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A brief history of Christmas

13 Dec 2020

By Patrick de Kretser It is finally that time of the year again. In many ways, it is the most anticipated time of the year for adolescents as well as adults. Christmas is a season that brings people together and spreads joy and happiness, wherever you are in the world. Of course, Christmas is an event that has a deep and rich history. Along with what we already know about Christmas, there are also a lot of interesting fun facts that you may not have known about the holiday tradition. That is why, to commemorate the festive season, I will be sharing with you a few interesting details that you may or may not find useful going forward into this month of festivity.  Fact #1: Christmas was a cancelled festivity during the 17th Century Did you know that Christmas was not always as cherished as it is today? For those of you that might be currently studying English history and have learnt about what happened shortly after the Tudor period, you may know the name of Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell was an English general who was famous for his revolt against King Charles I during the English Civil War which started in 1642 and ended in 1651. Cromwell emerged victorious and initiated a wave of religious reforms which also happened to include cancelling Christmas as well. Fact #2: St. Nicholas, more commonly referred to as ‘Santa Claus’, was traced back to a monk in Turkey who was born in 280 CE Okay, this may not really be a fact, but there was always a lot of interest about where Santa Claus came from in folklore. What I used to hear when I was younger aligned with folklore from Scandinavia. Interestingly enough, there was a common story that St. Nicholas used to live in Scandinavia whenever it was not the Christmas season. Regardless, the earliest trace of Santa’s origins can be linked back to Turkey during 280 CE. The monk it was based on was called St. Nicholas, who happened to be a very generous person who gave away all his wealth to help the poor and sick throughout the country. Fact #3: Santa Claus was not always dressed in red – he used to wear green! In the 19th Century, Santa Claus was depicted in popular culture as a joyful old man who rode a sleigh that was led by reindeers. The only difference was that Santa Claus was green instead of red. This would have been the case today as well if it was not for the Coca-Cola Company, which started depicting Santa in red during the 1930s for advertising purposes. Since then, Santa has always been seen in the bright red outfit that we all know so well today. Talk about a corporate takeover, am I right? Fact #4: Germany was famous for starting the modern Christmas tree tradition Perhaps the most iconic element in any Christmas season is the Christmas tree. The tree is the symbolic representation of everything that we know and love about the holiday season, as it is decorated with colourful designs and littered with presents at its base during Christmas morning. We can thank Germany for popularising that, as devout Christians who resided in the area used to buy trees back in the 16th Century and decorate them in their households. At the time, decorations used to comprise lit candles and wooden pyramids, which became a custom that soon spread far and wide throughout the world shortly thereafter.  Fact #5: There was a famous Christmas truce that occurred between the French, German, and British troops during the First World War This one has stood out to me as perhaps the most symbolic event in holiday history. On 24 December 1914, troops from both sides across the Western Front came to a ceasefire and journeyed across the trenches to engage in a brief friendly union. Both sides exchanged seasonal greetings by exchanging gifts of food, souvenirs, and otherwise. There was also a famous series of football games that happened between both sides during this period, which was perhaps the most iconic moment of this day back in 1914. Unfortunately, the tradition did not quite carry on in the following years due to strict orders from the high commanders of both sides. Still, the Christmas of 1914 will forever be remembered as the time when enemies put aside the greatest of differences in order to come together and enjoy the holiday season. PHOTOS Pinterest, Biography, Wallpaper Cave, Wikipedia  


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