The Beginning of Christmas
Why Celebrate?
Christians celebrate this Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Originally Easter was the main holiday for Christians because the birth of Jesus was not a holiday, yet.
Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th?
Church members decided to institute a holiday to celebrate Jesus’ birth. The problem was that the Bible did not include a date of when Jesus was born. So, Pope Julius I stepped up and declared his birth on December 25, even though it was clear that Spring was when Jesus was born. He chose this date because why would shepherds be herding in the middle of Winter? By the end of eighth century the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia.
Later on...
In the Middle Ages, believers would go to church and have a celebration that was similar to today’s Mardi Gras.
Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox church, Christmas is celebrated for 13 days after Christmas Day, this day is believed to be when the three wise men found Jesus in the manger.
The Year without Christmas...Well Kind Of
In the early 17th century, a religious outbreak changed the way that Europe celebrated Christmas. A man named Oliver Cromwell and his puritan troops took over England in 1645. They cancelled Christmas all together. But Charles II was restore to the throne by popular demand. With him, the popular holiday returned.
Christmas in America
In the Early years of America,about 1620, Christmas was not celebrated due to the fact that the new settlers were very strong believers in the Puritan religion. From 1659 to 1681, Christmas was outlawed in Boston. If anyone showed the Christmas spirit would be fined. After the American Revolution all English customs were basically dropped, so the Puritan religion was gone. This allowed the Americans to be able to celebrate many holidays, including Christmas. Christmas was declared a federal holiday on June 26, 1870.
Citations
"Christmas." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.
"History of Christmas." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014
"Origin of Christmas | The History of Christmas and How It Began." Origin of Christmas | The History of Christmas and How It Began. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2014.