The history of Christmas…

As incredible as it may seem, Christmas is now just 6 days away. This week is the last at work for many of us, and we won’t return till the New Year. It’s understandable for the festive time to be quite stressful, but we’re hoping that the 25^th will be anything but. Christmas is a time to be enjoyed with loved ones, and is the most widely celebrated festival in the world. What exactly is the history of Christmas, though?

Christmas is a religious occasion for a lot of us, particularly celebrated in Christian churches to mark the birth of Jesus, the son of God. Known as the Nativity, the story is described in the New Testament of the Bible. It is widely regarded that Mary was engaged to a carpenter called Joseph, and that an angel came to deliver a message that Mary would give birth to God’s son.
According to history, the bible informs us of the three wise men that followed a star that led them to Jesus’ birthplace, delivering gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Alternatively, the younger generation view Christmas as a magical event whereby Santa and his reindeers deliver all the presents on Christmas Eve. Santa’s evolution is largely similar to his Christmas Eve round-the-world trip, or at least just as eccentric. While children believe that Mr Claus comes from the North Pole, the legend of Saint Nick extends back to hundreds and hundreds of years. So here’s another bit of history…
Saint Nicholas was a bishop who lived in the fourth century in a place called Myra in Asia Minor, now known as Turkey. He was a very rich man due to being left large sums of money by his parents who died when Nicholas was young. He was also regarded as a very kind man, and often gave gifts to people who needed it most. It’s no surprise then, that Saint Nicholas was the man who ‘made’ Christmas.
By the 16^th Century, as the stories and traditions about Saint Nicholas became unpopular, people realised that someone had to deliver the presents on Christmas Eve. It was at this point that Father Christmas appeared in the UK, though other countries had different names. The USA called him Kris Kringle, France referred to him as Pere Noel and Germany gave him the name of Christkind.
Ever wondered how Rudolph and the other reindeers appeared? The story dates back to 1823, when the famous poem labelled ‘T’was the night before Christmas’ was published by Dr Clement Clarke Moore. The poem describes Saint Nicholas with eight reindeer and gives them names, one of which is of course called Rudolph!
The Santa Claus from the UK and USA became more and more alike over the years, to the point where they now practically the same! While there is a debate over where he resides, everyone agrees that he travels through the sky on a sledge that is pulled by reindeer, before climbing down the chimney and leaving presents by the Christmas tree.
He’ll be making another appearance in just 5 days! Are you ready? We are.