autumn-issue-8-december-2015

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∙and∙media∙culture 22 The History Of CHRISTMAS By: Kevin Brownfield 6-4 BC Birth of Jesus 527 and 565 AD Christmas recognized as an official Roman holiday 6 - 4 BC 33 - 33 AD 527 - 565 AD 1466 1620 30-33 AD Death of Jesus 1466, Pope Paul II forced Jews to run naked through the city streets for the amusement of the Roman people Christmas, the day of giving, the birthday of Jesus Christ, and only day Dad and his mother-in-law could look past their differences by dipping into glasses of the “adult” eggnog. Christmas has long been one of my favorite holidays. As a child in the 1990s, my entire extended family would get together at my greatgrandparent’s house to exchange presents and eat a giant dinner before the kids would fall asleep in front of the fireplace while the adults watched Jeopardy and talked about whatever adults talked about. At church, we would all listen to the story of how Jesus was born in a manger. I could recite the story by heart by my third Christmas, and it never lost its magic. With Christmas just around the corner, my love for the holiday led me to start researching its origin. I started my research with simple questions, but the answers I found were far more complex than I expected. The fact is, the earliest evidence of Christmas comes from Rome in 336 AD1, nearly 300 years after the death of Jesus; whose death, according to historical evidence, is placed somewhere during the rule of Pontius Pilate between 26 AD and 37 AD. However, it wasn’t until between 527 and 565 AD that Christmas would be recognized as an official Roman holiday. But we’ve all heard of the Roman persecution of Jews and Christians, so why would they have made it a holiday? And why on December 25th? Many of the biggest celebrations throughout the ancient world took place around the time of the winter solstice. These celebrations were in honor of new beginnings and the end of the worst parts of winter. The tradition of December 25th started with the Pagans of Rome and a festival called Saturnalia. Saturnalia was in celebration to the God and its namesake, Saturn (the Greek equivalent of Cronus), and was celebrated from December 17 to the 25th. During this time, Roman law allowed for Rome to turn into something along the lines of “The Purge,” with nobody being punished for crimes during the festivities. The festival also seems to be the origin of caroling, according to the historian Lucian, who wrote in his dialogue Saturnalia: “...Drinking and being drunk, noise and games and dice, appointing of kings and feasting of slaves, singing naked, clapping of tremulous hands, an occasional ducking of corked faces in icy water,--such are the functions over which I preside...” These were all interesting things to learn, to say the least, but why do we celebrate Christmas on the 25th and why do we hold all these Pagan traditions? In the 4th century, to spread Christianity, the early Christian leaders allowed for Christians to celebrate Saturnalia, with December 25th being reserved for the celebration of Jesus’ birth in attempts to make the festival more Christian. While ancient feasting, singing, and exchanging gifts mirror today's practices, there were activities during the early celebrations of Christmas that were less “Christian” than others. In fact, some of these practices
∙and∙media∙culture 1620 violence of early Christmas celebrations led to its banning by English pilgrims 1775-1783 Christmas unfavor Christmas during the American Revolution, as most English customs were abandoned 1870 Christmas declared a holiday by the federal government 23 1659 - 1681 1775 - 1783 1819 1870 1659 and 1681 Boston had outlawed the holiday and fined those who celebrated it Washington Irving, who in 1819 wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent were downright evil and were perpetrated by none other than the Catholic Church. In 1466, Pope Paul II forced Jews to run naked through the city streets for the amusement of the Roman people5. The violence of early Christmas celebrations would lead to it being banned by English pilgrims in 1620. For the twenty-two years between 1659 and 1681 Boston had outlawed the holiday and fined those who celebrated it. Christmas would fall even more out of favor after the American Revolution, as most English customs were abandoned. Christmas wouldn’t be declared a holiday by the federal government until June 26th, 1870. What changed America’s mind about Christmas? It could be said that the reinvention of Christmas can be attributed to the author Washington Irving, who in 1819 wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Irving’s stories painted Christmas as a day to bring people together no matter their social standing. This was a big idea at the time, as clashes between the rich and poor, as well as riots, were regularly occurring. As Americans started to celebrate Christmas once more, they would adopt traditions from various immigrants coming into the country. Thus, began Christmas as we know it today. So this raises the question, should Christians be celebrating Christmas? A holiday whose roots are in paganism and violence. The answer is for you to determine. What does Christmas mean to you? And does its past change that meaning? For me, while what I learned was interesting, it doesn’t affect how I feel about the holiday. My memories aren’t of Pagan rituals and violence, but instead of family, both immediate and extended, getting together to share our love for one another. Isn’t that all that matters? The Art Of The Flip: How To Creatively Succeed In Job Interviews “In this market, flipping has to do with making interview questions and answers reflect you positively." PICK UP YOUR COPY TODAY!
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