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Christmas time round the world!
Christmas takes its name from Christ's Mass and was first celebrated on various dates from about 200 A.D. but was finally set on December 25 by Bishop Liberus of Rome in 354 A.D. The December date, which almost coincides with the winter solstice, became a popular festival of West Europe during the Middle Ages. But as late as the nineteenth century, Christmas celebration was suppressed in Scotland and New England because of some religious differences.
All Christian nations have traditions which have become a part of the Christmas season. For example, England has contributed the decorations of holly and mistletoe, carolling and gift giving.The Christmas tree is a medieval German tradition and the immortal carol "Silent Night" also comes from Germany. The United States first made Santa Claus popular in New York, popularized the Christmas card about 1846 and made the major contribution to commercializing Christmas.
Let's take a look at some Christmas traditions:
Christmas cards
The custom of sending Christmas cards started in Britain in 1840 when the first 'Penny Post' public postal deliveries began. (Helped by the new railway system, the public postal service was the 19th century's communication revolution, just as email is for us today.) As printing methods improved, Christmas cards were produced in large numbers from about 1860. They became even more popular in Britain when a card could be posted in an unsealed envelope for one half-penny - half the price of an ordinary letter.
Traditionally, Christmas cards showed religious pictures - Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, or other parts of the Christmas story. Today, pictures are often jokes, winter pictures, Father Christmas, or romantic scenes of life in past times.
Boxing Day
In English-speaking countries, the day following Christmas Day is called 'Boxing Day'. This word comes from the custom which started in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago: churches would open their 'alms boxe' (boxes in which people had placed gifts of money) and distribute the contents to poor people in the neighbourhood on the day after Christmas. The tradition continues today - small gifts are often given to delivery workers such as postal staff and children who deliver newspapers.
Tracking Santa
A tradition that's bang up-to-date, Norad (the Northern American Aerospace Defence Command) has been tracking Santa since 1955, but now that Google has partnered up with them everyone has access to follow our favourite festive fellow! Starting at 2am ET on December 25th, noradsanta.org uses the Google Earth web browser plugin to pick out the trail of presents the jolly old man leaves as he makes his way across the world. If you don't have access to the plugin, you can also follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/noradsanta, and there's a special mobile web version of the fun at m.noradsanta.org.
Christmas tree and carols
One of the youngest traditions of Christmas is tree trimming. In Hawaii this practice wasn't adopted until about 1910. It is no coincidence that the Christmas tree is a spruce, fir or pine, because according to the most ancient folk beliefs, these trees contain a life-giving power and have miraculous properties. The whole green tree with all its decorations had magic destructive power of evil and protection against evil charms. After supper in every Polish house Christmas carols are sung, songs full of joy and happiness for some, source of agony for others.
