"Traditional" Christmas

Contrary to what many believe, Christmas did not begin with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. For one, no one knows with any precision when he was born. Most estimates put it during the spring of 6 BCE judging by comparing the rulers and events mentioned in the New Testament with historical records. If you want to get technical about it, Christmas, as a mid-winter, late-December celebration began in Europe long before Jesus’ time. Though differing in different regions, generally it was a celebration of the return of the sun.

In Rome the feast of Saturnalia occupied about a month just before and after the winter solstice. This feast was celebrated with hedonistic excess and, in some cases, slaves and masters reversed roles. Specifically December 25 was reserved for the most important celebration of the year honouring the birth of Mithra. The fourth century pope, Julius I, set the Feast of the Nativity on December 25 in order to compete with and absorb the pagan rites and traditions associated with that date. Generally speaking, Christmas was not viewed as a significant holiday during the Middle Ages; Christians saved their biggest celebrations for Easter. However, in parts of Europe Christmas was a day when peasants would approach their lords demanding gifts of food; if they failed to comply, the peasants would play nasty tricks on them. If this sounds more like Halloween than Christmas, well you’re probably right. “Traditions” did have a way of getting mixed together throughout history.

The Puritans did not approve of the excesses and raucousness of Christmas and so banned it where they had the power to do so. When they migrated to North America, any hint of the celebration of Christmas brought fines. The sloppily sentimental picture of Pilgrims bringing the celebration of Christmas to the New World would have been regarded as an obscenity to them; they associated Christmas with Devil-worship. Christmas did not become an official holiday in America until 1870. Prior to that it was just another work day.

So, where did our concept of the “traditional” Christmas come from? The complete picture of Christmas celebrations involving a fat older gentleman in a red suit; evergreens brought indoors and decorated; and the excessive exchange of gifts developed during the early 20ieth century. It was the Coca Cola Company that invented the “traditional” image of Santa Claus for use in their advertising; in fact, their heavy Christmas-related advertising campaigns during the 1920’s are the root of today’s commercialization of the holiday, complete with “holiday madness.” The evergreens were imported from the German worship of Odin, introduced by Queen Victoria and copied by wealthy Americans. The exchange of gifts in some form or other was often associated with December 25^th and so it became incorporated into the celebration of Jesus’ birth, encouraged by American merchants and advertisers.

Of course, the image of the “traditional” Christmas celebration probably would not have become as firmly fixed as it did if it weren’t for Hollywood. The sentimental image of family gatherings, scenes of forgiveness and redemption, and overly-orchestrated “Christmas” music during the Depression of the 1930’s and the World War of the 1940’s created a nostalgia in people for something that had never really existed. If people genuinely craved “tradition” then we would celebrate the birth of Jesus by besieging the rich for gifts and drunkenly crowning a “lord of misrule” for the day.

As for any association between the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus and the modern holiday, I can’t find any connection. The Biblical story is about poverty and sacrifice; about the outcasts and hopes of redemption. More so, it is a story about the power of simple acts of love and kindness. If anything, it is the antipathy of modern towns and cities hoisting huge tress covered with sparkling lights in the town squares; and decorating their downtowns with wreaths and coloured lights. That sounds suspiciously like the Feast of Saturnalia. Apoplexy because people say “Happy Holidays,” instead of “Merry Christmas?” That sounds more like Thought Control to me.

Canada and the United States are not, and have never been, “Christian” nations. In fact, the founding fathers of the American state would be horrified at the almost vice-like grasp that uneducated and willfully blind “Christians” have on so many of their institutions.  And, to add insult to the injuries they are inflicting on our societies, they want us to believe that their concepts and views are somehow universal and fixed since time began? Humbug!