Our holiday season today is filled with many things. Gift giving, decorations, carols, religious ceremonies, and time well spent with family members or loved ones reside as the main focus. All of these little things come together to create one of our country’s favorite holidays.

    Depending on your religion (or lack thereof), you may have been taught differently about the origins of the holiday. All of these holiday origins have truth to them; but that isn’t all there is to the holiday so many of us enjoy! Many religions teach that “Christmas” is the celebration of the birth of Christ. As a tradition, people following these certain life-paths go to their church of choice and partake in a worship ceremony. Prayers are often read around Christmas dinner and advent calendars seem to gain popularity with every year.

    Holiday season festivities really began in the early days of the Roman Empire. They celebrated Saturnalia, which included many of the same aspects that the holiday season still does today. These festivities were held during the winter solstice (a common celebration period for many cultures around the world), and included a full week of gift giving, feasting, and general debauchery. The Romans hoped all their efforts would encourage the Sun to tell Mother Earth to begin reproducing for the spring.

    Even the traditional holiday colours, red and green, have traditionally been used to represent fertility in males and incubation in females. These colours were often used in pagan decorations around this time of the year. Mistletoe, holly, and wreaths specifically were used as decoration, though the Egyptians also used Palm leaves. Though in later years, these things are not often coloured red and green as they once were. Colder winter colours such as light blues and whites have transitioned in place of reds and greens. These colours are often associated with winter and snow, as well as the Norse goddess Skadi. Winter time was often viewed as a celebration to her, as well as many other gods and nature itself.

    Christmas caroling, while not as popular as it once was, is believed to originate in old English and Anglo-Norman folk-lore. Tales of a royal marriage and songs sung to appease the new couple arose in the 1840’s. This is the first recorded presence of caroling around Christmastime. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol also is an early mention of Christmas caroling and many people believe this is what popularized it. Of course, there are also rumors that the long-standing tradition started when groups of drunken men would go door to door singing drinking songs in hopes for food or shelter. Regardless of its origins, caroling today is a means of spreading warmth and cheer to those who may not otherwise feel it over the holiday season.

    The birth of Christ didn’t really have anything at all to do with the winter solstice until the 2nd century. Christians at that time began to celebrate the appearance and birth of Jesus Christ on the 6th of January; not the 25th of December. Christians wouldn’t begin to celebrate on the 25th until the 4th century, when Pope Julius I declared it to be Jesus’ birth celebration day. Truthfully, there is no historical evidence to support what day Christ was born on, or even what season. In fact, the only reason his birth is celebrated this time of year is so that Christians and other Biblical worshiping religions could join in on the pagan festivities without blaspheming God. Even Christmas dinner, which I’m sure you all have enjoyed at one time or another, was once meant to be a feast dedicated to the pagan god Mithra. (Among other things.)

    One of the biggest draws of the holiday season, or the 25th specifically, is gift giving. Presents are no-doubt every child’s favorite part of Christmas. Santa Clause is the ever-present gift giver. He’s the big man behind everything; but he’s not where the story started. The origin of an older man giving children presents during the winter solstice, in fact, starts with the Norse god Odin. During Yule, a Scandinavian winter festival, Odin was said to ride upon his eight-legged horse and distribute small gifts to children. Odin has always been characterized as a larger old man with a white beard wearing a robe. Sound familiar? Tales are also told of a man now called St. Nicholas who made toys for children who otherwise had none. It is commonly believed that the image of these two legendary figures helped to create the image of Santa Clause we have today.

    One of my personal favorite parts of the winter season is the annual decoration of an evergreen. These trees have been used in Christmas celebration for many years now, but the true origin of tree-decorating may surprise you. The origin of tree decorating starts in Greece, where many people would cut down trees, bring them back to the home, and decorate them in the likeness of a god or goddess. Many cultures all over the world considered certain trees to be signs of resurrection and would decorate them in worship to a particular god. The prophet Jeremiah declared this to be an act of heresy and only became an acceptable thing for certain religions to partake in around the 1700s.

    Interesting as the study of holiday history may be, it really only matters what you are celebrating today. Christmastime is a time for celebration and worship, no matter if who you celebrate is a loved one or a god. Whether you’re spending the holidays alone or with your family, keep your heart warm and generous. Stay true to who you are this holiday season and always be sure to re-affirm your own faith in the reason you celebrate.