Could anyone outline the History of Christmas?

Question

Cromwell banned it.St. Nicholas patron saint of children came from somewhere near Anatyla he was a Bishop.

Answer 1

jesus was born in a stable

3 kings and 3 shephards bared him gifts

francancens, gold n myre (how eva u spell it)

pretty much

Answer 2

Early Christians tended to adopt the local religious festivals and integrate them into their own. This was so that, by hijacking the local festivals, it was easier to convert them to Christ.

Most cultures celebrated the solstice, being the date when winter is at its mid point. As stated, the Romans celebrated this period, as did the Celts. Early Christianity was heavily influenced by Rome, especially since Constantine stuck his nose in.

Paul/Saul, in his version of Jesuses life stated that he was born in a stable. This, in fact was taken from the cult of Mythras. This hero was born in a stable and suffered for his people.

Because holly is an evergreen, it is used as a symbol of enternal life. This was an important symbol to many pagan religions.

Father Xmas, as well as being a Bishop, was also depicted as wearing green robes. This is probably because of the association, like holly, with a pagan symbol - the green man. In any case, he only got his red coat due to an advertising campaign from Coca Cola in the early 20C.

So the thing that we know as Christmas, although being a celebration of Christ is an amalgamation of several different influences, not all of them Christian in origin.

Luck

Answer 3

Christmas is based on the ancient Roman celebration of Saturnalia. This was a festival held roughly every December 25th and included feasting, the giving of gifts, bringing evergreen boughs into the home, etc. There are also nods to Mithras, the god of light. Early Christians adopted the festival of Saturnalia and placed the celebration of Christ's birth in December, even though Christ was probably born in spring (sheep aren't born in winter and the shepherd hearing the angels announce Christ's birth were in the fields tending their newborn sheep).

As time wore on, other traditions became enveloped by the newly created Christmas holiday. The bough transformed into a tree, and the Germans placed lit candles on it. The December plant mistletoe was thought by the Celts to be a symbol of fertility, so kissing under it became a Christmas tradition.

Answer 4

Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. The date of the celebration is traditional, and is not considered to be his actual date of birth. Christmas festivities often combine the commemoration of Jesus' birth with various secular customs, many of which have been influenced by earlier winter festivals.

In most places around the world, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25. Christmas Eve is the preceding day, December 24. In the United Kingdom and many countries of the Commonwealth, Boxing Day is the following day, December 26. In Catholic countries, Saint Stephen's Day or the Feast of St. Stephen is December 26. The Armenian Apostolic Church observes Christmas on January 6. Eastern Orthodox Churches that still use the Julian Calendar celebrate Christmas on the Julian version of 25 December, which is January 7 on the more widely used Gregorian calendar, because the two calendars are now 13 days apart.

The word "Christmas" originated as a contraction of "Christ's mass." It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038.[1] In early Greek versions of the New Testament, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ (Χριστός). Since the mid-sixteenth century Χ, or the similar Roman letter X, was used as an abbreviation for Christ.[2] Hence, "Xmas" is often used as an abbreviation for Christmas.

After the conversion of Anglo-Saxon Britain in the very early 7th century, Christmas was referred to as geol,[1] the name of the pre-Christian solstice festival from which the current English word 'Yule' is derived.[3]

The prominence of Christmas Day increased gradually after Charlemagne was crowned on Christmas Day in 800. Around the 12th century, the remnants of the former Saturnalian traditions of the Romans were transferred to the Twelve Days of Christmas (26 December – 6 January). Christmas during the Middle Ages was a public festival, incorporating ivy, holly, and other evergreens, as well as gift-giving.

Modern traditions have come to include the display of Nativity scenes, Holly and Christmas trees, the exchange of gifts and cards, and the arrival of Father Christmas or Santa Claus on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. Popular Christmas themes include the promotion of goodwill and peace.

Answer 5

Well, ya got at least two flakes in the snowfall.

CHRIST MAS
or Christ Celebration

If you can get a roman festival out of that you got to be pretty good at Revisionism.

The pagans may have indeed held some kind of celebration during that time of year, why , with a score of gods and all the stone idols they paid homage to one of them would have to fall into that area of time or season.

The disregarding of the fact that the name itself specifies who is being celebrated in the Christmas Celebration is just another way that the God Haters try to justify their denial of the existence of a creator. Note that I did not use the mislabeling term atheist. An atheist wouldn't declare any point in this arguement because they don't believe there is a God and therefore no sense getting into a pointless argument. But the God haters, those who are angry at God for wahtever reason will stomp their feet and shake their fists to "Prove" their point.

Aaaahhh Christmas....

Answer 6

Christmas was originally celebrated as a Pagan holiday. It was the yule time, a celebration of the winter solstice. Romans celebrated something similiar, as did many people all over the world. It wasn't until many years after Christ's death was recorded that it was came to be known as a Christian holiday. In order to get people to convert to Christianity the Christmas date was set on the Roman holiday of Sol Invictus.