S.O PIENS, MD: Be An Author Challenge (Part 18)

Christmas celebration started as far back as 9th century in Rome around 336.

In Ancient Rome, there was a feast called Saturnalia – the celebration of god of Saturn which happens during the winter Solstice of the year.

Saturnalia was a major celebration by the non-Jewish people (pagans or gentiles), and it is associated with giving sacrifice to the god of Saturn and merrymaking. Gifts were also shared among worshippers and different events.

When Christianity became a dominant religion in Roman Empire, Emperor Domitian (AD 51-96) agreed with Christians to have celebration of Christ birth during the Saturnalia, and December 25th was fixed – since Saturnalia was already a popular festival in the city of Rome. There were other theories that proposed different dates and events.

Since then, Christmas (Christ mass) has become a major celebration and festive period for Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus and share gifts, light candles, sing carols songs, decorate the house and share lovely memories among families and friends.

Though, there were controversies about when Jesus was born and the validity of celebrating the Christmas, many Christians believe that the primary purpose of celebrating Christmas is to believe that God came into this world in the form of man (Jesus) to atone for the sins of the world, so that man can be saved and receive eternal life.

People all over the world now celebrate Christmas, including Christians and non-Christians, and it is usually announced as public holidays in most countries.

Church attendance generally increases during Christmas season and people generally become more humane and generous towards one another during this season.

The traditional colors of Christmas decorations are red, green, and gold. Red symbolizes the blood of Jesus. Green symbolizes eternal life. And gold symbolizes royalty.

The Christmas tree is a significant part of Christmas celebration and it was first used by German Lutherans in the 16th century. He later spread it around the world. Christmas lights, banners, cards, bells, candles, songs and of course foods are all part of the traditional elements of celebrating Christmas.

Charles Dickens, a great novelist during Victorian era, was the man credited for making Christmas special as we know it today. He published a book in 1843, titled – A Christmas Carol, which instantly became a best-seller. The book changed people’s view about Christmas and made them express more love and kindness to one another and also see it as a good time to celebrate with families and friends.