Christmas origins

Did you know that Christmas celebration is older than Christianism? In 2012, André Bernardo wrote an article for SuperInteressante magazine about the origins of many rituals we perform until today, such as All Soul's Day and New Year's Eve, and Christmas origins too was among them.

In ancient Rome, according to it, the shorter day of the year was celebrated with a Sun-worshipping party and three centuries after Jesus’ death, his birthday started be be celebrated on this very same date. The latim word for Christmas, “Natale”, means birthday.

The article tells us that, in the year 336, the Roman Emperor Constantino I set Jesus’ birthday date to December, 25th. The choice wasn’t by chance: during this time of the year, it’s Winter Solstice in North Hemisfere, when Romans celebrated the Natalis Solis Invict (Birthday of Invicible Sun). Christianism has been recently legalized in Rome and Constantino used the popularity of this party to promote it.

Santa Claus original clothes, inspired by Saint Nicholas’.

Sandra Webb ©2006. All rights reserved.

And in today’s costumes.

Sandra Webb ©2006. All rights reserved.

                    

Source:

SuperInteressante Magazine. Ed. 300. January, 2012. (print)