Christmas is celebrated around the world. From America to our small country. But do you know what Christmas really comes from? We actually celebrate the birth of Jesus? And how we come to this date? This article explains the history of Christmas further.
Christmas history.
Throughout the world people know the symbol of light and life. The birth symbolizes a new beginning. All people wanted to believe in something earlier, so the church has these symbols into their religion. Christmas is much more than just a religious festival! The influences of commerce and customs of the Pagan can still be found in the original light festival.
The Pagan origins of Christmas explained.
One used a different calendar and was the shortest day and longest night of December 25 instead of now on December 21. The shortest day, in many also use the Winter Solstice said. After this day, all day a bit more slowly. The name comes from the turn of the Sun This is already out of the stone age when people still had no calendar.
The Roman originality of Christmas.
The Romans celebrated a festival around this date for the Greeks. From December 17 until December 24 they celebrate the Saturnalia. Saturn is the god of riches and harvest the power of life that conquers death. As to this event so we called. Mithras put their faith in the light and was born on December 25. Because Christianity has many similarities with the belief in Mithra as it was taken over by the Romans.
The Germanic interpretation of Christmas.
The Germans celebrate the Yule Winter solstices. This festival is aimed at the rebirth of the God of growth and light worship. It is now abundantly eaten. They did this because the Germans were convinced that if they are so the new year went well, with abundance, the Christmas meal, the rest of the year they would remain poor and hungry would suffer. The Germans sent forth fully with green branches and fruit trees were planted now, this was the fertility aspect of Christmas. The sun's wheel was very important, it symbolized the light of the world and the spirit.
The Christian interpretation of Christmas.
There was a very gradual move between those above the Christian Christmas celebration. Augustine gave instructing the faithful to use almost all the coverage. He linked some extra Christian rituals in this festival down.
May sound very strange, but in the beginning, no Christians think about Jesus' birth that this date would ever be connected. It used to be only concerned with the kruisenis and resurrection of Jesus. About the real birth of Jesus is still not proven. It was for sure not in the year 0.
In 336 AD, during the Arian disputes, the calendar changed and replaced. They hated Jesus never mentioned his birthday while he had been so important. The church began to get involved and because they already had had much influence in changing the Winter Solstice, Christmas was what is now called, wanted to fix date or on December 25. Everyone agreed, because Jesus was also compared to the light and the sun and the fight lined up against the dark. (Good and bad). So it was that we had our Christmas party and Christmas the birth of Jesus has become.