Christmas is almost as ancient as modern man and woman. From it’s early beginnings, it has slowly become the biggest celebration there is all over the world. Currently Christmas is considered the 4th most important Christian celebration date after Easter, Pentecost and Epiphany. Interesting is the fact that the early Christians did not celebrate Christmas. There was always a disagreement about when Jesus was actually born, so several Christians ignore celebrating his birthday. It was not only until the fourth Century that Christmas has actually been added to the Church calendar as a holiday, as a feast day.
The 25th of December is actually a very significant day in many cultures around the world. Babylonians believed the son of the queen of heaven to be born December 25. The ancient Arabs were holding high the oppinion that the moon was actually born December 24, and the Egyptians were celebrating the birth of the son of Isis, the goddes of fertility on December 25.
Even the Romans celebrated December 21 calling it Saturnalia, after Saturn, the god of agriculture. Constantin, the Roman emperor was a highly regarded member of the sun-cult prior to converting to Christianity in 312.
There is a notion around scholars that Christians had a specific intent with celebrating Christ’s birth on December 25. Apparently they wanted to make easier on the pagan tribes to be converted to Christianity since they were all having a sort of celebration around these days.
Early on, Christmas was very religious, strict and somber. However with the influence of the early Pagan cultures that were introduced to Christianity, this celebration became more joyful, became happier and lighter. Often times it was celebrated through music, art and dance.
In American, Christmas became quite common around the mid 1800s. As Christmas services have been introduced in Sunday schools, this helped with reducing the prior religious opposition. The so famous novel by Charles Dickins, called A Christmas Carol, helped greatly make Christmas a very popular event in every family, an event full of joy for kids and adults alike.
