The idea behind Christmas Day is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and it has been celebrated on December 25 since this date was fixed by the Church in AD 440. The date has little to do with the actual date or day of Jesus' birth but is timed to coincide with the traditional pagan celebrations that took place at the time of the winter solstice.
In ancient times, people held a feast on the day of the winter solstice, December 21 because of the fact that this was the shortest day of the year. The celebration marked the event because people knew that, after that, the days would start getting longer and warmer again as the seasons turned.
Christmas as a popular festival dates only really from the Middle Ages where the practice of eating a roast bird – turkey or duck or goose started. The decorations of holly and mistletoe are traditionally English and other traditions such as a Christmas tree and cards were introduced much later in the 1800s and 1900s.
In ancient times, people held a feast on the day of the winter solstice, December 21 because of the fact that this was the shortest day of the year. The celebration marked the event because people knew that, after that, the days would start getting longer and warmer again as the seasons turned.
Christmas as a popular festival dates only really from the Middle Ages where the practice of eating a roast bird – turkey or duck or goose started. The decorations of holly and mistletoe are traditionally English and other traditions such as a Christmas tree and cards were introduced much later in the 1800s and 1900s.
