. Early Christians took over pagan solstice songs and gave them Christian lyrics",[21,209,212],{"href":210,"rel":211},"https://www.history.com/news/the-history-of-christmas-carols",[30],"The Victorian era saw a massive revival of carol singing, which is when many familiar hymns were written or popularized",[127,214,216],{"id":215},"santa-claus","Santa Claus",[17,218,219],{},"The figure of Santa Claus is a blend of history, folklore, and commercialism.",[221,222,223,233,243],"ol",{},[64,224,225,70,228,76],{},[67,226,227],{},"St. Nicholas (3rd Century):",[21,229,232],{"href":230,"rel":231},"https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas",[30],"A Greek bishop in Myra (modern-day Turkey) known for his generosity and secret gift-giving, such as providing dowries for poor sisters",[64,234,235,70,238,76],{},[67,236,237],{},"Sinterklaas:",[21,239,242],{"href":240,"rel":241},"https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus",[30],"Dutch settlers in America brought stories of \"Sinterklaas,\" a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas",[64,244,245,248],{},[67,246,247],{},"American Invention (19th Century):",[61,249,250,260,275],{},[64,251,252,70,255,76],{},[67,253,254],{},"1823:",[21,256,259],{"href":257,"rel":258},"https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/december-24/",[30],"Clement Clarke Moore's poem \"A Visit from St. Nicholas\" (The Night Before Christmas) established the imagery of a jolly, round man, a sleigh, and eight reindeer",[64,261,262,70,265,76],{},[67,263,264],{},"1863:",[21,266,269,270,274],{"href":267,"rel":268},"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/civil-war-cartoonist-created-modern-image-santa-claus-180971074/",[30],"Cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for ",[271,272,273],"em",{},"Harper's Weekly",", depicting him as a rotund figure and establishing the North Pole as his home",[64,276,277,70,280,76],{},[67,278,279],{},"1931:",[21,281,284],{"href":282,"rel":283},"https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/history/haddon-sundblom-and-the-coca-cola-santas",[30],"Coca-Cola advertisements by Haddon Sundblom solidified the modern image of Santa as a grandfatherly figure in a red and white suit",[53,286,288],{"id":287},"the-evolution-of-christmas-through-the-ages","The Evolution of Christmas Through the Ages",[127,290,292],{"id":291},"medieval-christmas","Medieval Christmas",[17,294,295,296,301],{},"In the Middle Ages, Christmas was ",[21,297,300],{"href":298,"rel":299},"https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/christmas/medieval-christmas/",[30],"a boisterous, rowdy public festival involving drinking, gambling, and a \"Lord of Misrule\" who presided over the chaos",". It was more like a carnival than a family holiday.",[127,303,305],{"id":304},"the-puritan-ban-17th-century","The Puritan Ban (17th Century)",[17,307,308,309,174,314,76],{},"When Puritans took power in England (mid-1600s) and early America, they ",[21,310,313],{"href":311,"rel":312},"https://www.history.com/news/when-massachusetts-banned-christmas",[30],"banned Christmas, viewing it as a decadent Catholic invention with no biblical basis",[21,315,318],{"href":316,"rel":317},"https://newengland.com/yankee/history/when-christmas-was-banned-in-boston/",[30],"From 1659 to 1681, celebrating Christmas was illegal in Boston",[127,320,322],{"id":321},"the-victorian-revival-19th-century","The Victorian Revival (19th Century)",[17,324,325,326,76],{},"The modern ",[21,327,330],{"href":328,"rel":329},"https://www.bbc.co.uk/victorianchristmas/history.shtml",[30],"\"family Christmas\" was invented in the 19th century",[61,332,333,347],{},[64,334,335,70,338,76],{},[67,336,337],{},"Charles Dickens:",[21,339,342,343,346],{"href":340,"rel":341},"https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/the-origins-of-a-christmas-carol",[30],"His novella ",[271,344,345],{},"A Christmas Carol"," (1843) reinvented the holiday as a time for family, charity, and goodwill, stripping away much of the older, rowdy community aspects",[64,348,349,352],{},[67,350,351],{},"Domestic Focus:"," The holiday moved from the street (public partying) to the home (family gathering).",[127,354,356],{"id":355},"today","Today",[17,358,359],{},"In modern Western culture, Christmas serves multiple roles:",[61,361,362,373,384],{},[64,363,364,367,368],{},[67,365,366],{},"Commercial:"," It is ",[21,369,372],{"href":370,"rel":371},"https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-forecasts-holiday-sales-grow-between-6-and-8-percent",[30],"the primary economic engine for the retail sector",[64,374,375,378,379,76],{},[67,376,377],{},"Cultural:"," It is considered a vital time for ",[21,380,383],{"href":381,"rel":382},"https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-couch/201112/why-we-really-love-the-holidays",[30],"family reunification and social bonding",[64,385,386,389,390,76],{},[67,387,388],{},"Religious:"," For Christians, it remains the ",[21,391,393],{"href":36,"rel":392},[30],"celebration of the Incarnation (God becoming human)",[17,395,396,397,76],{},"It is ",[21,398,400],{"href":48,"rel":399},[30],"a unique cultural phenomenon where ancient pagan customs, Christian theology, and modern consumerism intersect",{"title":402,"searchDepth":403,"depth":403,"links":404},"",2,[405,406,407,416],{"id":55,"depth":403,"text":56},{"id":101,"depth":403,"text":102},{"id":121,"depth":403,"text":122,"children":408},[409,411,412,413,414,415],{"id":129,"depth":410,"text":130},3,{"id":153,"depth":410,"text":154},{"id":165,"depth":410,"text":166},{"id":182,"depth":410,"text":183},{"id":199,"depth":410,"text":200},{"id":215,"depth":410,"text":216},{"id":287,"depth":403,"text":288,"children":417},[418,419,420,421],{"id":291,"depth":410,"text":292},{"id":304,"depth":410,"text":305},{"id":321,"depth":410,"text":322},{"id":355,"depth":410,"text":356},"Explore the history of Christmas starting from its first recorded celebration in 336 AD, examining its pagan roots, evolution through the ages, and modern traditions.","md",{"keywords":425},"Christmas history, 336 AD, Saturnalia, Sol Invictus, pagan roots, Christmas evolution, St. Nicholas, Christmas traditions, Puritan ban, Victorian Christmas",true,"/evolution/336-christmas",{"title":5,"description":422},"evolution/336-christmas","eFI9knw93N13pBTeWlL1VE-_uiuhSb15Xna158mDMyw",1780776430936]