A Brief History of the Holidays

Wishing You a Warm Holiday Season.

            Yep, it’s that time again, so I thought I’d keep up a new tradition…

Last year it hit me. I was writing my holiday letter to get everyone caught up on how I was & what was going on, but then I realized just how boring all this stuff is to read. So instead I sent out ‘The True Story of Santa Claus’. I had a great response, so I thought I’d keep my new tradition alive & offer something of more interest again this year (besides, if you want to know how things are, I’d rather just get together for coffee). So here it is: ‘the holiday season’ - what it is, where it came from, & how it came to be what we now celebrate as a tradition. It’s not quite what you might think…

 A Brief History of the Holidays: 

Actually, the holiday season has been celebrated by various cultures for thousands of years. And its origin, in truth, has a bit less to do with theology & more to do with astrological winter…

The Winter Solstice (December 21st):  Long held as a time for feast & celebration, it is the shortest day of the year, & since the birth of civilization it has always been seen as a period to mark the beginning of the new solar calendar.   

Influenced by Babylonian timetables, ancient cultures generally saw the year as a cycle of 360 days (12 months of 30 days each). But what of those 5 extra days? Well, in most cultures the final five days of the year were held as a time for annual festival & great feasting.

This was a good time to party for most. There was a very genuine need to create a respite from the dark gloom & harsh bite of winter. In addition, so that the herds wouldn’t have to be fed in times of a scarce food supply this was when most cattle were slaughtered (not to mention that winter temperatures allowed for meats to be stored so fresh meat was readily available). And of course this was also when the year’s wine, beer, & mead were now fermented & finally available for consumption. All combined, this worked to create the perfect timing for annual celebration.

Hanukkah: In tune with the winter solstice, the Judaic ‘Festival of Lights’ celebrates actually two moments in the history of Jewish culture.

Occupied by Greece, the Jewish people were under extreme persecution & facing tremendous duress. Then in 167 BC the first revolt by the Macabees achieved independence for the Jewish state. Upon returning, they sought first to rededicate the temple. But the war had been hard on the lands & there was found only a small portion of oil to light the temple’s menorah - enough for only one day in what was to be an eight day celebration. Yet the small portion of oil lasted for the entire festival & was seen as a miracle.

Saturnalia:  In ancient Rome the citizens celebrated a week long festival to honor the God Saturn (the keeper of the harvest). Running from the 17^th to the 23^rd, the atmosphere for the festival was riotous & more attuned to Marti-Gras. The government, schools, & businesses were all closed; courts & punishments were suspended; & all wartime activity was ceased so that the army could rest.

Romans would decorate their homes with holly & wreaths of evergreen to symbolize everlasting life over death as well as the hope that soon with the return of spring a bountiful harvest would mean prosperity for all. Celtic Druids & Scandinavians practiced a similar tradition. Egyptians filled their homes with palm leaves.

This was also a time for the upper class to ‘repay’ their debt to those less fortunate. Masters invited slaves into their home & all were treated as equals while sharing in a lavish 7-day feast. 

The festival then met with a grand climax on December 25^th - The Sol Invicta (the feast of the Unconquered Sun). One of the most popular means for worship in Rome was that of Mithra (the God of Light & Sun). It was believed that Mithra was born on December 25^th, & for many this was seen as the most sacred day of the year.

The Birth of Christmas:  Ironically, in the early days of the Christian movement Christmas was not a day that was at all celebrated. In fact, no one really knew when the birth actually took place. Even Biblical scholars tend to place it in spring, for as the argument goes, no mention is made as to the actual date & shepards would not be tending their herds in the winter. As a result, for early Christians it was actually Easter that was seen as the main holiday.

All that changed when Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. He wanted to find a way for the people to embrace the new religion. The only problem was that Mithra was supported by both the influential upper class & the power-base of his Army, & the local people of each region followed their own gods in what we now see as a constellation of ancient mythology. So rather than to decree oppressive laws that could end in conflict & uprising, he looked for ways to meld the beliefs of the Christian faith into the lifestyles of the masses. And since the solstice brought a time of great cheer & merry tidings, he made the decree that the Birth of Christ would henceforth be celebrated on December 25^th. A bit later as the church actually grew in power, Pope Julius I in 336 AD made formal declarations to secure this date as the recognized birth of Christ.

Change & Evolution: The tradition of a carnival-like atmosphere was actually carried forward for quite some time. But by 1645 the Puritan movement led by Oliver Cromwell had gained tremendous ground & began to enunciate powerful influence. As a result, in 1647 English parliament actually passed laws to abolish Christmas altogether! Bummer. Even in early America, such influence caused all forms of celebration to be outlawed in Boston & New England (though elsewhere & in Jamestown such restrictions were deemed as ridiculous). 

Apparently, things started to suck so bad that popular demand finally placed Charles II back on the throne & Christmas as a holiday was restored. In America however, the Revolutionary War caused a great many of English customs to fall out of favor. Tea was replaced with coffee, & the celebration of Christmas was actually seen as un-patriotic! The first Congress under the ratified Constitution was even in session on Dec. 25^th 1789.

But then cool things started to happen, & I might add that it took a writer to do it…

In the 1800’s, classes were harshly divided & tensions were running high through-out the U.S. & Europe. It was a time of constant unrest & such events were a prelude to what would later become the American Civil War & French Revolution. But in 1819, Washington Irving published a sketch-book that presented a series of stories about Christmas at an old English Manor. Acting as the Norman Rockwell of his day, his stories sought to revitalize a romantic era long since past. His stories focused on a squire who invited all those who touched him into his home for the holidays. Groups of various class & wealth engaged without effort or disdain. His work quickly grew in popularity & began to have a profound influence, thus helping to restore the holiday season to one of warmth & kindness. Gruber, being so inspired by the peace & calm of Christmas Eve, composed ‘Silent Night.’ Then in 1843 Charles Dickens published ‘The Christmas Carol.’ The message was clear - true prosperity is found in the wealth of loved ones & goodwill to all. Over time the holiday was soon restored as a family centered event in which all could share a moment of mutual love, warmth, & a giving nature. And it is here that we have now come to find the season, melded in the many traditions of the American culture from various ethnic backgrounds throughout the world.

Boxing Day:  What to do with all those boxes? Celebrated by many countries with a commonwealth influence, it is a holiday tradition that dates back to the middle ages when wealthy land owners & affluent merchants would take the boxes left over from gift-giving & fill them with food, fresh fruits, & clothing. These were then given to servants, tradesmen & assistants who helped in the shop or business (as well as to those less fortunate).  It was a way to thank those who had helped them get there, & for those of achieved wealth to ‘give back.’

Particularly for the servants who traditionally worked on Christmas, they were given the day off so that they could celebrate with their own families. In fact, for many it is a legal holiday even today.

Kwanza: In response to the Watts riots, activist Maulana Karenga in 1966 founded Kwanza. Beginning on the 26^th & with a focus on African culture, each day of the celebration enunciates 1 of the 7 core principals to a full life:  Unity, Self-Determination, Personal & Collective Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, & Faith.

And of Course, Dec. 30^th: Not only is this most esteemed day the 5^th day of kwanza (& dedicated to purpose - I always found that interesting), but it’s also the  birthday of yours truly!   
Chow, Bella!

Wishing you nothing but the best for the holiday season, & hoping that the New Year finds you happy, healthy, & prosperous in all that you strive to be…         - Rick D.