The true origin of Christmas is a widely contested conversation, and likely one you’ve had among friends and family many times.
For the record I should state that I was not present on December 25th, 0001, and therefore I can only share with you a few interesting pieces I’ve come across on this subject.
Of course, to get started I initially turn to Britannica online, and as usual the source did not disappoint –
“Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. The English term Christmas (“mass on Christ’s day”) is of fairly recent origin. The earlier term Yule may have derived from the Germanic jōl or the Anglo-Saxon geōl, which referred to the feast of the winter solstice. The corresponding terms in other languages—Navidad in Spanish, Natale in Italian, Noël in French—all probably denote nativity.”
Check out the full story and quote from Britannica using the following link: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas.
While of course there is and will likely always be some debate as to whether “pagan holiday trees” or even the traditions of food and joy have been passed down through “pagan” practices, however it would seem, as the Britannica article also alludes, that a beautiful blend of cultures contributed to the celebration to the son, and the renewal of the sun and reminder of spring, that we know today.
Interestingly, as I have in fact attended church for most of my life and had never heard this story, Britannica goes on to say that in Christianity, we have a prominent historical documentation to thank for narrowing down the specific date of the joyous winter holiday:
“The precise origin of assigning December 25 as the birth date of Jesus is unclear. The New Testament provides no clues in this regard. December 25 was first identified as the date of Jesus’ birth by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 and later became the universally accepted date.”
So what about the gifts?! Well, Britannica has you covered there to, saying: “Toward the end of the 18th century the practice of giving gifts to family members became well established. Theologically, the feast day reminded Christians of God’s gift of Jesus to humankind even as the coming of the Wise Men, or Magi, to Bethlehem suggested that Christmas was somehow related to giving gifts. The practice of giving gifts, which goes back to the 15th century, contributed to the view that Christmas was a secular holiday focused on family and friends.” (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas).
Wait, why do some say ‘Merry Christmas’ when others say ‘Happy Christmas,’ is there a difference? As it turns out, at least according to Countryliving.com, “”Merry Christmas” has been used since at least 1534. A dated letter from bishop John Fisher to Henry VIII’s chief minister Thomas Cromwell reveals as much.
The English carol, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” which was introduced in the 1500s, also uses the popular phrase” (https://www.countryliving.com/life/a37128/origin-of-merry-christmas/). Happy Christmas however, started showing up a little later, and is still widely used in England today, “Historians believe it might boil down to a simple grammatical lesson. “Happy” is a word that describes an inner emotional condition, while “merry” is more of a behavior descriptor—something active and maybe even raucous. Consider, for example, the free-spirited act of “merry-making” versus the state of simply “being happy.”
As both words evolved and changed meanings over time, people slowly stopped using “merry” as its own individual word during the 18th and 19th centuries. It stuck around in common phrases like “the more, the merrier,” as well as in things like Christmas songs and stories, largely due to the influence of Charles Dickens. The Victorian Christmas went on to define many of today’s Christmas traditions” (https://www.countryliving.com/life/a37128/origin-of-merry-christmas/).
If you’re looking for additional sources, you could always consult history.com, Wikepedia, or most significantly, the Bible. Otherwise, and while I can’t speak to the scientific methods used to conduct his research, please do listen to David Sedaris’s version on the origins of Christmas here: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/201/them/act-two.
Whatever your theories on the origins of this wonderful holiday, we wish you a very blissful and blessed Christmas this year!
