Christmas in America

The word Christmas comes from the words Cristes maesse, or “Christ’s Mass.” Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus for members of the Christian religion. Most historians place the first celebration of Christmas to the City of Rome in 336 A.D.
 
Christmas is both a holiday and a holy day. In America it is the biggest event of the year, and for members of the Christian religion it is generally considered one of the two most significant days on the religious calendar, with Easter being the other. The federal government, all state governments, all schools/colleges/universities, and the vast majority of businesses give time off at Christmas.    
 
Why is Christmas such a big deal?
With approximately 2 billion people in the world identifying themselves as Christians, it should be of no surprise that a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ would arise. In America, Christmas has risen to become the dominant season for numerous retailers. Many retailers make as much as 70% of their annual revenue during the month leading up to Christmas. Sales revenues this Christmas season could surpass $500 billion in the United States.
 
Is Christmas Biblical?
I don’t know that Christmas is necessarily Biblical. Certainly the birth of Jesus is Biblical. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke speak in detail of this event. Gift giving is certainly Biblical. Three specific gifts were presented to Jesus. Many of the traditions which accompany Christmas, however, are non-Biblical, and often arose from pagan beliefs.
 
When did Christmas become so big?
According to Daniel Boorstin in his book, The Americans, Christmas was largely a non-event in America until the 1860s. 1867 was the first year that Macy’s department store in New York City remained open until midnight on Christmas Eve. 1874 was the first year for a Christmas theme to be used in the window displays at Macy’s. It has grown bigger and bigger since that time.
 
Why give presents on Christmas Day?
The traditional explanation for gift giving is because the wise men (Magi) brought gifts to Jesus. However, the actual giving of gifts was never really practiced until the late 1800s. The Santa Claus story and aggressive marketing have helped transform Christmas such that the exchange of gifts is now, for many, has become the central focus of Christmas, especially here in the United States.
 
Was Jesus Born on December 25?
Probably not, nobody knows the exact date of His birth. We do know that the Christian leaders in 336 A.D. set the date of December 25. This was presumably done to compete with a popular pagan holiday (Saturnalia) which celebrated the winter solstice.
 
Why the Evergreen tree?
The evergreen (Christmas) tree tradition comes from Germany, where it started in approximately 700 A.D. This tradition spread throughout Germany, then to England, and finally to the United States.
 
Why hang stockings on the mantel?
There is a very old tradition which credits the original Saint Nicholas for leaving gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor girls who needed money for their wedding dowries. The girls had hung their stockings by the fire to dry. In days gone by the stockings were filled with small items like fruit, candy, nuts, etc., but more recently they have been home to more expensive gifts in many homes.
 
What about Mistletoe?
The common name for the plant arose from the ancient belief that mistletoe came from bird droppings. There was an accepted scientific principle that life could spontaneously come from dung. During ancient times, it was observed mistletoe would often appear on a branch or twig where birds had left droppings. “Mistel” is the Anglo-Saxon word for dung and “tan” is the word for twig. Basically, mistletoe means dung on a twig.
 
Kissing under the mistletoe was probably first associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia, and later with primitive marriage rites. Mistletoe was believed to bestow fertility and provide life-giving power. 
 
Is Holly holy?
The sacredness of holly is likewise traced back to pagan roots. The Druids believed holly kept the earth beautiful when the sacred oak lost its leaves. Holly was also the sacred plant of Saturn, and used at the Saturnalia festival to honor him. Ancient Romans gave one another holly wreaths and used them to decorate images of Saturn. Centuries later, to avoid persecution, Christians would also display holly in their homes. As Christianity spread, its customs prevailed and holly lost its association with paganism and became a symbol of Christianity.
 
We at Oklahoma Woman and Senior Life Magazines wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and a joy-filled New Year!