Christmas The Story of Christmas and Christmas Traditions and Customs Around the World

The Date of Christmas The early Christians certainly had many arguments as to when Christmas should be celebrated! Also, the birth of Jesus probably didn't happen in the year 1AD but slightly earlier, in about 5, 6 or 7BC Christmas was first celebrated as a proper day, on the 25th December, in the 5th century, in the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Winter Solstice and the ancient pagan Roman midwinter festivals called 'Saturnalia' and 'Dies Natalis Solis Invicti' took place in December

Christmas Candles the Jewish Festival of light, called Hanukkah, is celebrated during winter and the early Christians might of taken the custom of burning candles from the Jews and put it to Christmas. One of the earliest records of candles being used at Christmas is from the middle ages where a large candle was used to represent the star of Bethlehem and also Jesus is sometimes called 'the Light of the World' by Christians. the most famous use of candles at Christmas are Carols by Candlelight Services. These are services when the church is only lit by candles.Carols

Christmas Cards started in the U.K. in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. He was a civil servant who was very interested in the new 'Public Post Office‘U.K. Sir Henry had the idea of Christmas Cards and with his friend John Horsley, who was an artist, they designed the first card and sold them for 1 shilling each. The first cards usually had pictures of the Nativity scene on them. In late Victorian times, robins (an English bird) and snow-scenes became popular.

Christmas Bells Church Bells, have been associated with Christmas for a long time. In some churches in the U.K., it is traditional that the largest bell in the church is rung four times in the hour before midnight and then at midnight all the bells are rung in celebration.U.K. In Victorian times, it was very fashionable to go carol singing with small handbells to play the tune of the carol. Some times there would only be the bells and no singing

Christmas Carols Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these were not Christmas Carols. They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter Solstice celebrations as people danced round stone circles. The word Carol actually means dance or a song of praise and joy! Carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons, but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived! Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave people Christian songs to sing instead of pagan ones.

Christmas Tree The evergreen fir tree has been used to celebrate winter festivals (pagan and Christian) for thousands of years. Nobody is really sure when Fir trees were first used as Christmas trees. It probably started about began 1000 years ago in Northern Europe The first person to bring a Christmas Tree into a house may have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. The night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. It was so beautiful, that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas.

Christmas Trees In Germany, the first Christmas Trees were decorated with edible things, such as gingerbread and gold covered apples. Then glass makers made special small ornaments similar to some of the decorations used today. At first, a figure of the Baby Jesus was put on the top of the tree. Over time it changed to an angel/fairy that told the shepherds about Jesus, or a star like the Wisemen saw. The first Christmas Trees came to Britain sometime in the 1830s. They became very popular in 1841, when Prince Albert (Queen Victoria's German husband) had a Christmas Tree set up in Windsor Castle.

Christmas Pudding Christmas pudding originated as a 14th century porridge called 'frumenty' that was made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices. By 1595, frumenty was slowly changing into a plum pudding, having been thickened with eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and given more flavor with the addition of beer and spirits. One superstition says that the pudding should be made with 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and His Disciples and that every member of the family should take turns to stir the pudding

St Nicholas to Santa Claus St. Nicholas was a Bishop who lived in the fourth century AD in a place called Myra in Turkey. He was a very rich man who started giving gifts to the Poor. He started the custom of hanging up stockings for Christmas Gifts In the 16th Century in Europe, the stories and traditions about St. Nicholas became very unpopular. But someone had to deliver presents to children at Christmas, so in the U.K., he became 'Father Christmas', a character from old children's storiesU.K.