Did You Know That??

Is December 25th really Jesus Christ's birthday?
No, December 25th is not Jesus' actual birthday. No one actually knows what day Jesus was born. The first mention of December 25th as his birthday appeared on a Roman calendar in the year 336.

Why is Christmas celebrated in late December?
Jesus' birthday appeared on Roman calendars after the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. But despite Constantine's conversion to Christianity the church was still embattled: There were plenty of pagans around. The December date was chosen because there was a pagan tradition of feasting and celebration around this time, so the church fathers wanted to offer an alternative to it. (Not everyone agreed to celebrate the birthday. Many members of the Eastern Orthodox Church delay celebrations until Epiphany, their commemoration of Jesus' baptism.) The pagan celebration was Saturnalia, an ancient Roman holiday honoring Saturn, god of agriculture. Late December is the winter solstice, the time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when the night is longest and the day is shortest. It is therefore one of the year's pivotal points. From this moment, darkness and death begin to ebb; light and life begin to rise. No wonder most cultures celebrate the solstice in some way.

Who put the "X" in Xmas?
That's an easy one. In Greek, X is the first letter of Christ's name, so the letter X was frequently used as a holy symbol and an abbreviation of Christ. Substitute "X" for "Christ" in Christmas, and you get Xmas.

Where did we get the tradition of the Christmas tree?
The Christmas tree tradition has many roots. The Romans contributed and the pagan Germans (who later became Christians) also had solstice celebrations honoring trees. They, however, left the trees in the woods. According to legend, the Protestant reformer Martin Luther was the first to decorate a tree indoors. One night, walking in the woods, he saw stars twinkling through evergreen branches. He brought a tree home and decorated it with candles to show his children the dazzling sight. Read more about Christmas tree in our special Christmas Tree page !

Incidentally, the Advent wreath has a similar story. The ancient Romans bestowed a "victory wreath" on athletes and warriors, and the Lutherans later absorbed this symbol into Christmas as a symbol of Christ's victory.
 

Have Americans always celebrated Christmas?
Yes and no. The religious founders of the American nation, the Puritans, did not celebrate Christmas. Of course, the Puritans didn't "celebrate" much of anything, but they were particularly firm about Christmas. The Puritans once fined anyone caught observing Christmas in Massachusetts. In Connecticut, even baking a mincemeat pie was forbidden!