Christmas, with all of its colorful traditions, is coming up fast. We celebrate, exchanging gifts with family and friends around the Christmas tree, as snow falls outside. We remember the past -- the birth of Jesus, the Nativity, and we reflect on our own lives gone by.
What is the story behind Christmas? Before the birth of Christ there was the Yuletide, on the day of the winter solstice. On this day people celebrated the birth of the sun. For it was now that the days began getting longer and the nights shorter. Some saw it as the beginning of the new year. It became a celebration of the birth of Christ, who is, in a sense, the shining light or sun, to the Christians. The tradition and stories we have now come from both of these and many other legends.
There are many colorful traditions of Christmas. The giving and receiving of gifts is thought by some to symbolize the three wise men giving gifts to the Christ Child.
The Christmas tree comes from the old Pagan tradition of decorating a pine tree with symbols of what they wanted for the following year. There is also the story that Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church, came across a beautiful ice-covered pine tree in the woods and cut it down and took it home.
And what of Santa Claus? (St. Nick) Where do we get the story of him riding a sleigh and going down chimneys to give gifts? This story originally described an old Germanic Goddess, who rode a sleigh pulled by reindeer, and came into people's homes, putting gifts in their stockings. When Christianity became dominant, the story lived on as a description of St. Nick, who was originally a patron of children.
The Christmas season is a mix of so many different traditions. What better way to is there to celebrate our friends and their various backgrounds and beliefs, than this wonderful time of year.
