The Evolution of Christmas
BY GENESIS CARRASCO — Staff Writer
For more than two thousand years, people have celebrated Christmas all around the world. From Roman days until the Victorian era, this article covers the celebrations’ history. We portray the traditions in this article in terms of the Anglo-Saxon experience, even though many of them are common to other Christian nations.
Saturnalia
A long-running Roman holiday honoring the agrarian god Saturn was called the Saturnalia. Every year, between December 17 and December 23, it took place during the winter solstice. Its timing, which was pushed later into December, and some of its characteristics show that it had a significant influence on how Christians celebrate Christmas.
A Middle Age Christmas
For both the wealthy and the peasantry in medieval times, Christmas was one of the most important days of the year. Gifts were given and received, vibrant church services were attended, and joyful feasts were had by all. Christmas was the best time of the year for many, just like it is now. Every season has a unique Christian celebration, frequently derived from earlier pagan customs. Christmas, which stretched from Christmas Eve until Epiphany, was the longest holiday of the year. There was a break in agricultural production in the middle of the winter, so many peasants were given two weeks vacation.
Christmas in the Elizabethan Era
The primary source of public “holidays” throughout the Elizabethan Period (1558–1603 CE) continued to be “holy days” — a phrase that is now being used for the first time. The two weeks vacation was granted because there were much more kids in school today than there were in the Middle Ages. The Christmas feast had grown so elaborate that the house baker needed a lot more time to prepare. Elizabeth I of England received gifts from her courtiers including jewelry, ostentatious clothing, and feather fans.
In terms of private celebrations, the 25th had by this point become the main holiday day. Christmas was a time for excursions and sightseeing throughout the kingdom. Horse and carriage travel was slow and difficult since there were no public roadways. Another well-liked attraction was the glimmer of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. The Puritans, who chose to fast on Christmas Day, posed a significant danger to Christmas itself.
An Old-Fashioned Christmas
The Victorian Christmas was an attempt to capture the illusive myth of a bygone era of prosperity. The Victorians made sure that traditional holiday festivities from the Middle Ages, like a Christmas morning church service, feasting, games, presents, and pantomimes, were preserved. The Christmas tree custom was brought to Britain by Queen Victoria’s husband, Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the Prince Consort. Candles were used to decorate the young fir tree, and ornaments containing little gifts (such as toys, candy, charms, and candied fruit) hung from its branches. The first collection of carols was published in 1521, but it was the Victorians who popularized this practice. On Christmas Eve, small groups of carol singers would gather outside of people’s homes or sing around the family piano.
Original Christmas Cards
In 1843, the first Christmas card was published in England. They were lithographed, hand-colored, and frequently featured lace and ribbons. Snow images were a reoccurring motif, representing the severe winters of the 1830s and 1840s. White Christmases then become far less often. Because this was the day that owners gave their servants and employees their Christmas leftovers, Boxing Day became known as Boxing Day in Britain. There was a wide variety of items available from stores that decorated their displays to draw customers. Now, Christmas Day or Christmas Eve are the days when most people give presents.
Scrooge and the Christmas Present Ghost
Saint Nicholas, who first appeared in the fourth century, is the source of the cheery man with the long white beard who makes house calls on Christmas Eve to deliver gifts to good children. The joyous character known for distributing gifts goes by several names, including Christkind (Germany) and Santa Claus (United States). In the north of England, roast beef and goose were popular dishes, but as the century went on, the turkey gained popularity. Even households with little resources may own a huge bird if they participated in programs like The Goose Club. A steamed plum pudding with a silver coin inside served as the traditional Christmas pudding during the Victorian era. The traditional decorated Christmas cake was inspired by the Elizabethan spiced fruit cake. When meat and fruit were included in mince pies, they were very popular (the former has been discarded today).
Traditional Christmas Fare in Britain
While some families ate dinner in the evening, others continued to enjoy a Christmas lunch, possibly a bit later than usual. Additionally, there were games like charades, blindman’s buff, hunt the slipper, and Snapdragon, which included selecting raisins from a bowl of brandy-lit raisins. Since its release in 1843, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has become a traditional component of the holiday season. Naturally, the customs have expanded with the introduction of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, kids encountering Santa in their neighborhood department store, and chocolate advent calendars. The Yule log is now frequently chocolate, electric lights have replaced the candles on the tree, churches are less crowded than they once were, and many cards are now electronic, but the Christmas Day customs that have endured through the ages continue to enchant and inspire people as they always have.
