Christmas didn't start as soon as Jesus was born!
NOW:
Christmas is now one of the biggest celebrations in the world.
Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25 or on January 6 (When the Three Kings came to visit Jesus).
BUT IT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS.
Early Christians, however, did not celebrate Christmas. Early believers in Jesus couldn't agree when he was really born and some were against celebrating his birthday as they thought feasts such as Easter were more important. In the fourth century Christmas was added to the Church calendar as a feast day. This was 400 years after Jesus was born!
WHY DECEMBER 25?
A Common Date. December 25 was a significant date for various early cultures. The ancient Babylonians believed the son of the queen of heaven was born on December 25. The Egyptians celebrated the birth of the son of the fertility goddess Isis on the same date, while ancient Arabs believed that the moon was born on December 24.
The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a feast named for Saturn, god of agriculture, on December 21, the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. They believed the shortest day of the year was the birthday of the sun. The Roman emperor Constantine was a member of the sun-cult before converting to Christianity in 312.
Some scholars suspect that Christians chose to celebrate Christ's birth on December 25 to make it easier to convert the pagan tribes. Referring to Jesus as the "light of the world" also fit with existing pagan beliefs about the birth of the sun. The ancient "return of the sun" philosophy had been replaced by the "coming of the son" message of Christianity.
Joyful and Religious Celebration
Gradually, Christmas celebrations began to adopt the joyful, often boisterous, holiday traditions of non-religious festivals. The story of the nativity was told through music, art, and dance.
Some Medieval Christians didn't like this, saying it should be a very holy day not a fun festival. After the Reformation, certain groups opposed Christmas celebrations and Oliver Cromwell banned them in England. When King Charles II came to the throne he started the celebrations again.
In the American colonies, Puritans, Baptists, Quakers, and Presbyterians opposed the festivities, while Catholics, Anglicans (Episcopalians), Dutch Reformed, and Lutherans approved.
Christmas celebrations became more common in America during the mid-1800s. The introduction of Christmas services in Sunday schools reduced religious opposition, while the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol popularized the holiday as a family event.
Christmas is now one of the biggest celebrations in the world.
Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25 or on January 6 (When the Three Kings came to visit Jesus).
BUT IT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS.
Early Christians, however, did not celebrate Christmas. Early believers in Jesus couldn't agree when he was really born and some were against celebrating his birthday as they thought feasts such as Easter were more important. In the fourth century Christmas was added to the Church calendar as a feast day. This was 400 years after Jesus was born!
WHY DECEMBER 25?
A Common Date. December 25 was a significant date for various early cultures. The ancient Babylonians believed the son of the queen of heaven was born on December 25. The Egyptians celebrated the birth of the son of the fertility goddess Isis on the same date, while ancient Arabs believed that the moon was born on December 24.
The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a feast named for Saturn, god of agriculture, on December 21, the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. They believed the shortest day of the year was the birthday of the sun. The Roman emperor Constantine was a member of the sun-cult before converting to Christianity in 312.
Some scholars suspect that Christians chose to celebrate Christ's birth on December 25 to make it easier to convert the pagan tribes. Referring to Jesus as the "light of the world" also fit with existing pagan beliefs about the birth of the sun. The ancient "return of the sun" philosophy had been replaced by the "coming of the son" message of Christianity.
Joyful and Religious Celebration
Gradually, Christmas celebrations began to adopt the joyful, often boisterous, holiday traditions of non-religious festivals. The story of the nativity was told through music, art, and dance.
Some Medieval Christians didn't like this, saying it should be a very holy day not a fun festival. After the Reformation, certain groups opposed Christmas celebrations and Oliver Cromwell banned them in England. When King Charles II came to the throne he started the celebrations again.
In the American colonies, Puritans, Baptists, Quakers, and Presbyterians opposed the festivities, while Catholics, Anglicans (Episcopalians), Dutch Reformed, and Lutherans approved.
Christmas celebrations became more common in America during the mid-1800s. The introduction of Christmas services in Sunday schools reduced religious opposition, while the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol popularized the holiday as a family event.