History of CHRISTMAS
In the
western world the birthday of Jesus Christ has been celebrated on December 25th
ever since 354 AD in order to replace the pagan worship. I am fairly sure that
Jesus wasn't actually born on that date. The Bible says shepherds were staying
out in the fields overnight when Jesus was born (Luke 2:8), but in that part of
the world it would have been too cold at night to do so in December. What is
more likely is that he was born in the spring, perhaps between March and May.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that the Christian scholar
Dionysius Exiguous was asked by the Pope in AD 525 to calculate new cycles for
fixing the date of Easter, but he decided to base his calculations on the date
of Jesus's birth. It wasn't discovered until the 9th century that he got it
wrong, by which time it was too late to change the calendar. He fixed the birth
in the year 1 BC or AD 1 and began counting from the latter. There is no way of
accurately establishing the actual date of his birth, but it is most likely to
have been between 5 and 6 BC.
The
important thing is that he was born. December 25th seems as good a time as any
to celebrate his birth and his message. It also a wonderful catalyst for
enjoying the precious and simple pleasures of being, if only for a brief time,
close together in the warm familiarity of friends and family, renewing
relationships and sharing memories.
When
Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645; they vowed to
rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By
popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the
return of the popular holiday. The pilgrims, English separatists that came to
America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than
Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659
to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone
exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings.
After the American
Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact,
Congress was in session on December 25, 1789 the first Christmas under
America's new constitution, wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26,
1870.
It wasn’t until
the 1900’s that Americans began to embrace, and re-invented Christmas, changing
it from a raucous carnival holiday into a family-centered day of peace and
nostalgia. The 1800s peaked American interest in the holiday. The early 1800’s
was a period of class conflict and turmoil. During this time, unemployment was
high and gang rioting by the disenchanted classes often occurred during the
Christmas season. In 1828, the New York city council instituted the city’s
first police force in response to a Christmas riot. This catalyzed caused
certain members of the upper classes to begin to change the way Christmas was
celebrated in America.
In 1819, best-selling author Washington Irving wrote The
Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, A series stories about the celebration of
Christmas in an English manor house. The sketches feature a squire who invited
the peasants into his home for the holiday. In Irving’s mind, Christmas should
be a peaceful, warm-hearted holiday bringing groups together across lines of
wealth or social status. Irving’s fictitious celebrants enjoyed “ancient
customs,” including the crowning of a Lord of Misrule. Irving’s book, however,
was not based on any holiday celebration he had attended—in fact, many
historians say that Irving’s account actually “invented” tradition by implying
that it described the true customs of the season.
Before the Civil War
the North and South were divided on the issue of Christmas, as well as on the
question of slavery. Many Northerners saw sin in the celebration of Christmas;
to these people the celebration of Thanksgiving was more appropriate. But in
the South, Christmas was an important part of the social season. Not
surprisingly, the first three states to make Christmas a legal holiday were in
the South: Alabama in 1836, Louisiana and Arkansas. In the years after the
Civil War, Christmas traditions spread across the country. Children's books
played an important role in spreading the customs of celebrating Christmas,
especially the tradition of trimmed trees and gifts delivered by Santa Claus.
Sunday school classes encouraged the celebration of Christmas. Women's
magazines were also very important in suggesting ways to decorate for the
holidays, as well as how to make these decorations. By the last quarter of the
nineteenth century, America eagerly decorated trees, caroled, baked, and
shopped for the Christmas season. Since that time, materialism, media,
advertising, and mass marketing has made Christmas what it is today. The
traditions that we enjoy at Christmas today were invented by blending together
customs from many different countries into what is considered by many to be our
national holiday. An overview: 1600’s: The Puritans made it illegal to mention
St. Nicolas' name. People were not allowed to exchange gifts, light a candle,
or
Sing Christmas carols.17th century: Dutch immigrants brought
with them the legend of Sinter Klaas.1773: Santa first appeared in the media as
St. a Claus. 1804: The New York
Historical Society was founded with St. Nicolas as its patron saint. Its
members engaged in the Dutch practice of gift-giving at Christmas. 1809:
Washington Irving, writing under the pseudonym Dietrich Knickerbocker, included
Saint Nicolas in his book "A History of New York." Nicolas is
described as riding into town on a horse.1812: Irving revised his book to
include Nicolas riding over the trees in a wagon.1821: William Gilley printed a
poem about "Santé Claus" who was dressed in fur and drove a sleigh
drawn by a single reindeer.1822: Dentist Clement Clarke Moore is believed by
many to have written a poem "An Account of a Visit from Saint
Nicolas," which became better known as "The Night before
Christmas." Santa is portrayed as an elf with a miniature sleigh equipped
with eight reindeer which are named in the poem as Blitzed, Comet, Cupid,
Dancer, Dasher, Donor, Prancer, and Vixen. Others attribute the poem to a
contemporary, Henry Livingston, Jr. Two have since been renamed Donner and
Blitzen.1841: J.W. Parkinson, a Philadelphia merchant, hired a man to dress up
in a "Cris Cringle" outfit and climb the chimney of his store.
1863: Illustrator Thomas Nast created images of Santa for
the Christmas editions of Harper's Magazine. These continued through the
1890's.
1860s: President Abraham Lincoln asked Nast to create a
drawing of Santa with some Union soldiers. This image of Santa supporting the
enemy had a demoralizing influence on the Confederate army -- an early example
of psychological warfare.
1897: Francis P Church, Editor of the New York Sun, wrote an
editorial in response to a letter from an eight year-old girl, Virginia
O'Hanlon. She had written the paper asking whether there really was a Santa
Claus. It has become known as the "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa
Claus" letter. 41920's: The image of Santa had been standardized to
portray a bearded, over-weight, jolly man dressed in a red suit with white
trim.
1931: Haddon Sundblom, illustrator for The Coca-Cola ™
Company drew a series of Santa images in their Christmas advertisements until
1964. The company holds the trademark for the Coca-Cola Santa design. Christmas
ads including Santa have continued to this day.
1939 Copywriter Robert L. May of the Montgomery Ward Company
created a poem about Rudolph, the ninth reindeer. He had often been taunted as
a child for being shy, small and slight. He created an ostracized reindeer with
a shiny red nose who became a hero one foggy Christmas Eve. Santa was part-way
through his deliveries when the visibility started to degenerate. Santa added
Rudolph to his team of reindeer to help illuminate the path. A copy of the poem
was given free to Montgomery Ward customers.
1949: Johnny Marks wrote the song "Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer." Rudolph was relocated to the North Pole where he was
initially rejected by the other reindeer that wouldn't let him play in their
reindeer games because of his strange looking nose. The song was recorded by
Gene Autry and became the all-time best seller. Next to "White Christmas"
it is the most popular song of all time.
In America
gift giving is an important part of the tradition and holiday gift baskets are
a great example of gifts. A gift basket can be chosen to fit a person based
upon their taste and they are also perfect for other holidays to be given as
birthday gifts and Hanukkah gift baskets. Make a list and check it twice. Decorate
for the holidays with lighted ice-cycles, and blow up yard figures. Grow a beard,
hand out toys, lug around gift sacks, wear red, climb chimneys, get a reindeer,
and you will feel fortunate you were part of it all.
Merry Christmas!
DR. KARL WALLACE D.D.S.
To read more Karl Wallace stories go to www.karlwallaceblog.blogspot.com
