American author Upton Sinclair famously criticized Christmas as a "combination of graft plus buncombe," where waste and greed have turned a day originally intended to honor the "lowly Jesus" into a binge of overeating and pointless spending. Many Christians and non-Christians today would probably agree with him, though it hasn't dimmed the holiday's immense popularity.
Christmas survives as a season of well-wishing, gift-giving, eating, and overall merriment. Of course, many are loathe to say the word "Christmas" for fear of offending others, so the word itself has begun to retreat from western vocabulary. The economy also affects the season. In fact, its effects are more practical and noticeable than the pressures of political correctness. Nevertheless, the "holiday season" (and everyone knows which holiday is at the center of the "holiday" season) remains deeply and increasingly embedded in popular culture.
When Was Christmas First Celebrated?
When did Christmas begin? Answering that question depends on what one means by the term "Christmas." If one is referring to the general season of celebration and merriment that takes place around the "holiday season," the answer is sometime in ancient history, with the rise of Winter Solstice.
Celebrations around the changing of the seasons, such as the Winter Solstice, can be traced back to the ancient cultures, including the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Persians and Druids.
Christianity began in the first century. By the middle of the second century, it had spread throughout the known world. By the fourth, it was well established, having overtaken many pagan religions, including the polytheistic traditions of Rome and Greece. Accordingly, the Winter Solstice festival was overtaken by (and, in some ways, incorporated into) Christmas.
Origin of Christmas
Of course, the term "Christmas" speaks to more than a mere seasonal celebration. It literally means "Christ's Mass," which was intended as a religious celebration (to include prayer and feasting) of the birth of Jesus.
Most historians place the birth of Jesus between the years 6 and 1 B.C. (with the majority arguing for 6 or 5 B.C.). Jesus was crucified in A.D. 30 or 33, and became famous outside of Judea in the decades thereafter. It was customary, in many circles, to celebrate the birth of famous people. Not surprisingly, many Christians wanted to celebrate the birth of the Christ child.
The earliest celebration of Christmas in the western Roman Empire has been dated to December 25, 336 A.D., although celebrations of the Christ child most certainly took place before then. The eastern part of the Roman world celebrated Jesus' birth on January 6 for many years, until eventually adopting the western date.
Christmas Controversy
Not all the early Christians agreed, however, that it was appropriate to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Not only did the celebration of birthdays resemble pagan practices, but Jesus' death and resurrection were of far greater significance. It wasn't until the third and fourth centuries that Christmas became widely celebrated.
In addition, there's no historical proof that Jesus was born on December 25. In fact, there are many reasons to doubt that date, which has fueled some naysayers who complain that Christmas is nothing but paganism wrapped up in a Christian bow.
The greatest controversy today, of course, is that "Jesus" and "Christ" are mentioned less and less in public venues (schools, retail outlets, government agencies, etc.) due to increasing diversity and multicultural sensitivities. As such, "Christmas" is effectively slipping back into its pre-Christian "Winter Solstice" origins. Evangelical Christians and other traditionalists are vociferously fighting this.
The Future of Christmas
If current trends continue, Christmas will probably retain its name and religious identity only in Christian venues. In the public square and marketplace, it will increasingly take on the character of its pre-Christian, pagan roots. Of course, even within Christian circles, this has already taken place, with many families thinking primarily of presents, egg nog, trees, and vacation time, and pausing very little to think about a baby born two thousand years ago in the tiny town of Bethlehem.
Author George P.
Christmas survives as a season of well-wishing, gift-giving, eating, and overall merriment. Of course, many are loathe to say the word "Christmas" for fear of offending others, so the word itself has begun to retreat from western vocabulary. The economy also affects the season. In fact, its effects are more practical and noticeable than the pressures of political correctness. Nevertheless, the "holiday season" (and everyone knows which holiday is at the center of the "holiday" season) remains deeply and increasingly embedded in popular culture.
When Was Christmas First Celebrated?
When did Christmas begin? Answering that question depends on what one means by the term "Christmas." If one is referring to the general season of celebration and merriment that takes place around the "holiday season," the answer is sometime in ancient history, with the rise of Winter Solstice.
Celebrations around the changing of the seasons, such as the Winter Solstice, can be traced back to the ancient cultures, including the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Persians and Druids.
Christianity began in the first century. By the middle of the second century, it had spread throughout the known world. By the fourth, it was well established, having overtaken many pagan religions, including the polytheistic traditions of Rome and Greece. Accordingly, the Winter Solstice festival was overtaken by (and, in some ways, incorporated into) Christmas.
Origin of Christmas
Of course, the term "Christmas" speaks to more than a mere seasonal celebration. It literally means "Christ's Mass," which was intended as a religious celebration (to include prayer and feasting) of the birth of Jesus.
Most historians place the birth of Jesus between the years 6 and 1 B.C. (with the majority arguing for 6 or 5 B.C.). Jesus was crucified in A.D. 30 or 33, and became famous outside of Judea in the decades thereafter. It was customary, in many circles, to celebrate the birth of famous people. Not surprisingly, many Christians wanted to celebrate the birth of the Christ child.
The earliest celebration of Christmas in the western Roman Empire has been dated to December 25, 336 A.D., although celebrations of the Christ child most certainly took place before then. The eastern part of the Roman world celebrated Jesus' birth on January 6 for many years, until eventually adopting the western date.
Christmas Controversy
Not all the early Christians agreed, however, that it was appropriate to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Not only did the celebration of birthdays resemble pagan practices, but Jesus' death and resurrection were of far greater significance. It wasn't until the third and fourth centuries that Christmas became widely celebrated.
In addition, there's no historical proof that Jesus was born on December 25. In fact, there are many reasons to doubt that date, which has fueled some naysayers who complain that Christmas is nothing but paganism wrapped up in a Christian bow.
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The greatest controversy today, of course, is that "Jesus" and "Christ" are mentioned less and less in public venues (schools, retail outlets, government agencies, etc.) due to increasing diversity and multicultural sensitivities. As such, "Christmas" is effectively slipping back into its pre-Christian "Winter Solstice" origins. Evangelical Christians and other traditionalists are vociferously fighting this.
The Future of Christmas
If current trends continue, Christmas will probably retain its name and religious identity only in Christian venues. In the public square and marketplace, it will increasingly take on the character of its pre-Christian, pagan roots. Of course, even within Christian circles, this has already taken place, with many families thinking primarily of presents, egg nog, trees, and vacation time, and pausing very little to think about a baby born two thousand years ago in the tiny town of Bethlehem.
Author George P.
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