6th December - in memory of St. Nicholas
Christmas Day: The traditional date for the appearance
of Santa Claus, obviously from the birthdate of Jesus (the word
Christmas is from old English, meaning Christ's mass). This date
is near the shortest day of the year, from old times an important
agricultural and solar feasting period in Europe. The actual birthday
of Jesus is not known and thus the early Church Fathers in the
4th Century fixed the day as was most convenient. The best fit
seemed to be around the old Roman Saturnalia festival (17-21 December),
a traditional pagan festivity with tumultuous and unruly celebrations.
Moreover, in 273 Emperor Ayrelianus had invented a new pagan religion,
the cult of Sol Invictus (invincible sun, the same as the Iranian
god Mithra), the birthday of this god being 25th December (natalis
sol invicti). The Christian priests obviously saw this choice
as doubly meritorious: using the old customary and popular feasting
date but changing the rough pagan ways into a more civilized commemoration.
The first mention of the birthday of Jesus is from the year
354. Gradually all Christian churches, except Armenians (celebrating
6th January which date is for others the baptismal day of Jesus
and the day of the three Magi), accepted this day. In American/English
tradition the Christmas Day itself is the day for Santa, in German/Scandinavian
tradition the Christmas Eve is reserved for presents.
Christmas Presents: There are many roots of this custom.
There is St. Nicholas the anonymous benefactor, there is the tradition
of Magi giving precious gifts to Jesus, there is the Roman custom
of giving gifts of good luck to children during Saturnalia. The
day of gift giving varies greatly in different Christian cultures
and times:
6th December - in memory of St. Nicholas
24th December - Christmas Eve
25th December - birthday of Jesus
1st of January - the New Year
6th Of January - The Epiphany, day of the Three
Wise Men, the Magi
The giver of presents are many: Jesus himself, Old Father Christmas,
Santa Claus, A Goat, Befana (the female Santa in Italy), the three
Magi, Christian Gnomes, various Saints, the Kolyada (in Russia),
the Joulupukki (in Finland). The oldest Finnish tradition did
not necessarily involve a giver of the presents at all: an unseen
person threw the gifts in from the door and quickly disappeared.
Christmas Carols: The Catholic Church valued music greatly
and it is no wonder that the early Christmas songs date from 4th
century (the earliest known is "Jesus Refulsit Omnium"
by St. Hilary of Poitiers). The Medieval Christmas music is followed
by the Gregorian tradition. In Renaissance Italy there emerged
a lighter and more joyous kind of Christmas Songs, more like the
true carols (from the French word caroler, meaning to dance in
a ring). These songs continued to be religious and in Latin, though.
In Protestant countries the tradition, as everything Christmas-related,
intensified.
Luther wrote and composed his song "From Heaven above
I come to you". Music by Handel and Mendelsson was adapted
and used as Christmas Carols. The old Finnish/Swedish collection
"Pise Cantiones" was translated and published in English
in mid-19th century. The most famous of all, Silent Night (Stille
Nacht, heilige Nacht) was written by the Austrian parish priest
Joseph Mohr and composed by Franz Gruber, church organist, in
1818. In 19th century and later many popular songs were written
by composers (e.g. Adam, Sibelius). The themes of songs surpassed
religion and the totality of Christmas paraphernalia found its
way to carol music.
Food: Christmas means eating in most parts of the Christian
world. In old societies hunger was the supreme king and eating
was the highest contrast, the supreme way to nirvana. Meat of
some kind was the most important dish (was this connected with
the words of Jesus, "this is my flesh"?), often pork,
ham, goose, (later turkey), fish (carp, salmon). An innumerable
variety of cakes and pastries, often very intricate and only baked
for Christmas were and are known throughout the world. Cakes could
be hung from the Christmas tree, too.
Real Christmas trees, unlike artificial ones which aren't biodegradable
and will remain in landfills for centuries after they are disposed
of, can provide something back to the environment in a variety
of ways:
Christmas
trees are biodegradable - the trunk and branches can be used as
mulch for gardens, parks or in animal stalls. The mulch provides
a protective barrier for the roots of other plants and vegetation
while preventing weeds from growing. The mulch then decomposes,
providing the nutrients plants need to thrive.
Mulching
programs are a fast growing trend in communities throughout the
nation. Check with your local department of public works for information.
Some
communities use Christmas trees to make effective sand and soil
erosion barriers, especially at beaches and on river beds. Sunk
into private fish ponds trees make excellent refuge and feeding
areas for fish.
Before
recycling, Christmas trees can be used to make bird feeders, adding
color and excitement to the winter garden. Utilize orange slices,
suet, and seed to attract the birds. They will come for the food
and stay for the shelter in the branches.
Important: Never burn your Christmas tree
in a fireplace or wood stove. Burning the tree may contribute
to creosote buildup.
Note: Living trees have a better survival rate in mild climates.
