TheHistoryofChristmasChristmasisaChristianholidaythatcelebratesthebirthofJesusChrist.NooneknowstheexactdateofChrist'sbirth,butmostChristiansobserveChristmasonDecember25.Onthisday,manygotochurch,wheretheytakepartinspecialreligiousservices.DuringtheChristmasseason,theyalsoexchangegiftsanddecoratetheirhomeswithholly,mistletoe,andChristmastrees.ThewordChristmascomesfromCristesmaesse,anearlyEnglishphrasethatmeansMassofChrist.ThestoryofChristmascomeschieflyfromtheGospelsofSaintLukeandSaintMatthewintheNewTestament.ThehistoryofChristmasdatesbackover4000years.ManyofourChristmastraditionswerecelebratedcenturiesbeforetheChristchildwasborn.The12daysofChristmas,thebrightfires,theyulelog,thegivingofgifts,carnivals(parades)withfloats,carolerswhosingwhilegoingfromhousetohouse,theholidayfeasts,andthechurchprocessionscanallbetracedbacktotheearlyMesopotamians.ManyofthesetraditionsbeganwiththeMesopotamiancelebrationofNewYears.TheMesopotamiansbelievedinmanygods,andastheirchiefgod-Marduk.EachyearaswinterarriveditwasbelievedthatMardukwoulddobattlewiththemonstersofchaos.ToassistMardukinhisstruggletheMesopotamiansheldafestivalfortheNewYear.ThiswasZagmuk,theNewYear'sfestivalthatlastedfor12days.ThePersiansandtheBabylonianscelebratedasimilarfestivalcalledtheSacaea.Partofthatcelebrationincludedtheexchangingofplaces,theslaveswouldbecomethemastersandthemastersweretoobey.TheancientGreeksheldafestivalsimilartothatoftheZagmuk/SacaeafestivalstoassisttheirgodKronoswhowouldbattlethegodZeusandhisTitans.TheRoman'scelebratedtheirgodSaturn.TheirfestivalwascalledSaturnaliawhichbeganthemiddleofDecemberandendedJanuary1st.Withcriesof"JoSaturnalia!"thecelebrationwouldincludemasqueradesinthestreets,bigfestivemeals,visitingfriends,andtheexchangeofgood-luckgiftscalledStrenae(luckyfruits).TheRomansdeckedtheirhallswithgarlandsoflaurelandgreentreeslitwithcandles.Againthemastersandslaveswouldexchangeplaces."JoSaturnalia!"wasafunandfestivetimefortheRomans,buttheChristiansthoughtitanabominationtohonorthepagangod.TheearlyChristianswantedtokeepthebirthdayoftheirChristchildasolemnandreligiousholiday,notoneofcheerandmerrimentaswasthepaganSaturnalia.SomelegendsclaimthattheChristian"Christmas"celebrationwasinventedtocompeteagainstthepagancelebrationsofDecember.The25thwasnotonlysacredtotheRomansbutalsothePersianswhosereligionMithraismwasoneofChristianity'smainrivalsatthattime.TheChurcheventuallywassuccessfulintakingthemerriment,lights,andgiftsfromtheSaturaniliafestivalandbringingthemtothecelebrationofChristmas.TheexactdayoftheChristchild'sbirthhasneverbeenpinpointed.Traditionssaythatithasbeencelebratedsincetheyear98AD.In137ADtheBishopofRomeorderedthebirthdayoftheChristChildcelebratedasasolemnfeast.In350ADanotherBishopofRome,JuliusI,chooseDecember25thastheobservanceofChristmas.ThebirthofJesushadastory:InNazareth,acityofGalilee.Thevirgin'snamewasMarywasbetrothedtoJoseph.Beforetheycametogether,shewasfoundwithchildoftheHolySpirit.Josephherhusbandwasmindedtoputherawaysecretly.Whilehethoughtaboutthesethings,Gabriel,anangeloftheLordappearedtohiminadreamandtoldhimdidnotbeafraidtotakeMaryaswife.AndMarywillbringforthaSon,andheshallcallhisname,Jesus,forhewillsavehispeoplefromtheirsins.BeforeJesusbirths,JosephandMarycametoQuirniuswasgoverningSyria.Soallwenttoberegistered,everyonetohisowncity.JosephalsowentupoutofGalilee,outofthecityofNazareth,intoJudea,tothecityofDavid,whichiscalledBethlehem,becausehewasofthehouseandofthelineageofDavid,toberegisteredwithMary,hisbetrothedwife,whowaswithchild.Soitwasthatwhiletheywerethere,thedayswerecompletedforhertobedelivered.AndshebroughtforthherfirstbornSon,andwrappedhiminswaddlingcloths,andlaidhiminamanger,becausetherewasnoroomforthemintheinn.Andthat,ChristmasisthefeastofthenativityofJesus,ison25th,Decembereveryyear.ButnobodyknowstheactualbirthdayofJesus.AndtheChristmashasbecomepopularwhenChristmascardsappearedin1846andtheconceptofajollySantaClauswasfirstmadepopularinnineteenthCentury.ThecustomofgivinggiftstorelativesandfriendsonaspecialdayinwinterprobablybeganinancientRomeandnorthernEurope.Intheseregions,peoplegaveeachothersmallpresentsaspartoftheiryear-endcelebrations.Inthe1800's,twomoreChristmascustomsbecamepopular--decoratingChristmastreesandsendingChristmascardstorelativesandfriends.Manywell-knownChristmascarols,including``SilentNight"and``Hark!TheHeraldAngelsSing,"werecomposedduringthisperiod.IntheUnitedStatesandothercountries,SantaClausreplacedSaintNicholasasthesymbolofgiftgiving.ThewordXmasissometimesusedinsteadofChristmas.ThistraditionbeganintheearlyChristianchurch.InGreek,XisthefirstletterofChrist'sname.Itwasfrequentlyusedasaholysymbol.
