The Guy With Not Enough Time On His Hands!: The Origins of Christmas

Many people do not know the origins of Christmas, and why “we do what we do” during the holidays. Personally, even I know only so much regarding the history of the traditions, with confident hints rather than having everything tied down under the microscope. This article will look at the origins of Christmas and many other western celebrations that occur during the time around December 25^th.

Before we begin, I need to lay down some ground rules for this article.

1) It is very difficult to get an accurate picture of the event itself through religious sources. While some may be dependable, the ultimate motive of these sources is not necessarily an accurate description for preservation, but to convey a message, either accurately or by fudging with accounts. All sources will remain secular in our quest to find out where Christmas came from.

2) This article will remain religiously neutral. I do not allow religious posts or political ones of non-firearms nature on this blog, and I intend to keep it that way.

The Very Beginning on the Origins of Christmas; Jul

December 25^th roughly marks the Winter Solstice, the time in the Earth’s orbit when it is farthest away from the sun. In ancient cultures dating back thousands of years, even before the Romans, Proto-German pagans as well as Scandinavian Pagans celebrated the winter solstice with a grand feast. Called Yule (Scandinavian “Jul”), the celebration was recorded by the Germanic peoples in the 4^th century.

In the telling of an old saga, the author describes the practices of ancient Germanic peoples during the time of Jul. In a religious ceremony, livestock were killed and cooked. When the blood was drained from the animal, it was to be taken and placed in a beaker. Participants then took twigs and began sprinkling the blood all over the temple floor and all over each other.

In addition to eating the cooked meat, it was mandatory that all participants get drunk. When I say drunk, I mean flat on their ass drunk. Toasts, where participants raise their glasses in remembrance, were made to the Gods and to their ancestors. It wasn’t as simple as the saga let on though. When the pagans feasted, they ate and drank what was commonly available to them, and saved the best for such an occasion. Mead, also known as ale or alcohol, was in plenty supply.

Where did the whole thing with gift giving come from? On the Origins of Gifts, the Gingerbread Man, and Caroling

Gift giving originated in the religious Roman festival of Saturnalia during the Roman Empire. The event was meant to celebrate Saturn, the roman god of agriculture and time. The idea of “role-reversal” may have originated with Saturnalia- everything was off the table, from non-fundamental laws to inhibitions. Like a modern day frat party, individuals throughout the Empire- all individuals, were permitted to feast and relax.

As a potential precursor to holiday cards, Romans often gave verses or lines of poetry with their gifts, either in a serious or satirical nature. Gifts may have been given to slaves, and often gifts were exchanged privately among friends, acquaintances and clients. The origins of practical jokes or “gags” may have their roots in the Roman Empire. As sweets and baked goods were a common treat at the time, many produced human shaped biscuits to eat, which were obviously improved upon with each generation. It is not clear if this is ritualistic in the religious sense, or is merely a “merry” way to celebrate the human aspect of participation in the holidays. Often, citizens would sing in the streets of cheer, which would become a precursor to “Christmas caroling”.

Deck the Halls, Indeed

Deck the Halls is a very well-known Christmas carol. Spend any length of time in a western country and you will have heard of this “jingle” at least once. Where did it come from?

“Nos Galan” was a Welsh carol from the 1500s, and possibly earlier. Wales was a country that bordered England to the west. Bards commonly sung this verse. When one thinks of “boughs of holly” and “gay apparel”, that is not the Deck the Halls we are discussing here. “Nos Galan”, meaning “New Year’s Eve” was a song regarding… you guessed it… bosoms (a woman’s rack). It goes on to sing about groves and orchards in blossom (subtle in its message?) and love.

“Deck the Halls”, as we know it, was composed and written by John Hullah, an Englishman in 1866, about 146 years ago. These lyrics were derived from practices in the late Medieval Ages in England. According to the customs of the time, anything that was green and that could be afforded should adorn the outside of the home. The greens are actually Christian in origin, symbolizing the coming of Jesus. Wreaths of tree are an exception, and is a topic I will address. “Green and Red” are common themes to Christmas as they symbolize everlasting life and Christ’s blood, respectively. In the Christian religion, it is Jesus Christ who is the savior of mankind, who was crucified on a cross in order to pay for the sins of mankind. Evergreen trees were a natural fit for early Christians: despite their pagan origins, the fact that needled trees didn’t lose their leaves during the winter could represent eternal life.

Where Jingle Bells Comes From

Rejoice America: for you are the origin of Jingle Bells.

A decade before the Civil War, a man by the name of Lord Pierpont composed the jingle in Massachusetts. I am not sure if the man was drunk, either with ale of eggnog- but the power of the jingle has saturated the holiday season to this day. It was not written for Christmas, but for Thanksgiving. Ouch. Contrary to popular belief- the song is entirely secular, and at the very least, was written to be a secular song.

Where Fruit Cake Comes From
If there is one thing that is a blasphemy during the holiday season, it is fruit cake. Originally from Rome, the recipe called for fruits, spices and sweets to be added to a soft cake. This is a delicious meal to be had, and very enjoyable.

“Fruit Cake” as we know it today originated in the 1500s from the area of the modern day Northeastern United States, parts of Canada and Labrador. When Europe found an excess of sugar over in the Americas, they began making more fruit cake with it. In combination of sometimes dousing the delicacy in some type of alcohol, fruit cakes became insanely popular worldwide and much easier produce.

The only problem? It turned fruit cakes into BRICKS.

The Transition from Yuletide to Christmas

In 354 AD, many early Christians began adopting the pagan celebrations into the worship and observance of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Ancient scholars attempted to determine, through the Book of Luke exactly when Jesus of Nazareth was born. To this day no one can pin point the exact date or time, but scholars from both 1500+ years ago and today agree that a Jesus of Nazareth was likely born in what is today considered modern day Israel. Modern scholars, with access to more information and records, pinpoint the time of Jesus’s birth to around June-August anywhere from our current calendar years of 1CE to 4CE. Contrary to popular belief, AD does not mean “after death”, but “anno domini”, which translates to “in the year of our Lord”.

The Roman Empire, now governed by Christian leaders, needed a way to make the religion more popular and appealing to the people. In a move to counter the decline of Roman Catholicism in the late 4^th century, the church began adopting the customs of Yuletide, as well as other pagan traditions by placing the birth of Christ on December 25^th to coincide with the winter festivities. The already joyous times of the holidays would provide the catalyst to further spread Christmas around the world. Depending on whom you ask, Christmas was either “adopted” or “hijacked”. As per the placement of December 25^th, it is no coincidence that eight days later is New Year’s Day. In Jewish tradition, a boy is to be circumcised eight days after his birth.

Where did the Nativity Scene Come From?
Unlike other entries in this article, the nativity scene is exclusively Christian in nature and was introduced to Christmas as a means of putting emphasis on the worship of Christ. The pope approved of a nativity scene in the High Middle Ages, and from there the tradition exploded around Europe, continuing to this day.

Nativity Scenes have become highly controversial in the United States in the dubbed “war against Christmas”. In an increasingly secular society, the nativity scene has fallen into poor taste for the common celebration of the holidays. The politically incorrect version of the previous sentence is this: it was seen that nativity scenes violate the Separation of Church and State. Regardless of opinion on the matter, the majority of judicial servants in this country agreed that nativity scenes could not be displayed on public property or on government land. Despite the controversy, most if not all Christians still practice the tradition by having some form of nativity scene in the home or on their property.

Where Did the Star on Top of the Tree Come From?

Similar to the entry on the nativity scene, this tradition is purely Christian in nature and was introduced by Christianity. The star represents the “Star of Bethlehem” portrayed in the story in the holy books of the gospels. Of recent tradition (within 100-200 years ago), many Christians began putting an effigy of an angel on top of their trees. Since the Christmas Tree was considered a representation of the trinity because it pointed heavenward, the angel was placed on top of the tree in significance of time honored beliefs.

Where Do Ornaments Come From?

If it isn’t tinsel or the tree itself, what makes a tree stand out are the decorations of bulbous ornaments. Originating in Germany in the 19^th century, a glass maker invented them and began exporting them. Originally called baubles, they became extremely popular worldwide. There was no real religious significance behind the baubles- they just looked good, and embellished a tree. Other ornaments, ranging from religious to secular, were added to the tree to make it more personal to the family.

Why Do People Place a Skirt Around the Tree?

A skirt is placed under the Christmas Tree to stop pine needles from hitting the floor or carpet. Skirts were originally designed to catch candle wax. Before the invention of Christmas tree lights, small candles were used instead. They were only widely used in Churches until the 18^th century, where richer families in Germany would decorate their tree with candles. Like tinsel, candles and lights were meant to embellish the tree and give it a more beautiful appearance. The practice of candles started in 18^th century Germany until electric Christmas lights replaced them.

Where Did the Christmas Tree Come From?

The most recognizable object from Christmas has to be the Christmas Tree.

The predecessor to the Christmas Tree is pagan in origin, but not necessarily European pagan. When I described earlier that green was the color of eternal life, that concept was not a Christian idea. In very ancient times, Egypt, China, and the Caananite regions all venerated green as symbolizing eternal life. Before Scandinavia’s conversion to Christianity, it was common pagan practice to worship and venerate trees. They would be decorated with garlands of flowers. Wreaths, such as Christmas wreaths placed in the home or on the front door are also pagan in origin, but not necessarily European pagan.

Because European pagans venerated trees, it was not a common practice to chop down a tree and bring it into the home. Likewise, trees were not trimmed for their branches in the making of wreaths. As for other cultures around the world- wreaths were commonly used to celebrate eternal life, and eventually made their way into Yul tide celebrations in Scandinavia as less emphasis was put on the worship of trees.

The Christmas Tree as we know it was widely encouraged by Martin Luther in the 16^th century. This was a time when trees were cut down, possibly in symbolized protest to paganism, placed in churches. Christmas Trees made their way to America through a publication known as the Illustrated London News. A photo of the Queen’s family tree caught on, and the rest is essentially history.

What’s the Deal With Putting a Train Under the Tree and Running It?

This tradition had its rude beginnings in the 1850s. When Locomotives were invented, it was thought that children would enjoy push toys that were model trains. In the very early 1900s, Lionel, a major manufacturer today of model trains and railroad sets, pioneered their original product by fitting an electric motor into the locomotive and pulling cars along behind it with an innovative catch system. Since trains were the main source of transportation at the time, people, and especially children- put more emphasis on the importance of trains than we do today.

The original model trains were built and shipped to stores to get people’s attention in the window front. The entire goal was to get people into the store and buying other things. Instead, people wanted the trains. During the 30s, late 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, it was a status symbol for a father to purchase a train for his son (and the whole family) and operate the train with him. Usually families dedicated the train set to operation under the Christmas tree, just as they were advertised in the early 1900s. Other enthusiasts took operations to the next level, building railroad towns, layouts and landscapes. Our family has an old Lionel train set that was purchased by my great grandfather Harry and will be inherited by me someday. Since I am a model builder, and even if I wasn’t, it will be taken care of and passed down the line, regardless of whether I have kids or not (in the case of no kids, I would pass it off to my sister and her family).

Where Did Mistletoe Come From?

We don’t know much about the ancient druids of Britannia, but we do know that they had a ceremony involving mistletoe. A man and a woman meeting under the mistletoe needed to kiss each other. The meme has survived ancient times and is still practiced for antiquity’s sake today. Most people do not know that mistletoe is a parasitic plant (a pest). Despite this, it is actually a good pest as it encourages bio-diversity; a menagerie of animals like to eat the stuff, and to my knowledge mistletoe doesn’t attempt to kill its host.

Conclusion on Origins:

Nativity Scene	Christian
Star/Angel on top	Christian
Jul/Jultide	Pagan
Gingerbread Man	Pagan
Gift Giving	Pagan
Caroling	Pagan
Christmas Tree	Pagan
Mistletoe	Pagan
Ornaments	Secular
Tree Skirt	Secular
Jingle Bells	Secular, America
Fruit Cake	Secular, America
Xmas Trains	Secular, America
Deck the Halls	Secular, Welsh