By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
Christmas is probably, if not the most beloved holiday amongst us all. The countdown to December 25 is what we long for, and is a great time where families and friends come together for gift-giving, eat delicious foods, sip on some eggnog and do other well-known traditions.
But, what is the origin of the holiday and what is its true meaning? Also, where does the concept of Santa come from?
Origin and meaning of Christmas
Before Christmas actually became a holiday, the Winter Solstice (known as the shortest day and longest night of the year) was a time where ancient cultures held feasts and celebrated holidays during that time. Since it was the longest/darkest night of the year, cultures used fire and light which became traditional symbols.
Ancient Rome also got in on the fun and held several celebrations around the time of the winter solstice, including Saturnalia, which is a pagan festival honoring the agricultural god "Saturn."
Moreover, Rome added more celebrations into the mix, including the birthday of Mithra (ancient Persian god of light) on December 25.
Once Christianity was established, the first recorded Christmas that celebrated the birth of Jesus is often cited to occur in AD 336. This then became a religious service that recognized Jesus' birth, as the Roman government at the time, decided to celebrate this on December 25.
It is important to note, it is not quite clear on the exact date of Jesus' birth, though many Bible commentators including Dr. Henry M. Morris, speculated Jesus was born on September.
By the fourth century, church officials had decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday on December 25. According to many historians, it is believed the Roman church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. However, the Roman church did not celebrate Saturnalia, since it was a pagan festival celebrated by outside (not within the church) Roman society.
In fact, the word "Christmas" means two words, "Christ Mass" which is a combination of "Christ" (from Greek Khristos, meaning "anointed one" or Messiah) and "Mass" (from Latin missa, referring to the Eucharistic service or celebration).
Santa Claus origin
Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas says the plus-sized man in a read suit with a long white beard. But, the question becomes, "who really is this guy and how did he come about?"
In the 3rd century, a Christian monk named St. Nicholas was known for doing many things such as stopping a violent storm to save doomed sailors, donating money to a father forced to sell his daughters into prostitution and even restoring to life a trio of boys who had been dismembered by an unethical butcher.
The name Santa Claus evolved from St. Nicholas' Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas.
Interestingly enough in 1809, Washington Irving (American writer), portrayed St. Nicholas as a portly Dutchman who flew the skies in a wagon and dropping gifts down chimneys.
In 1822, an Episcopal minister named Clement Moore wrote a long Christmas poem for his three daughters entitled “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” more popularly known as “’Twas The Night Before Christmas.”
In the poem, Moore portrayed St. Nicholas as a “right jolly old elf” with a portly figure and the supernatural ability to ascend a chimney with a mere nod of his head.
His poem helped popularize the now-familiar image of how we view Santa Claus today.