How did Christmas past become Christmas present?
By 125 AD the number of followers of Christ had increased in size and under the leadership of Telesphorus, the 2nd Bishop of Rome, a decree was issued that services marking the Birth of Christ should be held. The first services in Rome were held in September during what we know has Rosh Hashanah. Within a few years there were over 12 different dates being used by churches to celebrate the birth of Christ. The most common date was January 6th. It would take nearly another 300 years before December 25th became the day.
As the early church looked for a day to celebrate, they also began looking for a way to counteract all the wild festivals and parties that occurred during the Winter solstice. The “re-birth of the sun” was celebrated by nearly every culture: Babylonian, Egyptian, German, Persian, Greek, and the Romans. As a matter of fact, during the first years, Christians decorated their homes with Holly so that their homes would blend in with the festivities of the Roman holiday Saturnalia and thereby avoid persecution. However, the lure of the party was too great and early church leaders were horrified by converts participation in the parties.
By the 4th century the Roman Empire had converted to Christianity. However, Easter was still the most celebrated holiday. The persecution had ended, but the pagan holidays and festivals surrounding Christmas continued. In 320, Pope Julius I chose December 25 as the date for Christ’s birthday. The religious holiday still took a backseat to the Roman Festival Natalis Solis Invicti or Birth of the Invincible Sun. This was also on December 25 (Since 12/25/274). Five years later in 325 Constantine introduced Christmas as an immovable feast to be celebrated on December 25th every year. He also adopted Sunday as a Holy day. Church leaders had lobbied heavily with the Government with the hope that government backing of the holiday would end the pagan festivals.
A LESSON LEARNED: It did not work. Repentance and social change will not come in the form of government legislation.
This then is the Christmas celebration that remained relatively unchanged for centuries - a battle between the church and society.
Jump ahead and closer to home. In England, Mummers, the equivalent of Carolers today, roamed the streets presenting songs and plays that lacked any Christian tone. Those who did attend church did so in wild costumes that mostly closely resembled a mix of Halloween and Mardi Gras. The messages were not very scriptural. Why even gambling was known to take place during the services. After church, the poor stormed the homes of the rich and demanded food and drink.
In 1649 this type of Christmas celebration helped lead to the overthrow of the English monarchy. Oliver Cromwell led a rebellion that saw King Charles overthrown and executed. Cromwell became England’s Lord Protector and ruled for 15 years. Cromwell was part of the Puritan sect and as such outlawed Christmas. Anyone who took to the streets with merry making, carols, or any of the old traditions would be arrested and jailed. The Puritans believed that Christmas was a sober time of reflection. Unless the day fell on Sunday, you were to do your normal work, return home, and quietly reflect upon what Christ means in your life. There were no Gifts, No Toasts, No Carols, and No Parties!
After Cromwell’s death, his son took the throne. The people demanded the restoration of the Christmas traditions. When Richard Cromwell refused, the people rebelled and Charles II was welcomed back to the throne as King of England. The holiday was restored to its previous state as a drunken street riot! The often sung carol - We wish you a Merry Christmas - is from this time frame. Large bands of people (called Mummers) would go to the homes of the rich and demand food, drink, and money. If the home owner did not comply the house was often looted and vandalized. When the carolers sang “Give us some figgy pudding and we won’t go until we get some” they meant it!
Christmas day churches were closed and woman and children locked themselves in their homes in fear of violence on the streets. Church leaders were aghast and the police offered no help. For the next two centuries, the notion of Christ as a part of Christmas would have been completely lost if not for the Catholic and Anglican Church stubbornly holding Christmas eve and Christmas day services in the face of all the revelry on the streets.
Now jump across the pond to America. The Puritans come to America in 1620. One of their first laws enacted – Christmas was banned in all of New England. Churches did not meet, Businesses were required to be open, and anyone caught celebrating was arrested. These laws would remain in effect for more than 150 years. Christmas was ignored in America from the very beginning.
Starting in 1789, the newly formed congress met every December 25th for 67 straight years. No mention of Christmas is ever noted in their business. In spite of the Puritans success in outlawing Christmas, the growing number of immigrants coming to the NEW World brought with them many of the old traditions.
Laws may have existed, but mobs were ignoring them. In 1828, The New York City Council met in special session to address the problems in the city. A special police force was formed to deal solely with the drunken revelers. BUT, this was all about to change due in large part to 3 separate events:
I. In Germany the Christmas holiday had evolved differently. Christmas in Germany was a time of family and friends - a time to gather and share food and fellowship. Christmas was the 2nd most holy holiday with Easter being first. Simple decorations, homemade treats, evergreen trees, etc. these were all part of a season of great anticipation.
In 1840, Queen Victoria of England married Germany’s Prince Albert. Albert brought to Windsor Castle all the German traditions. Soon all British families were picking up on the new Christmas traditions celebrated by the Royal family.
II. In 1842, Charles Dickens wrote and published A Christmas Carol. The influence of Dickens’ faith on his work is unquestionable. He wrote in 1870 (the same year he died): I have always striven in my writings to express veneration for the life and lessons of our Savior—because I feel it. In addition to being a famous author Charles Dickens was an active social reformer. He wrote A Christmas Carol with the hope that readers would be moved to change their ways in relationship to their celebrations of Christmas and they did.
III. In America a Christmas poem written as a gift for his children gained national popularity about the same time. The son of a preacher, Clement C. Moore, gave birth to Santa Claus as we know him and a new focus for Christmas was born – children. ‘Twas the Night before Christmas portrayed a "jolly old elf" as arriving on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day and with that change Moore "deftly shifted the focus away from Christmas Day with its still-problematic religious associations". As a result, Americans embraced Moore's child-centered version of Christmas as if they had been doing it all their lives.
Finally, the Christmas holiday as know it had arrived - evolving from drunken riots to family, gifts, and worship. Rather ironic that due in part to Scrooge, Santa and some added help from the Germans we now have a Religious Holiday.
Still want to go back to Christmas Past?
It is time to stop yearning from something that is gone. Christmas is what YOU make of it today.
· It’s not up to the Government
· It’s not up to the businesses
· It’s not up to the Church
· IT IS UP TO YOU
The impact of one individual can make a difference. Just ask:
· Prince Albert of Germany or
· Good King Wencleslas or
· Telephorus
· Clement C. Moore
· Charles Dickens
What will you do this season to put Christ in Christmas and further remove the Christmas of the Past?
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19 NIV
What will you treasure and keep this Christmas season?
Let’s pray …. In the midst of our hustle and bustle, amid our complaints about the season and our own “Bah Humbugs” help us to ponder and treasure the story of Christmas – the story of God with us – the story of hope – the story of redemption and transformation – amid our festive celebrations help us keep our eyes open to meaning of Christmas found in the gift of your Son – the Christ Child in whose name we pray … Amen
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