Christmas is probably the most awaited holiday of everyone worldwide. It is a day of celebration, recognized by almost all nationalities transcending geography and even religions. To most people, Christmas is a day of gift giving, parties, and feasts. To Christians, it is a holiday which unifies Christendom. But how did Christmas came about?
Christmas Crafts for Kids
Christmas is, of course, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The origin of Christmas, for Christians, is the arrival of the Savior and the Son of God. But strictly speaking, traditions and custom related to the celebration of Christmas actually came from other religions.
For one, the date Christmas is celebrated which is December 25 originated from Roman worship. In ancient Rome, December 25 marks the rebirth of the sun god and the worship day of the Italic god, Saturn.
It was observed by ancient Romans that the daylight began to lengthen after December 22. December 22 is supposedly the day that the sun god died. Ancient Romans believed that the sun god rose from the dead three days after his death. Thus, his rebirth is celebrated on December 25. This day is celebrated by Romans through gifts giving and feasts. Wreaths of evergreen are carried by priests during processions.
Another Christmas tradition borrowed from other pagan worship is the Christmas tree. The evergreen tree was used by Germans to worship the Yule god, and to celebrate the resurrection of the sun god. For them, the evergreen tree was a symbol of life and was also recognized as the symbol for fertility.
The red holly, meanwhile, is regarded by witches and other pagans as a representation of the menstrual blood of Diana. Diana is a pagan God regarded as the queen of heaven. The berries of the mistletoe, on the other hand, are regarded as a symbol of droplets of semen by the sun god. Hollies and mistletoes were hung in doorways to invoke the god and goddess of fertility, thus kissing underneath them would be like calling upon the gods of fertility.
The origin of Christmas traditions might come from other pagan worships, but it is important to remember that the celebration itself is done to recognize the birth of Jesus Christ.
Christmas Crafts
