(Note: This is just sort of the outline. You can fill in specifics on your own, I'm sure.)
The basic flow goes from pagan practices being "Christianized," to being repressed under the Puritans, to being revived by Charles Dickens, to seeming always to have been this way to us.
The Stuff of Christmastime
I. Origin
of the words “Christmas,” and “Xmas”
1050AD and 1200AD
II. How
about a date? Actual birthday? Dec. 25th rationale Spring, 6-4BC, 9 months after Annunciation
III. Timeline
of Celebrations. Nativity Feast 336AD.
IV. How
to Christianize pagan practices. Winter
Solstice. 12/21 Egypt Osiris, 12/17-23
Roman Saturnalia & 12/26 Janus,
12/25 Persians Mithras, 12/25 Phoenicians Baal
V. Those
Middle Agers knew how to party!
Communion 506AD, Civic Holiday 529AD, by 1100AD biggest holiday, Christmas
to Epiphany brings back the pagan. 12
days of excess
VI. Those
Reformer party poopers. 1600’s pagan
practices banned, stores open, Church canceled.
Shortened to 12 somber days.
VII. Dickens
to the rescue! In the1800s, the goodwill from
Saturnalia returns, and “decking” makes a comeback. Isn't your idealized Christmas rooted in 1860
England?
VIII. The mixed bag of symbols
`Creche,
St. Francis of Assisi 1200s,
`Christmas
and Paradise plays 1100s
`Feasting:
Romans fruit wine grains, Phoenicians bulls, Norse bear, harvest
`Gift
giving Saturnalia, St. Nicholas Day, 1800s America
`Christmas
lights Norse bonfires Yule season, Romans candles in tress, Hanukkah
`Christmas
Trees Vikings (evergreens spring will return), Druids (decorated oak trees
harvest), Romans (trinkets and candles), Medieval Paradise Plays (with apple)
12/24, 1605 Germany and Martin Luther lights
`Christmas
Wreaths, probably German, possibly from Santa Lucia, Sweden 304AD
`Christmas
Greens: Mistletoe--Celts (all heal)
Greeks (charm) & Norse (kiss) Holly--Roman (dispel demons), Norse
(attract friendly spirits), Olde England (virgin protection), Druids (hair
accessory for watching Mistletoe harvest), Germans (good weather luck) Ivy—Romans
(Bacchus)
`Yule
Log Norse-England-America, yuletide lasted weeks, Boar celebration at solstice,
Thor is god of Yule and chases away frost, some Christians burn for 12 hours
for good luck
`Wassail
is cider, sugar, eggs, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and apples, 12th
night. Anglo-Saxon “be whole,” thrown on
trees to invoke gods of trees. Go from party to party singing and wassailing.
`Boxing
Day, 12/26, St. Stephen, empty alms boxes for the poor, leftover feast boxed
for servants
`Secular
Christmas Carols 1300s-1400s (before that, somber Latin hymns)
`Christmas
Cards 1843 England
`Santa
Claus . . . Stockings Nicholas of Myra 342AD, Norse bring north mix with Odin
who could see all, rode horse across sky, giving gifts to the poor and candy to
children (Sinterklaas is name travels with Black Peter). Takes off among the Dutch, Germans,
French. PA Germans call him Kris
Kringle. Clement Clarke Moore “A Visit
from St. Nicholas” and CocaCola cement it all together.
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