[192], The Christmas music in the U.S. was influenced by community and church music, as well as radio, television, and recordings. Noel Pagan, also known simply as Noel, (New York, 1965) is a Puerto Rican freestyle music singer born in the Bronx, New York. The Virgin Birth, the Annunciation and the Manger The core and central theme in the religious Christian aspect of Christmas is the birth of Jesus who is said to have been born of a virgin on the 25 th of December. In eastern Europe also, old pagan traditions were incorporated into Christmas celebrations, an example being the Koleda,[100] which was incorporated into the Christmas carol. [81], In 1743, German Protestant Paul Ernst Jablonski argued Christmas was placed on December 25 to correspond with the Roman solar holiday Dies Natalis Solis Invicti and was therefore a "paganization" that debased the true church. [46], Various factors contributed to the selection of December 25 as a date of celebration: it was the date of the winter solstice on the Roman calendar and it was nine months after March 25, the date of the vernal equinox and a date linked to the conception of Jesus (celebrated as the Feast of the Annunciation).[47]. The calendar reform became a major point of tension between the Anglican party and the Puritan party. [105][106] Donald Heinz, a professor at California State University, states that Martin Luther "inaugurated a period in which Germany would produce a unique culture of Christmas, much copied in North America. As a result, this church celebrates "Christmas" (more properly called Theophany) on the day that is considered January 19 on the Gregorian calendar in use by the majority of the world. 11. "[150], As Christmas celebrations began to be held around the world even outside traditional Christian cultures in the 20th century, some Muslim-majority countries subsequently banned the practice of Christmas, claiming it undermines Islam.[151]. [65], Gemara 8a.6: Rav Ḥanan bar Rava says: When are these festivals celebrated? The word is recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131. As this implies a birth in December, it is sometimes claimed to be the earliest identification of December 25 as the nativity. A History of Graphic Design. And this is the death that was sentenced upon me from Heaven, as it is written: “And to dust shall you return” (Genesis 3:19). As such, in Scotland, the Presbyterian Church of Scotland discouraged the observance of Christmas, and though James VI commanded its celebration in 1618, attendance at church was scant. The band Emerald Rose has an absolutely hilarious (and instantly sing-along-able) tune called Santa Claus is Pagan Too. [90] "Misrule"—drunkenness, promiscuity, gambling—was also an important aspect of the festival. He has been called the "father of the American Christmas card". Today, Yule logs are often represented by a chocolate-covered Swiss roll cake, sprinkled with icing sugar to represent the flour that was dusted onto the log before burning, and decorated with small plastic sprigs of holly. The scribe who added it wrote: It was a custom of the Pagans to celebrate on the same 25 December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. [74] The date of the passion was moved to Good Friday in 165 when Pope Soter created Easter by reassigning the Resurrection to a Sunday. [177][180][181], Since the 16th century, the poinsettia, a native plant from Mexico, has been associated with Christmas carrying the Christian symbolism of the Star of Bethlehem; in that country it is known in Spanish as the Flower of the Holy Night. This is the second article in a 3-part series titled "A Brief History of Holiday Music." Omissions? [126] A prominent phrase from the tale, "Merry Christmas", was popularized following the appearance of the story. Full celebration of a family Christmas with all the trimmings only became widespread with increased prosperity from the 1950s. Contemporary customs in Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas, Rutgers Today - The Surprising History of Christmas Traditions, Christmas - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Christmas - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Learn how Christian historian Sextus Africanus and Roman Emperor Constantine I determined Christmas's date, Discover the history of Advent calendars and wreaths. [220][221] Because of complicating factors, this analysis is sometimes used to discuss possible flaws in current microeconomic theory. Toward the end of the 18th century the practice of giving gifts to family members became well established. Winter Christmas. [49], Following the Protestant Reformation, many of the new denominations, including the Anglican Church and Lutheran Church, continued to celebrate Christmas. dismissive of the festive spirit. 10 records in 10 cities for Noel Pagan in New York. During the summer of `87, Noel released a 12" which was arguably the single against which all future dance singles would have to be judged. In Histriomastix in 1632, William Prynne took Christmas as the worst example of the festivals that were devoted to the theatre and spent in "amorous, mixed, voluptuous, un-Christian, that I say not, pagan dancing." Meggs, Philip B. 29 Kiahk? The calculation hypothesis was proposed by French writer Louis Duchesne in 1889. In this secular Christmas celebration, a mythical figure named Santa Claus plays the pivotal role. [142], Up to the 1950s in the UK, many Christmas customs were restricted to the upper classes and better-off families. [153] As such, for Christians, attending a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day church service plays an important part in the recognition of the Christmas season. However, part of the Eastern Christian Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. [3][62], In the 17th century, Isaac Newton, who, coincidentally, was born on December 25, argued that the date of Christmas may have been selected to correspond with the solstice. 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p 148. Rowell, Geoffrey, "Dickens and the Construction of Christmas". [238] In December 2018, officials raided Christian churches just prior to Christmastide and coerced them to close; Christmas trees and Santa Clauses were also forcibly removed.[239][240]. [103], Saint Nicholas traditionally appeared in bishop's attire, accompanied by helpers, inquiring about the behaviour of children during the past year before deciding whether they deserved a gift or not. Noel Pagan, Soundtrack: American Splendor. [3] Origen and Arnobius both fault the pagans for celebrating birthdays, which suggests that Christmas was not celebrated in their time. On Christmas, people exchange gifts based on the Christian tradition associated with Saint Nicholas,[198] and the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh which were given to the baby Jesus by the Magi. There are many modern traditions today that have Pagan origins like Caroling. It it also possible that the celebration of the birth of the âtrue light of the worldâ was set at the time of the December solstice because this is when the days in the northern hemisphere begin to grow longer. They usually go on sale sometime between early October and early December and are printed in considerable quantities. / For then we scarcely did it know, / Whether it Christmas were or no. Christmas dinner might be beef or goose – certainly not turkey. [23] The first recorded Christmas celebration was in Rome on December 25, AD 336. This pagan tradition was not snuffed out by the Catholic church and during the middle ages the logs and the ceremony of the burning log became more elaborate. [91][92] Its instant popularity played a major role in portraying Christmas as a holiday emphasizing family, goodwill, and compassion. Noel Pagan was born on April 8, 1962. The corresponding terms in other languages—Navidad in Spanish, Natale in Italian, Noël in French—all probably denote nativity. [166] In countries where a representation of the Nativity scene is very popular, people are encouraged to compete and create the most original or realistic ones. By the 13th century, Saint Nicholas was well known in the Netherlands, and the practice of gift-giving in his name spread to other parts of central and southern Europe. [83], Hermann Usener[84] and others[3] proposed that the Christians chose this day because it was the Roman feast celebrating the birthday of Sol Invictus. In the 19th and 20th centuries, African American spirituals and songs about Christmas, based in their tradition of spirituals, became more widely known. Christmas, Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. [132], An image of the British royal family with their Christmas tree at Windsor Castle created a sensation when it was published in the Illustrated London News in 1848. [73] Tertullian (d. 220), who lived in Latin-speaking North Africa, gives the date of passion celebration as March 25. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day church services often came to feature Nativity plays, as did schools and theatres. The Losers (2010) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. [66], Gemara 8a.7: With regard to the dates of these festivals, the Sages taught: When Adam the first man saw that the day was progressively diminishing, as the days become shorter from the autumnul equinox until the winter solstice, he did not yet know that this is a normal phenomenon, and therefore he said: Woe is me; perhaps because I sinned the world is becoming dark around me and will ultimately return to the primordial state of chaos and disorder. For Christians, believing that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity, rather than knowing Jesus' exact birth date, is considered to be the primary purpose in celebrating Christmas.[24][25][26]. How All the Welkin Rings", later renamed "Hark! [228], Some Christians and organizations such as Pat Robertson's American Center for Law and Justice cite alleged attacks on Christmas (dubbing them a "war on Christmas"). The German word Weihnachten denotes “hallowed night.” Since the early 20th century, Christmas has also been a secular family holiday, observed by Christians and non-Christians alike, devoid of Christian elements, and marked by an increasingly elaborate exchange of gifts. This also started the cultural conflict between the holiday's spiritual significance and its associated commercialism that some see as corrupting the holiday. Other deadweight losses include the effects of Christmas on the environment and the fact that material gifts are often perceived as white elephants, imposing cost for upkeep and storage and contributing to clutter. Various writers of the time condemned caroling as lewd, indicating that the unruly traditions of Saturnalia and Yule may have continued in this form. [48] It was restored as a legal holiday in England in 1660, but remained disreputable in the minds of many people.