Thread by @hanihassan26

This morning's timely #trivia

💫 Christmas 🎄

The oldest English language reference to Christams as the occasion celebrating the Feast of the Nativity of Jesus comes from Old English "Cristes mæsse" (i.e. Mass on Christ's Day), eventually becoming one word mid 14th C
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Putting aside debated connections to pagan celebrations of the winter solstice (such as the Norse Yule & the Roman Saturnalia), the earliest known celebration of Christmas was some time in the 4th C, spreading to Egypt by the 430s & to England by the late 500s.
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As there is no mention in the Bible of the birthdate of Jesus, with many sources in fact suggestion that his birth was more likely in spring than in winter, Dec. 25 was chosen for its symbolism rather than its historical accuracy
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& is considered as the Christianization of "dies solis invicti nati", noting that for most of the early centuries of Christianity the celebration of birth days was strongly opposed.
Some propose that it was the early Christian historian Sextus Julius Africanus
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who in the year 221 first identified Dec. 25 as the date of Jesus’ birth, while other sources credit Pope Julius I (d. 352) with choosing the date.

According to numerous records, early celebrations of Christmas were actually quite rowdy & raucous
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perhaps carrying over elements of the Roman Saturnalia, & involved crowds of the impoverished going to the houses of the affluent & demanding they share their food & drink, & those who would not were often met with a good dose of mischief 😁
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Perhaps it was due to such behaviour that when Oliver Cromwell came to power in England, he banned Christmas festivities. Though these soon returned with Charles the First, Christmas remained largely frowned upon, & even outlawed in some puritan communities
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particularly in the colonies & settlements in America, & was not instated as a federal holiday in the US until 1870.
Its eventual establishment as an official holiday may in fact be related to riots that used to break out around Christmas time
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due to high unemployment in the early 1800 in a number of major cities, which seems to have prompted the move towards celebrating Christmas as a time of giving & gathering around shared dinners. & by the mid 19th century onwards
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the celebration went beyond its religious & theological reference & became more & more a widespread & secular celebration of family & the joy of giving.

Whatever may be the various catalysts for the spread of Christmas celebration, it certainly is a Merry occasion for all 😊🎄🙏🏼