Celebration Christmas History is replete with numerous myths and legends of the past. Yule Celebrations or the Roman Pagan Winter Solstice Festival is famous among them. Romans observed the birthday of their sun god Mithras on 25th of December.
Mithras is also named as Saturn, the savor god of the soldiers. The Saturnalia Festival was a grand rejoice accompanied with huge gift giving. The Yule log is actually a large piece of wood. Legends associate it with the battle between the Oak King and the Holly King. The Oak King defeated the Holly King in Yule and hence this botanical symbol.
In 349A.D Pope Julius formally selected Dec.25 as the birthday of Jesus Christ. The Church observed it around 374 A.D. In the Medieval Period a well-known form of Christmas Celebration were the pantomimes or farcical theatres called Mystery or Miracle Plays. These plays depicted the story of the birth of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. The singing of Carols also sprang during this time. Carols were performed outside the premises of the Church. These were simple folk songs sung by the countryside people.
The custom of Christmas trees for the Christmas Celebration dates back to Riga in Latvia, 1510. Legend has that a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to preach the Word of God in the 7th century. He used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God. From then on people began to revere the fir tree as the Christmas tree.
Santa Claus or Sinter Klaas another important aspect of The History of Christmas Celebration, evolved by the Dutch as a bringer of gifts from legends of a real 4th Century bishop St. Nicholas who was reputed for his deeds of benevolence. Dressed in his traditional red cloak he came riding a horse and left numerous goodies in the shoes of good children.
For further details on Celebration Christmas History just log on to Christmas Carnivals.
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