12-27-2022 8:41pm

The History of Christmas

Christine Larkin Editor

SKYLARK'S FEATURED ARTICLE OF THE WEEK - THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS

Christmas, as a festival, has changed a lot throughout history, with many of its core modern traditions being more recent than we think. Historically, Christmas was often a time for upending social structures and people were misbehaved.

Today's Christmas resembles nothing of its past. Christmas has always been about food and drink, but it used to be a kind of December Mardi Gras. Morals and dignity went out the window as did shame and manners. Rowdy crowds roamed as urban gang violence took over Christmas streets at the dawn of the early nineteenth century. Christmas is a lot more appealing today, though we do still like to let loose a bit.

For much of the first two centuries, most people did not celebrate Christmas. The holiday was suppressed by Puritans during the colonial period and largely ignored by their descendants. Between 1659 and 1681, it was illegal to celebrate Christmas in Massachusetts. The fine was five shillings, which is equal to $10-$20 today. Only in the middle of the nineteenth century did Christmas gain legal recognition as an official public holiday in New England. And Santa Claus was devised by a group of non-Dutch New Yorkers in the early nineteenth century modeled after St. Nicholas. Many other states followed along.

There is no biblical or historical reason to place the birth of Jesus on December 25. True, the Gospel of Luke tells the familiar story of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and how the shepherds were living with their flocks in the fields of Judea and how one night, an angel appeared to them and said, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Apparently, nowhere in this account is there any indication of the exact date, or even the general season, on which "this day" fell. It was only in the fourth century that the Church officially decided to observe Christmas on December 25. And this date was chosen not for religious reasons but simply because it happened to mark the approximate arrival of the winter solstice; an event that was celebrated long before the advent of Christianity. The Puritans were correct when they pointed out that Christmas was nothing more than a pagan festival covered with a Christian vail. I'd like to think otherwise, but history has its place.

In early modern Europe, roughly the years between 1500 and 1800, the Christmas season was a time to let off steam and to gorge. It sounds like this tradition has carried over into America as many Europeans immigrated here. They brought not just their Christmas traditions, but their excess. Reveling could easily become rowdiness, tainted by alcohol, making that merry could lead into madness often referred to as "the world of carnival." The term carnival is rooted in the Latin words carne and vale - "farewell to flesh." We all know what that might lead to.

In New England, Christmas was hardly to be found in almanacs before 1720, but hardly avoided after 1760. Early almanac issuers, in an attempt to reduce the excesses, started calling for more moderation. Religion failed to transform Christmas from a season of misrule into an occasion of quieter pleasure. That transformation would, however, shortly take place by domesticity, which would be represented at Christmastime not by Jesus of Nazareth but by a newer and more worldly deity called Santa Claus who was inspired by another holy man known as St. Nicholas.

At the early 19th century, there were two incompatible “styles of celebrating the holiday season.” One was a daytime affair, formal, and quiet. The other, the revelers in the street, was nocturnal, aggressive, and noisy. One can lead to the other as the drink takes hold. I like both. Over time, around 1820, Christmas misrule had become such an acute social threat that respectable New Yorkers could no longer ignore it or take it lightly. Bands of street toughies reveled into wealthy neighborhoods. This did not go over well with the elite and things changed.

Today, whether you believe Christmas is marked by the birth of Christ or the beginning of winter, we continue to celebrate in fashion and all its fabulousness. We continue to revel, dance, sing, gorge, and drink. And we take one day out of the year to remember Jesus Christ was born sometime around Christmastime. Buon Natale!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.

Peace and Love,

Skylark

At 60 and Beyond, Christmastime is a sacred time to celebrate.

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SKYLARK'S PICK OF THE WEEK - ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL IN NEW YORK CITY

Every year, more than five million people of every different nationality and faith enter St. Patrick's Cathedral. Some come just as a tourist, but many more come to participate in the life of the Church. Regardless of why people visit this magnificent Cathedral, everyone who crosses its threshold is invited to open their hearts to God. Amen.

SKYLARK'S SONG OF THE WEEK - AVE MARIA by LUCIANO PAVAROTTI

ITALIAN

Ave Maria
Gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena

Ave, ave dominus
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Et benedictus

Et benedictus fructus ventris
Ventris tuae, Jesus
Ave Maria

Ave Maria
Mater Dei
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus
Ora pro nobis, Ora, ora pro nobis peccatoribus

Nunc et in hora mortis
Et in hora mortis nostrae
Et in hora mortis nostrae
Et in hora mortis nostrae
Ave Maria

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Ave Maria! Ave Maria! maiden mild!
Listen to a maiden's prayer!
Thou canst hear though from the wild
Thou canst save amid despair
Safe may we sleep beneath thy care
Though banish'd, outcast and reviled -
Maiden! hear a maiden's prayer;
Mother, hear a suppliant child!
Ave Maria!

Ave Maria! undefiled!
The flinty couch we now must share
Shall seem this down of eider piled
If thy protection hover there
The murky cavern's heavy air
Shall breathe of balm if thou hast smiled;
Then, Maiden! hear a maiden's prayer;
Mother, list a suppliant child!
Ave Maria!

Ave Maria! stainless styled!
Foul demons of the earth and air
From this their wonted haunt exiled
Shall flee before thy presence fair
We bow us to our lot of care
Beneath thy guidance reconciled;
Hear for a maid a maiden's prayer
And for a father hear a child!
Ave Maria!

I am a columnist with Skylark Live Town News (SLTN) and write articles geared to the 60 and beyond population. Topics include human interest, nature, general observations, inspiration, music, and places I've been to in and around Bay Shore. I also write about restaurants and stores in the area. You can also watch my first Monday-of-the-month vlog, “60 and Beyond with Skylark" on my YouTube Channel, Skylark Live, that features topics covered in my articles from SLTN. Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel as well as my free STLN newsletter that gets delivered directly to your email each Wednesday morning. To support SLTN, you can make a recurring monthly donation ($5 Friend or $15 Advocate) or a one-time donation of any amount. It's up to you, and it's easy to do on my feed. You can also advertise your business or event here as well. Please follow me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn under my brand, Skylark Live. Thank you for your support.