The History of Christmas

Nowadays, Christmas is celebrated by many countries around the world on 25th December. The holiday is celebrated by both the religious and non-religious alike, with Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. However, it has changed a lot throughout the years.

The Midwinter Solstice on 21st December, the shortest day of the year, has been celebrated since ancient times, long before the days of Jesus Christ. Many countries had their own versions of Midwinter Solstice celebrations that preceded Christmas, celebrating the coming lighter days and end of winter.

In the UK, archaeologists have found that Midwinter Solstice celebrations happened around Stonehenge, where great feasts were held, large amounts of meat were consumed and gifts were exchanged.

Romans celebrated Saturnalia from 17th December, with the festivities lasting a few more days over the solstice. Ranks were overturned so slaves had freedom and were served by their masters, with more feasts and gift giving.

In Medieval times, the 12 days of Christmas were celebrated, with presents exchanged on the twelfth night - 6th January. These celebrations signified the first use of the word Christmas (Christ’s Mass) to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas in Medieval times was a mix of the Roman Saturnalia and other Midwinter celebrations such as Yule. Feasts were held, houses decorated with evergreens, and carols were sung. One person would be crowned “Lord of Misrule” and could order others to play christmas games of his choosing.

Tudor Christmases were a more toned down version of the Medieval celebrations. Plays such as “Twelfth Night” were enjoyed, and the tradition of baking a bean into a cake was started, with the person who got the bean in their slice becoming “King of the Bean”, meaning everyone had to imitate him.

Victorian Christmas most resembles our Christmas celebrations today. Due to changes inspired by Queen Victoria and her large family, Christmas was a more family focused affair. Albert popularised the Christmas tree and the practise of decorating them from his native Germany, and presents were now given on Christmas Day. Common presents for children were sweets and oranges, although children from wealthier families could expect the newest toy. Boxing day was introduced on 26th December as a day to give “Christmas Box” tips to servants and tradesmen. Printed Christmas cards, Christmas crackers, turkey for Christmas dinner and Christmas pudding all originated in Victorian England. Many of today’s popular carols come from Victorian times.

Although Christmas has changed a lot since the ancient Midwinter Solstice celebrations, many of the core aspects have remained the same. We still hold feasts and exchange gifts, though it is now on a smaller scale rather than large public gatherings, and we have added more traditions through the years.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to read more Christmas related blogs, see our recent blog on the History of Santa Claus.