When Did People Start Celebrating Christmas?

Christmas is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the world, but its origins and traditions are far more complex than many might realize. What we know today as Christmas has evolved over centuries, drawing from religious, pagan, and cultural influences. Understanding the rich history of Christmas offers insights into how this holiday became a global celebration of love, family, and generosity.

Pre-Christian Roots: Pagan Festivals of Winter

The origins of Christmas celebrations go back long before the birth of Jesus. Various cultures in Europe had longstanding traditions tied to the winter solstice, the time when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky, typically around December 21 or 22.

• Yule (Northern Europe): In Scandinavia and other parts of Northern Europe, the ancient festival of Yule was celebrated to mark the return of the sun. Large Yule logs were burned, and festivities included feasts and the giving of offerings to gods like Thor. The Yule log tradition, which involved lighting a log to ward off the darkness, would later become part of Christmas customs.
• Saturnalia (Rome): The Roman festival of Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture, took place in mid-December and lasted about a week. During Saturnalia, social norms were temporarily suspended. Slaves were treated as equals, people exchanged gifts, and homes were decorated with greenery. Many of these practices bear striking similarities to how Christmas is celebrated today.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe, church leaders sought to transform these existing pagan customs into Christian traditions, merging them with celebrations of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Birth of Jesus and the Early Church

Though Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’s birth, the Bible doesn’t specify the exact date of His birth. Some early Christians even debated whether they should celebrate Jesus’s birth at all, as the most important Christian holiday was Easter, celebrating Jesus’s resurrection. However, by the 4th century, church officials began to celebrate December 25th as the official date of Jesus’s birth.

• Why December 25th? One theory is that this date was chosen to align with the existing pagan festivals like Saturnalia, making it easier for pagans to convert to Christianity while still keeping familiar celebrations. Another possibility is the connection to the Roman festival of Sol Invictus, which honored the “Unconquered Sun” and was also celebrated on December 25th.

While Christianity was gaining ground, these early forms of Christmas were mostly religious observances, focused on the birth of Christ. Over time, as the holiday spread, local cultures would contribute their own traditions and customs, making Christmas the diverse holiday we know today.

Medieval Christmas: Feasting and Festivities

During the Middle Ages, Christmas grew in prominence across Europe. Though the holiday remained religious, the celebrations took on more communal and festive tones. The period between Christmas Day and Epiphany (January 6) was known as the Twelve Days of Christmas, a time filled with feasts, plays, music, and gift-giving.

• Nativity Scenes and Plays: In many parts of Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain, people began setting up nativity scenes in their homes or town squares, depicting the birth of Jesus in a manger. Nativity plays also became a common way to tell the story of Jesus’s birth, incorporating drama and music.
• Feasting and Wassailing: Christmas feasts were an important part of medieval celebrations. People would gather to enjoy lavish meals with meats, puddings, and spiced wines. In England, the custom of wassailing—going door to door offering drinks and singing songs—began. This practice would eventually evolve into the Christmas caroling traditions we see today.

The Puritans and the Ban on Christmas

Surprisingly, not everyone embraced Christmas. During the 17th century, Puritans in England sought to “purify” the church of what they saw as corrupt traditions, including Christmas. They argued that Christmas had become too pagan and too indulgent, filled with excessive feasting, drinking, and revelry. When the Puritans came to power in England under Oliver Cromwell in the 1640s, they banned Christmas entirely.

In the American colonies, particularly in Puritan New England, Christmas was similarly frowned upon and even outlawed in some areas. People who celebrated Christmas could face fines, and businesses were required to remain open on Christmas Day as if it were any other day. It wasn’t until the late 17th century, after the restoration of the monarchy in England, that Christmas celebrations began to be revived.

The Victorian Christmas: The Rise of Modern Traditions

Much of what we associate with modern Christmas celebrations—decorated trees, cards, and gift exchanges—developed during the Victorian era in England.

• The Christmas Tree: One of the most iconic symbols of Christmas, the Christmas tree, has its roots in Germany, where trees were decorated with apples, nuts, and candles. When Prince Albert, the German husband of Queen Victoria, introduced the Christmas tree to England in the 1840s, it became wildly popular among the British public. From there, the tradition spread to other parts of the world.
• Christmas Cards: The first commercial Christmas card was produced in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole, a British civil servant. The card, featuring a festive scene and a message of goodwill, quickly became a popular way for people to send holiday greetings to friends and family.
• Charles Dickens and “A Christmas Carol”: The publication of Charles Dickens’s novella “A Christmas Carol” in 1843 played a key role in shaping modern Christmas celebrations. The story emphasized the themes of charity, compassion, and family—values that resonated deeply with the Victorian audience and helped revive Christmas as a holiday of goodwill.

Santa Claus: A Symbol of Generosity

The modern figure of Santa Claus is a blend of several traditions. The historical St. Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop from what is now Turkey, was known for his generosity, especially toward children and the poor. Over centuries, St. Nicholas’s story spread across Europe, where he became associated with gift-giving.

• In the Netherlands, St. Nicholas became known as Sinterklaas, a bearded figure who delivered gifts to children on December 6th, St. Nicholas Day.
• When Dutch settlers brought the Sinterklaas tradition to America, it merged with other local folklore, giving rise to Santa Claus, a jolly, rotund figure who delivers presents to children on Christmas Eve.

The image of Santa as we know him today—complete with his red suit and white beard—was popularized by Coca-Cola advertisements in the early 20th century.

Christmas Around the World: Unique Traditions

Though Christmas is widely celebrated, different cultures have added their own unique touches to the holiday:

• In Mexico, the Christmas season includes Las Posadas, a reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging. Families and neighbors gather to sing carols, carry candles, and celebrate with food and piñatas.
• In Germany, children eagerly await the arrival of Kris Kringle (Christkind), who delivers gifts on Christmas Eve.
• In Japan, Christmas is a secular holiday celebrated with romantic dinners and a tradition of eating KFC on Christmas Eve, popularized through a successful marketing campaign in the 1970s.

Conclusion: A Holiday that Keeps Evolving

From its pagan origins to its modern-day global appeal, Christmas has continuously evolved over the centuries. It has absorbed various customs and traditions along the way, becoming a holiday that is celebrated in different ways across the world. Yet, at its core, Christmas remains a time of reflection, generosity, and joy—a holiday that brings people together, no matter how they choose to celebrate.