09.17.05
Merry Saturnalia
(Note: Written originally 25 Dec, 2003)
The History Channel has a really good program on the origins of Christmas.
Details include:
- The ancient Norse tradition of the Yule log which burned for about 12 days during the celebration of the Winter Solstice, which was ~ 21 December every year.
- Upper class pagan Romans celebrated the birth of Mithra on 25 December, the god of the unconquerable sun.
Pagan Romans celebrated Saturnalia at this same time, in honour of Saturn the god of agriculture. They also celebrated Juvenalia in honour of the children. - Christians eventually co-opted these celebrations, adding them to the Christian calendar, even though there is no mention in the bible of the date of Christ’s birth. Historians believe that Christ was probably born in January sometime.
- The Winter Solstice celebrations were bacchanalias, something the Separatists and the Puritans disapproved of. Oliver Cromwell led the movement to ban Christmas. The return of the monarchy in the form of Charles II also marked the return of Christmas.
- There was no Christmas as such in the US for nearly 200 years, partly because of the Separatists and Puritans who emigrated to the New World. Also partly because Christmas was seen as an English celebration and America was shedding its connections to England.
- Christmas was declared a federal holiday in 1870.