How does christmas come

An English artist named William Dobson, drew up some pictures in England for use at this season. They found local use there and soon spread to America. John Barnett. Among the many accounts claiming to explain the origin of the Christmas tree, the three most popular are from Germany — making it the likeliest place of origin. The stories span from the 8th to the 16th century. All three have some element of historical fact, and they may even loosely connect from one to another.

The first story is about St. In the 8th century, he was a missionary to some of the remotest tribes of Germany. Boniface determined that if he wanted to earn an audience with the people, he would have to confront Thor. He announced before the people that he was going to cut down the oak, and he openly challenged Thor to strike him down. Miraculously, as Boniface began to chop the oak, a mighty wind blew and hurled the tree to the ground.

Tradition holds that a fir tree was growing in the roots of the oak, and Boniface claimed the tree as a symbol of Christ. Another possible source of the Christmas tree and probably the most likely comes from medieval religious plays in Germany. It started with the creation of man, acted out the first sin, and showed Adam and Eve being expelled from Paradise the Garden of Eden. It closed with the promise of a coming Savior, which made the play a particular favorite during the Christmas season.

In the play, the Garden of Eden was most often represented by a fir tree hung with apples and surrounded by candles. A third tradition about the origin of the Christmas tree attributes it to Martin Luther , an influential leader of the Reformation.

Some say that on Christmas Eve, Luther was walking through the woods near his home. He was struck by the beauty of how the snow shimmered in the moonlight on the branches of the trees. In an effort to re-create the magnificent sight for his family, he cut down the tree, placed it in his home, and decorated it with candles. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish.

Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside. In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated.

Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, enslaved people were given temporary freedom and treated as equals.

Business and schools were closed so that everyone could participate in the holiday's festivities. Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock.

In the early years of Christianity , Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated.

In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration. Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?

It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival.

First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by and to England by the end of the sixth century. By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated.

By the Middle Ages , Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe.

When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in , they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday. The pilgrims , English separatists that came to America in , were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. Our gifts are also reminiscent of the tributes that the three Magi — who symbolise, according to tradition, the non-Jewish peoples — gave to the infant Jesus.

Incidentally, according to two of the four Gospels, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but given the lack of corroborating evidence for a census there that year, it is now thought that Jesus was more likely born in Galilee , where he grew up.

Bethlehem was significant for the Gospel writers as being the birthplace of King David 1, years earlier, and a royal city for the Jews. The Magi gave Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh, when they understood that the baby they were looking at was both human and the son of God.

That mystery at least remains intact. Portsmouth Climate Festival — Portsmouth, Portsmouth. Edition: Available editions United Kingdom. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in. Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25 December? As you probably guessed, the holiday has changed a lot since its inception. This year, when you're taking part in Christmas traditions like putting up your Christmas tree, whipping up a Christmas ham for your family, or even singing carols, you'll have a better grasp on the history of Christmas and a grander appreciation for the most wonderful time of the year.

Check out these interesting Christmas trivia questions, too, plus the history of the Christmas tree and the history of Christmas colors. Officially, Christmas as a holiday most likely began sometime around the 4th century.

But let's back up a bit. According to the History Channel , winter has always been a time of celebration—even before the arrival of Jesus. The Norse celebrated Yule, and Germans honored the god Oden. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia to honor Saturn, the god of agriculture, and the holiday Juvenalia was held on December 25 for the infant god, Mithra this was the most sacred holiday for some Romans at the time. But when Christianity first began, Jesus's birth wasn't celebrated—Easter was the main holiday.

The Bible doesn't even mention a specific birth date for Jesus, but it was thought to have taken place on January 6, not December