A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS
By Tim Lambert
Christmas is, of course, Jesus' birthday. However it is very unlikely Jesus was really born on 25 December! In ancient times most pagans held some kind of mid-winter festival. Instead of abolishing the old pagan festivals the Church took them over and 'Christianised' them. In 354 AD 25 December was fixed as the birthday of Christ.
In England Christmas was originally called Yule. The old Saxon word Yule meant mid-winter. However when the Saxons were converted to Christianity the word Yule came to mean Jesus' birthday. The word Christmas (Christ mass) was not used until the 11th century.
For most of history Christmas was just one of many festivals celebrated throughout the year. Until the 19th century Christmas was not particularly important in England.
Most of the things that make up a 'traditional' English Christmas were actually invented (or imported into England from other countries) in the 19th century. That includes Christmas trees, Christmas cards, Christmas crackers, paper decorations and, of course, Father Christmas or Santa Claus with his white beard and red costume.
For a time in the 17th Century Christmas was banned! In 1647 in England the Puritans banned Christmas along with other religious festivals. However that was not because the Puritans were killjoys! They were extreme Protestants who wanted to 'purify' England of the old Catholic religion. They disapproved of Christmas (and other festivals) because they were religious festivals and were remnants of the old Catholic religion. The Puritans decreed that every second Tuesday in each month should be a day off in lieu of the old festivals. However many people resisted the Puritans and ate 'Christmas cakes' (mince pies) and closed their shops on Christmas Day. When Charles II became king in 1660 Christmas and the other festivals were restored. During the 18th century people continued to celebrate Christmas as they had done for centuries.
Long before the 19th century people in England decorated their houses at Christmas with holly, ivy and mistletoe. However they also used many other plants, such as fir, yew and laurel. In the 19th century people began to use coloured paper decorations.
For centuries it was common to give gifts to friends and relatives at Christmas. However hanging out stockings to be filled with presents was first recorded in parts of England in the early 19th century. It became common in the late 19th century.
The first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by John Horsley. Before 1840 it would not have been feasible for ordinary people to send cards because of the cost of postage. However Rowland Hill introduced the penny post in 1840. By the 1860s Christmas cards were very popular in England.
Christmas crackers were first made in 1847 by a confectioner named Tom Smith. While in Paris he saw sugar almonds sold wrapped in tissue paper and he invented the Christmas cracker. He added mottos to the sweets (later these evolved into jokes). Smith added the 'bang' in 1860. Little gifts were also added to Christmas crackers.
Christmas trees were used in central Europe from the Middle Ages. By the 16th century they were decorated. By the 17th century tinsel was used. Other decorations included paper flowers, candles, barley sugar, gingerbread and wax shapes. The first trees in England appeared in England the 18th century but they did not become popular till the 19th century. Queen Victoria married a German, Prince Albert. In 1848 they were shown in a picture in the Illustrated London News with a Christmas tree. As a result Christmas trees became very popular in England. Christmas tree lights were invented in 1882.
Father Christmas and Santa Claus were originally two different figures. In England Father Christmas was a man dressed in green (representing the return of Spring) who was supposed is supposed to visit families and feast with them at Christmas. (He did not bring gifts). However in the 19th century in England Father Christmas merged with the Dutch Santa Claus. He is supposed to be based on St Nicholas a Christian bishop who lived in Turkey in the 4th century AD. According to tradition St Nicholas gave generous gifts to the poor. St Nicholas had a feast day on 6 December. (In Poland Santa still brings gifts on 6 December). On that day it was traditional to give gifts or to give to charity to remember the saint's generosity.
The Dutch took the tradition of 'Sinterklaas' to America. In time Sant Claus evolved into a figure who brings gifts to sleeeping children at Christmas. The modern Santa Claus or Father Christmas was invented in the 1860s by a German-American artist called Thomas Nast. In the late 1860s Santa Claus was imported into England.
Mince pies have been eaten at Christmas in England since the 16th century. Originally they were made of minced meat but in the 19th century the meat was replaced with dried fruit and spices.
Christmas pudding dates from the Middle Ages. Originally it was called plum pottage and was made of chopped meat with 'plum' i.e. dried prunes or raisins. In time the meat was replaced by suet.
Originally Christmas cake was eaten on Twelth Night (6 January). In the late 19th century people began to eat the traditional Twelth Night cake at Christmas.
For centuries it was traditional to burn a Yule log in the fireplace at Christmas. In the 19th century it was also common to light a large Yule candle.
Boxing Day was originally a day when alms-boxes in churches were opened and the money was distributed to the pooor. Later 'boxes' were given to servants.
Today Christmas is still celebrated on 7 January in Ethiopia. The Russian Orthodox Church also celebrates Christmas on 7 January.