"It's Christmas!"
For some, Christmas is the most exciting time of the year. For others, it is one of the main religious holidays of the year. For me personally, Xmas is about spending time with our loved ones, giving and receiving some lovely gifts --- and eating good food!
We all know that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Christian Lord Jesus Christ, and some of the church services are beautiful with candles and carol singing, and, of course, "The Christmas Message."
For some, who may be of different 'faiths', Xmas is still celebrated but for different reasons.
"Saturnalia" was celebrated in Rome, in honour of the god of agriculture --- "Saturn." Starting with the week leading up to the Winter Solstice and for a whole month, this was a 'hedonistic' time. Food and drink was plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down --- the slaves became the masters, the peasants were in command of the city and businesses and schools closed so that everyone could enjoy the celebrations.
Also at this time in Rome, the "Feats of Juvenalia" was observed which honoured the children of Rome. Those of the rich classes of Rome, celebrated the birthday of "Mithra" who was an infant god, born of a rock. This day was 25th December and for some it was the most sacred day of the year.
To unite all the people into Christianity, Pope Julius I chose 25th December as the day Jesus Christ was born, and along with this, many of the traditions were continued under this celebration. The Bible does not tell us when Jesus Christ was born, but as the shepherds were herding their sheep outside, it is thought to be around spring time. For me personally, celebrating the birth of a new baby (at any time of the year) is a wonderful time as it is celebrating new life --- and life on this Earth is beautiful!
Christmas hasn't always been celebrated in England. In 1645, Oliver Cromwell and the Puritan forces 'cancelled' Christmas. When Charles II re-took the throne, Christmas was restored. When the English pilgrims moved to America in 1620, they did not celebrate Christmas. It was finally declared a federal holiday as late as 1870.
The famous author Charles Dickens, wrote the classic holiday tale "A Christmas Carol." The message from this tale is: "the importance of charity and good will towards all humankind," and this struck a very powerful note in the United States and England. It also showed members of Victorian society the benefits of celebrating Christmas.
As time went on, more and more 'traditions' were absorbed into the celebration = giving gifts to children / decorating the tree / sending cards / and so on = until we have the Christmas that we have today, in 2020 --- and what fun it is too!
It may be a quieter Xmas this year because of the covid-19 restrictions but we can still have a fantastic time --- it's up to us to make it that fantastic!
No comments:
Post a Comment