Holidays of peace, love and spending time with family and friends are irresistibly approaching. It is this wonderful period that is accompanied by enormous stress, haste and searching for the best gifts.
However, the period before the magical Christmas did not always take this form. In today's article, we will tell you what about the history of this wonderful and beloved period - the Christmas period.
The first important element that we must not mention is where this important period of the year actually came from.
Christmas is described as a mix of different religious, pagan and other traditions. From another point of view, Christmas is based on traditions. Like other holidays, they are closely connected with the beginning of something new, otherwise it is not the same at Christmas. Every year, for centuries, Christmas is celebrated just after the winter solstice, which is followed by something new, namely the summer solstice.
Wondering why Christmas is celebrated a few days after the winter solstice, on December 24 or 25? From a Christian point of view, the celebration of Christmas is linked to the date of the birth of Jesus. However, this hypothesis does not have to be based on real facts, as the specific date is unknown. According to the theory, the Christians chose the date of December 25 because of the aforementioned solstice. They chose this date mainly because of the solstice, from which the sun begins to rise. For them, it meant the coming of the Savior. The second theory is that this date was chosen taking into account the celebration of Easter. Again, the solstice follows 9 months after the equinox near which Easter is celebrated. The third theory is that Christians sought to cover the then very important holidays, such as the celebration of the cult of the Old Persian sun god Mitra.
The tradition associated with making nativity scenes was popularized by Francis of Assisi in the 10th century. This beautiful custom spread with lightning speed throughout Europe. There are several symbols in colors and all connections that have been and still are applied to the nativity scene. It is the nativity scene that is decorated with leaves, ivy or even mistletoe. Colors like red, green, gold represent symbols of blood and eternal life. The gifts brought by the three kings to the little Jesus symbolize eternal life.
And what did it mean? Mistletoe decoration comes from ancient European myths and folklore. When there are characteristic white berries on the plant and a couple kisses under this excellent plant, one of the berries breaks off as a sign of fertility.
If the word Christmas is said, the most precious element comes to mind right away. The element is the tree associated with its decoration. The extremely popular decoration of trees dates from the 7th century and comes from the pagan worship of trees. Sv. Boniface declared that instead of oaks, a fir tree should be worshiped, whose spitz points to the sky and the shape of the fir tree resembles the Holy Trinity.
The term Christmas tree , which is extremely resounding even in the 21st century, did not appear until the 12th century later - specifically in the 19th century. In some parts of the world, Christmas cactus and other types of plants are also used as Christmas decorations.
The lights, which are also a characteristic element of Christmas, are a symbol of Jesus - the light of the world. However, we know from history that fire has always been a celebration of the equinox. This decoration, which is extremely popular with many, has, as already mentioned, a much greater and deeper meaning than just senseless and exaggerated decoration of the house or the exterior of the house.
Christmas songs and carols are a combination of church songs and folk songs. Popularity and popularity increased and began to gain rapid upward growth in the 19th century. It was during this period that people began to unite all connections and deeper social significance. To this day, we encounter Christmas songs that are heard everywhere, at least a month before this magical period. This marketing move is linked to the consumerism we face. The catchy melodies that are characteristic of these songs are popular with many and therefore it can slow us down, calm us down and in shopping malls we can thus spend much more time - we increase the turnover of traders.
And what about gifts? Many believe that the symbolism of giving comes from the Bible, with the arrival of the three kings in Bethlehem. But the truth is different. The symbolism of giving gifts follows the tradition of the ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia in honor of the god Saturn. However, the content of the gifts has been similar to today's for centuries. Material matters that were characteristic of the time. Instead of plastic toys, children often found toys made of better quality materials, such as wood, under the tree.