CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
The history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years. Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ child was born. The 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the yule log, the gifts giving, carnivals (parades) with floats, carolers who sing while going from house to house, the holiday feasts, and the church processions can all be traced back to the early Mesopotamians.
"Jo Saturnalia!" was a fun and festive time for the Romans, but the Christians though it an abomination to honor the pagan god. The early Christians wanted to keep the birthday of their Christ child a solemn and religious holiday, not one of cheer and merriment as was the pagan Saturnalia.
History
The word 'Christmas' comes from Cristes maesse, an English phrase that means Mass of Christ.
The history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years. Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ child was born. The 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the yule log, the gifts giving, carnivals (parades) with floats, carolers who sing while going from house to house, the holiday feasts, and the church processions can all be traced back to the early Mesopotamians.Many of these traditions began with the Mesopotamian celebration of New Years. The Mesopotamians believed in many gods, and as their chief god - Marduk. Each year as winter arrived it was believed that Marduk would do battle with the monsters of chaos. To assist Marduk in his struggle the Mesopotamians held a festival for the New Year. This was Zagmuk, the New Year's festival that lasted for 12 days.
The Mesopotamian king would return to the temple of Marduk and swear his faithfulness to the god. The traditions called for the king to die at the end of the year and to return with Marduk to battle at his side. To spare their king, the Mesopotamians used the idea of a "mock" king. A criminal was chosen and dressed in royal clothes. He was given all the respect and privileges of a real king. At the end of the celebration the "mock" king was stripped of the royal clothes and slain, sparing the life of the real king.
The Persians and the Babylonians celebrated a similar festival called the Sacaea. Part of that celebration included the exchanging of places, the slaves would become the masters and the masters were to obey. Early Europeans believed in evil spirits, witches, ghosts and trolls. As the Winter Solstice approached, with its long cold nights and short days, many people feared the sun would not return. Special rituals and celebrations were held to welcome back the sun.
In Scandinavia during the winter months the sun would disappear for many days. After thirty-five days scouts would be sent to the mountain tops to look for the return of the sun. When the first light was seen the scouts would return with the good news. A great festival would be held, called the Yuletide, and a special feast would be served around a fire burning with the Yule log. Great bonfires would also be lit to celebrate the return of the sun. In some areas people would tie apples to branches of trees to remind themselves that spring and summer would return.
The ancient Greeks held a festival similar to that of the Zagmuk/Sacaea festivals to assist their god Kronos who would battle the god Zeus and his Titans. The Roman's celebrated their god Saturn. Their festival was called Saturnalia which began in the middle of December and ended in January 1st. With cries of "Jo Saturnalia!" the celebration would include masquerades in the streets, big festive meals, visiting friends, and the exchange of good-luck gifts called Strenae (lucky fruits).
The Romans decked their halls with garlands of laurel and green trees lit with candles. Again the masters and slaves would exchange places.
"Jo Saturnalia!" was a fun and festive time for the Romans, but the Christians though it an abomination to honor the pagan god. The early Christians wanted to keep the birthday of their Christ child a solemn and religious holiday, not one of cheer and merriment as was the pagan Saturnalia.But as Christianity spread they were alarmed by the continuing celebration of pagan customs and Saturnalia among their converts. At first the Church forbids this kind of celebration. But it was to no avail. Eventually it was decided that the celebration would be tamed and made into a celebration fit for the Christian Son of God.
Some legends claim that the Christian "Christmas" celebration was invented to compete against the pagan celebrations of December. The 25th was not only sacred to the Romans but also the Persians whose religion Mithraism was one of Christianity's main rivals at that time. The Church eventually was successful in taking the merriment, lights, and gifts from the Saturanilia festival and bringing them to the celebration of Christmas.
The exact day of the Christ child's birth has never been pinpointed. Traditions say that it has been celebrated since the year 98 AD. In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome ordered the birthday of the Christ Child celebrated as a solemn feast. In 350 AD another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, choose December 25th as the observance of Christmas.
In the late 300's, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. By 1100, Christmas had become the most important religious festival in Europe, and Saint Nicholas was a symbol of gift giving in many European countries. During the 1400's and 1500's, many artists painted scenes of the Nativity, the birth of Jesus. An example of these works appears in the Jesus Christ article in the print version of The World Book Encyclopedia.
The popularity of Christmas grew until the Reformation, a religious movement of the 1500's. This movement gave birth to Protestantism. During the Reformation, many Christians began to consider Christmas a pagan celebration because it included nonreligious customs. During the 1600's, because of these feelings, Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English colonies in America. The old customs of feasting and decorating, however, soon reappeared and blended with the more Christian aspects of the celebration.
Traditions:
Christmas festivities from around the world have varied greatly over the centuries with every country, region and ethnic group establishing their own diverse set of customs and traditions.
*Danes eat Christmas dinner at Midnight on Christmas Eve
*Brazilians leave their shoes outside their doors (not because they smell)
*Australians go to the beach!
*Ukrainians eat a 12 course meal!
*In France Christmas is called 'Noel'
*Many Finns visit the sauna on Christmas Eve.
*Knecht Rupprecht, Pelznickle and Ru-Klas may visit Germans.
*Sinterklaas, St. Nicholas - rides a white horse in Holland.
In india…
Christians in India decorate mango or banana trees at Christmas time. Sometimes they also decorate their houses with mango leaves. In some parts of India, small clay oil-burning lamps are used as Christmas decorations; they are placed on the edges of flat roofs and on the tops of walls. Churches are decorated with poinsettias and lit with candles for the Christmas Even service.
Quotes:
• May this Christmas be filled
With happiness in all that you do
And may this joy continue
The whole year through
Wishing you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
• Christmas time wishes
For warmth and good cheer
Happiness now and in the New Year
• Christmas brings us closer
It's a special time of year
A family time and one to share
With those we hold most dear
Christmas brings us closer
And like this wish it brings
Some very precious memories
And life's most happy things
• One of the real joys of the Holiday Season is the opportunity to say
"Thank You" and to wish you the very best for the New Year!
• May the meaning of Christmas be deeper, its friendships stronger,
and its hopes brighter as it comes to you this year.
Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year
• Thinking of You at Christmas Time
May your days be merry, your heart be light -
your holiday happy, your season bright!
• Christmas Blessings
Wishing you the Gladness of Christmas, which is Hope, the Spirit of Christmas,
which is Peace, the Essence of Christmas, which is Love.
• Life's most beautiful things are not seen with the eyes, but felt with the heart.
Wishing you a special season of the heart.
• May the wonder that is Christmas touch the child within your heart.
• The star the shepherds saw that night that lit the way for them
Still shines to guide all those who seek the Light of Bethlehem.
• After the gifts have been opened
After the tree is gone
After the carols have faded
May the happiness linger on.
• May Christmas Greetings
sent with cheer
be with you
throughout the year.
• Heartfelt Greetings
sent to you
for a Happy Christmas
with love too!
• Christmas Greetings are sent
that you both may have
peace and happiness
all your lives
today and everyday.
• Christmas Greetings my friend
At this time of year
I'm sending my love
to those I hold dear.
• Christmas is a time for love
A perfect time for me to say
I hope you have a
Special Day!
• May all the sweet magic of Christmas conspire
to gladden your heart and fill every desire.
• May this Christmas end the present year on a cheerful note
and make way for a fresh and bright New Year.
Here's wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
• May the good times and treasures of the present
become the golden memories of tomorrow.
Wishing you lots of love, joy and happiness.
Merry Christmas!
• May your Christmas sparkle with moments of love, laughter and goodwill,
And may the year ahead be full of contentment and joy.
Have a Merry Christmas.
• As you relish the goodies, decorate every nook and corner of your home
and enjoy the get-togethers...
May the joy and festivities continue to radiate in your lives,
long after Christmas is gone.
Merry Christmas!Happy New Year!
• With all Good Wishes
for Christmas and the New Year.
• A wish for peace and happiness
at Christmas and throughout the New Year.
• Peace, good will and happiness
for you at Christmas and always.
• May the Christmas season
fill your home with joy,
your heart with love
and your life with laughter.
• May the peace and blessings
of Christmas be yours;
And may the coming year
be filled with happiness.
• Merry Christmas and Best Wishes
for a Happy New Year
• Christmas Greetings!
With many good wishes
for Christmas and the coming year.
• May the peace and joy of Christmas
be with you today
and throughout the New Year.
• May the peace and joy of Christmas
live in your heart all year long.
• The gift of love.
The gift of peace.
The gift of happiness.
May all these be yours at Christmas.
• May the Blessings of Christmas
be with you today and always.
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