Merry Christmas!!! How you doing so far? In less than 24 hours (probably already starting for some of you), and the merry-making will begin. I for one, have long been defrosting the meat I will be using for later…like later after I’ve posted this. I know! Talk about Christmas dinner tips, right?
Anyway, I just want to share some really quick and cool Christmas facts that I come across these past few days. One striking fact is that time when Christmas got canceled. Quite intriguing right? I mean considering how a lot of people are so into Christmas, especially the kids, it makes me wonder what would it be like without Christmas.
I mean sure, the pandemic did affect how we celebrated Christmas these past couple of years, but still we managed to celebrate it still somehow. But imagine canceling Christmas for real?
Why We Celebrate Christmas
Christmas is a Christian festival, celebrated every 25th of December each year, in honor of Jesus Christ. And while other religions have similar traditions, they don’t really celebrate Christmas from a religious perspective. They however respect that Christmas is indeed one of the most celebrated holidays in the world.
Why We Call It Christmas
Christmas comes from the word Cristes maesse, an old English phrase meaning “Christ’s mass.” And apparently whenever someone is saying Xmas, it’s not exactly an abbreviation of the word Christmas. Yes, it turns out that it’s a Greek letter – X (Chi). The Greek word Χριστός (pronounced as ‘Christos’) means Christ.
Easter vs Christmas
Celebrating Jesus’ birthday isn’t really a thing until the 4th century when church officials made Christmas a holiday. Years before that – Easter was the main event. And although the bible doesn’t really tell a specific date and evidence suggests that Jesus’ birth may have been in the spring – it was Pope Julius I who chose December 25.
The Father of Christmas
Yes, that big guy in the red suit with a white beard and rosy cheeks that goes – ho, ho, ho! Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop from Myra (in modern Turkey) known for being kind and generous. He became known as the patron saint of children. As to Rudolf, his red-nosed reindeer – well, it turns out that the very first mention of any reindeer was in a poem published in 1821. In fact, Rudolf himself wasn’t in the picture until a storybook was written in 1939.
And Finally, That Time When Christmas Got Cancelled
It was during the 17th century when Oliver Cromwell – a political and military leader in England known for being ruthless in battle, canceled Christmas. It turns out that he was also known for being intolerant of Catholics and Quakers (The Religious Society of Friends). It was however later reversed and people get back to celebrating Christmas again when Charles II was restored to the throne.
There was also that time when Christmas was outlawed in Boston, USA! This is because it turns out that the pilgrims (English separatists in America in 1620) are stricter than Cromwell. So, between 1659 and 1681, anyone caught celebrating Christmas will be fined. It was not until 1870 that Christmas was declared a holiday. And it was only until the 19th century that Americans really began to embrace Christmas.
So that’s about it! I told you, it’s really quick. Anyway, good luck with your cooking and I hope you’ll get to celebrate Christmas with your loved ones!
