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this is is for a toastmasters club

2006-12-17 03:35:47 · 2 answers · asked by Mignon P 1 in Society & Culture Holidays Christmas

2 answers

Many people are under the assumption that Christmas has it's origins in Christianity. However...

Roman officials decided on December 25th as the date for Christmas because they were trying to convert their heavily Pagan nation to the religion. The Pagan's Mid-Winter festival, Saturnalia, was held at this time of the year. In order to lure them over, many holidays that are now associated with Christianity were decided by the dates of corresponding Pagan holidays and festivals.

Christmas was more like Mardi Gras than the holiday we know today up until as late as the late 19th century. Yes, that's right, Mardi Gras! In England, during the 17th century, Protestants had taken over the country. Being very religiously strict they actually outlawed Christmas for it's vulgarity. Of course the people wanted their celebration so they in turn reinstated the Monarchy.

In the United States, after the Revolutionary War, anything English as shunned. Therefore Christmas was reinvented. It was decided the holiday would be about family and togetherness rather than raucous partying.

The Christmas tree also has it's roots in Pagan culture. Evidence of "Christmas" trees date back as far as Egypt. Santa Claus in his modern form was also only recently invented. In the 1940's he was revamped as the jolly old man we all know. Actually this was done by advertising agencies and stores of the time in order to help sell merchandise. Before that, Santa was more in line with the partying ideology of the Pagan Christmas. In fact, Santa's image evolved from a Pagan gnome like creature. Very much unlike what we know today.

2006-12-17 07:01:38 · answer #1 · answered by Shuggaloaf 2 · 0 0

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