Christmas History

History of Christmas

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which happened over 2000 years ago. The word “Christmas” translates to “Mass Of Christ”. However, we can all be sure that the celebration of the Christmas holiday did not start right away.

Many of the traditions that we observe during the Christmas holiday season began way before the birth of Christ. Exchanging gifts, decorating trees, and the burning of the Yule log were all winter traditions that began before Christ was born, but were eventually incorporated into the holiday that became known as Christmas.

Over 4000 years ago, the Mesopotamians celebrated each new year with a 12-day festival, called Zagmuth. It is from this festival that the 12 days of Christmas is believed to have originated.

The ancient Romans held a celebration each year in honor of their god Saturn. This festival, called Saturnalia, began in the middle of December and lasted until the first of January. The Romans decorated their homes with garlands and hung candles on trees. During this festival the people of Rome would visit each other’s homes and hold great feasts.

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