Christmas TraditionsHundreds of millions of people celebrate Christmas Traditions every year around the world.It seems that every country has it's own traditions and some of their origins have very interesting history behind them. The following extract is from an ancient book called "Christmas: Its Origin and Associations Together with Its Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen Centuries"by William Francis Dawson - first published in 1902 It's a fascinating look at how many of the Christmas Traditions may have come about. If you're anything like my family then you probably have your own favourite family traditions and recipes that were passed down from when you were a kid.
Sir Isaac Newton says the Feast of the Nativity, and most of theother ecclesiastical anniversaries, were originally fixed at cardinalpoints of the year, without any reference to the dates of theincidents which they commemorated, dates which, by lapse of time, itwas impossible to ascertain. Thus the Annunciation of the Virgin Marywas placed on the 25th of March, or about the time of the vernalequinox; the Feast of St. Michael on the 29th of September, or nearthe autumnal equinox; and the Birth of Christ at the time of thewinter solstice. Christmas was thus fixed at the time of the year whenthe most celebrated festivals of the ancients were held in honour ofthe return of the sun which at the winter solstice begins gradually toregain power and to ascend apparently in the horizon. Previously tothis (says William Sandys, F.S.A.), the year was drawing to aclose, and the world was typically considered to be in the same state.The promised restoration of light and commencement of a new era weretherefore hailed with rejoicings and thanksgivings. The Saxon andother northern nations kept a festival at this time of the year inhonour of Thor, in which they mingled feasting, drinking, and dancingwith sacrifices and religious rites. It was called Yule, or Jule, aterm of which the derivation has caused dispute amongst antiquaries;some considering it to mean a festival, and others stating that Iol,or Iul (spelt in various ways), is a primitive word, conveying theidea of Revolution or Wheel, and applicable therefore to the return ofthe sun. The _Bacchanalia_ and _Saturnalia_ of the Romans hadapparently the same object as the Yuletide, or feast of the Northernnations, and were probably adopted from some more ancient nations, asthe Greeks, Mexicans, Persians, Chinese, &c., had all somethingsimilar. In the course of them, as is well known, masters and slaveswere supposed to be on an equality; indeed, the former waited on thelatter.[4] Presents were mutually given and received, as Christmaspresents in these days. Towards the end of the feast, when the sun wason its return, and the world was considered to be renovated, a king orruler was chosen, with considerable power granted to him during hisephemeral reign, whence may have sprung some of the Twelfth-Nightrevels, mingled with those in honour of the Manifestation andAdoration of the Magi. And, in all probability, some other Christmascustoms are adopted from the festivals of the ancients, as deckingwith evergreens and mistletoe (relics of Druidism) and the wassailbowl. It is not surprising, therefore, that Bacchanalian illustrationshave been found among the decorations in the early Christian Churches.
Christmas Decorations
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