History of Christmas

Various religions held celebrations around the same time of year as the solstice. Persians built fires on December 25th to worship their God of Light, Mithras; Egyptians honoured Isis, mother of their Sun God; Jews lit candles to celebrate Hanukkah, known as the Feast of Lights. Hanukkah is not celebrating the solstice, although it is a custom using fire and held around the solstice time.

In mid-December ancient Romans celebrated Saturnalia with feasting, revelry, gift-giving, lit candles and decorating using berries and evergreens. There was a moratorium on was and personal enmity, and reversal of ranks and suspension of many workaday restrictions. As this time, masters waited on their servants. Some parts of these practices, called misrule, survive in certain parts of England to this day.

By the advent of the Middle Ages in Europe, Christmas became established as a great sacred holiday. The twelfth to the sixteenth centuries were the peak of celebration in homes as well as churches.

Christmas

Christmas is a combination of various practices started over many years and many countries. The celebrations include traditions handed down through the generations. Interpretations of these are moulded and blended with influences from the commercialism that has become such a big part of our Christmas festivities. So now each family celebrates Christmas in their own way.

Many Christmas practices originated from historic observances of the winter solstice which occurs a few days before Christmas. One of the key elements in celebrations of the winter solstice is fire. Fire is the earthly manifestation of the sun, the source of light, warmth and life-giving energy. Evergreens such as mistletoe, holly and ivy, being evergreen, were a sign against the winter and promised the return of the sun. People celebrated the solstice for the turn to longer days. Many cultures developed these solstice celebrations. People liked getting together in warm houses decked with evergreens to toast each other, feast, sing and to look forward hopefully to better, longer days.

These celebrations started in the northern hemisphere, obviously, as at the same time the southern hemisphere is looking to celebrate the longest day and a change to heading to the winter season...