The History of the Christmas Celebration
Most people know that Christmas is meant to represent the day of Christ's birth, but many customs and symbols we now associate with Christmas were first celebrated long before Christ was born. Does this Spark an idea?
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Ancient Traditions
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Ancient Romans celebrated the god Saturn with feasts, parades and tree decorations in December and early January. Early Scandinavians celebrated the end of winter with the Yuletide festival. During the festival, a Yule log was burned and villagers shared a feast.
Christianity
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It is thought that early Christians chose December 25 to honor Christ's birth to compete with an important date in the Roman Saturnalia festival. December 25 officially became "Christmas Day" in A.D. 350, by declaration of the Bishop of Rome.
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Christmas in the Unnited States
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Under Puritan rules, few early settlers celebrated Christmas. Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston from 1659 to 1681, and December 25 did not become a federal holiday until 1870.
Songs and Films
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The popular Christmas carol "Jingle Bells" was composed in 1857. The earliest Christmas movie was "A Night Before Christmas," filmed in 1906.
Santa Claus
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St Nicholas, a 4th-century Turkish bishop, is believed to be the original inspiration for Santa Claus. The legend of "Sinter Klaas" first came to the United States by way of Dutch immigrants in the 17th century. American writer Clement Clark Moore popularized "St. Nick" in his 1823 story "The Night Before Christmas."
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