Christmas

The word Christmas comes from the Old English term Cristes maesse, meaning “Christ’s mass.” This was the name for the festival service of worship held on December 25 (January 7 in many Eastern Orthodoxor Eastern Rite churches) to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Although it is accepted that Jesus was born in the small town of Bethlehem a few miles south of Jerusalem, there is no certain information on the date of his birth, not even of the year. One reason for this uncertainty is that the stories of his birth, recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, were written several decades after the event, and those who wrote about it gave no specific dates.

For several centuries the Christian church itself paid little attention to the celebration of Jesus’ birth. The major Christian festival was Easter, the day of his Resurrection. This was understood as his true “birthday” because it was the day of his birth in heaven. Only gradually, as the church developed a calendar to commemorate the major events of the life of Jesus, did it celebrate his birth.

The earliest celebrations of the birth of Jesus were often associated with the date of his baptism or his Crucifixion. Some early Christians believed that his death occurred on March 25 and was the same day as his conception. As a result, his birth nine months later would have been December 25. Another early practice involved celebration of his birthday on the date of his baptism, January 6. The day was named Epiphany, meaning “appearance,” the day of Jesus’ manifestation. The Western church, based in Rome, chose December 25. The earliest reference to this date is from the year 221, though it was not then an important date in the calendar. Christmas was celebrated on December 25 in Rome as early as ad 336 according to an ancient Roman almanac.

In the latter half of the 4th century, the Eastern and Western churches adopted each other’s festivals, thus establishing the modern Christian 12-day celebration from Christmas to Epiphany. In some places the 12th day is called the festival of the three kings because it is believed that the three Wise Men, or Magi, visited the infant Jesus on that day, bringing him gifts.

Today Christmas is more than a one-day celebration or a 12-day festival. In the United States the holiday season begins on Thanksgiving Day and ends on January 1. Sweden starts its celebration on December 13, Saint Lucia’s Day, with a special family breakfast served by the oldest daughter. Festivities in most countries conclude on or before January 6.

The reason for this extended holiday period is that Christmas is no longer only a religious festival. It is also one of the most popular holiday periods for everyone in countries where Christianity has become the dominant religion. Even in Japan, where Christianity is a minority religion, Christmas has become a festive, gift-giving holiday time.