How did we get these new holiday traditions?

Question

Nowadays, whenever someone says Christmas, you probably think of some of these things: Santa, Frosty, Christmas lights, Christmas tree, presents. But, really Christmas is about the nativaty. So how did we get these new traditions?

Who came up with them?

What year did they come up with them?

and

How did they become such a phenomenon?

Answer 1

An Excellent question.

There are two parts to it:

First the ancient traditions and then the modern traditions.

Lets start with the Ancient traditions. In its early years the Christian religion had no holidays of its own. Everybody needs holidays as a time to celebrate Even resurection day was tied into the Jewish festival of passover. As the number of gentile believers grew they brought many of their festivals with them.

One of the big festivals was just after the Winter Solsist (ie the first day of winter, or Dec 21.) In many cultures Dec 25 was the first day that the people knew that the amount of daylight hours were getting longer. Many cultures dedicated Dec 25 to the "Sun God". Chtistians adopted the feast and dedicated it to the Messiah. Later it became his "Birthday" (Just like it was for all the sun gods of the pagans) Many of the traditions of those pagan cultures have been adopted by Christianity as long at they were not contrary to the meaning of the birth of Jesus.

The modern Traditions have much to do with good sales marketing. The Idea of St Nicolas has been around for several hundred years. He was a wealthy but generous man who helped families that were very poor. In winter, the hardest time of the year. he would drop coins down the chimneys of the poor. St Nicolas Day is close to Christmas. He is now Santa Claus. Rather than coins down the chimney of the poor, retailers want you to send 42" HD TV's down your own chimney. Wonder why Santa is dressed in red and white? In the early 1930's Coke launched an add campaign at Christmas time. They dressed Santa in their colors, red and white. The color scheme has stuck.

Ironic but Frosty is not a Christmas song but a winter song. It doesn't mention Christmas. Marketers picked up on the song and had Burl Ives sing it and it became a "Christmas Classic".
I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas came from a 1940's movie. The Christmas Lights came from the fact that candles were lit during the advent season. (The four weeks before Christmas.) Retailers pushed the idea that if one candle is good, a string is better and 20 strings is better still. The Christmas tree is an ancient tradition from Northern Europe. families went into the woods and picked out a tree. It was originally to show that just as the evergreen stayed green all year, so Jesus was with us all the time. Retailers got hold of it and now people spend $100,s on the tree. The presents are a tradition that says that the Wisemen brought gifts to the Christ Child because they "Loved" hin. Retailers got ahold of the idaea that "Gift = Love". They say that unless you spent $1,000's you really do not love someone.

I could go on but I think you get the point. To be a bit crass, but if you want to know where new traditions come from, "Follow the Money".

God bless

Bryan

Answer 2

I'm surprised at how many Christians don't actually know the origin of Christmas.
It takes very little research - using just one periodical: THE BIBLE - to discover that December 25th is not possibly Christ's birthday.
You would have answers to your questions if you knew the history of xmas which includes primarily PAGAN roots.
CHRISTMAS IS NOT ABOUT THE NATIVITY OR CHRIST!!!