Database Error. System Administrator has been notified and this problem will be solved as soon as possible. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Origins of Christmas
  Member Login | Site Search | Support

Advertisement
Mulitilevel Marketing Work At Home Business Money Making Opportunity
Scenario of Article Marketing
Hitch Warehouse launches online store
Advice
Natural Treatment For Varicose Veins
An Effective Way to Cope with Being Dumped
Musicians, Put More Time Into Doing What You Love
Arts
All of God's children
Why Outsource Graphic Designers, Web Programmer, Call Centre Agents, Telemarketer Staff, Virtual As
Scrapbooking: Creating memories on paper
Autos
Techniques To Help You Find The Right Wedding Car
Hitch Warehouse launches online store
Business
How to Bind Documents with Plastic Comb Binding
Another Kind of Horse Brand: Business Branding in Equine Marketing
Search Engine Online Marketing
Community
The Pentagon's Battle Plan Is To Go Green
Carp Bait Making For Beginners And Cheap Big Fish Baits!
Tips
Entertainment
Scrapbooking: Creating memories on paper
Woodhouse Audio Visual Services and Rentals
Watch Movies Online For Free Downloads - Rent Movies Online - Streaming Movies Online - Watch
Environment
Family
When both parents work, do children suffer?
Kid`s Favorite Party Christmas Games & Ideas - Santa`s Best Xmas Jokes
EXERCISE AND KIDS (PART-3)
Food
Increase Your Energy Level Naturally
Health & Fitness
What Are Normal Blood Glucose and Blood Sugar Levels
Secrets behind Zoom Whitening Methods
Feel and Look Better With Lida Daidaihua
History
Origins of Christmas
Hobbies
Musicians, Put More Time Into Doing What You Love
Secret Carp fishing Bait Recipes Formulation!
MY MANIA WITH FASHION BRACELETS
Home & Garden
Things you should keep in mind at the time of wood floor restoration
3 Most Common Reasons People Fail to Achieve Success in Their Life
Hot Walkers for the Holidays!
Internet
Unleash The Power Of Private Label Rights Riches!
No Startup Fee home jobs- A few ideas
Make Money with your Blog
Miscellaneous
Origins of Christmas
Scrapbooking: Creating memories on paper
Size down goals without tuning out
News
$50Gs raised to probe BC dumpster dog's death
Sacred Headwaters Campaign
The Pentagon's Battle Plan Is To Go Green
Pets
$50Gs raised to probe BC dumpster dog's death
Aging Dog - How to Make Old Dog Comfortable
Poems
All of God's children
A Helpful Hand
Reference
How To Prevent A Break Up
5 Massive Mistakes Homeowners Make When Hiring a Home Stager
Mothman - Alien from another world, or a being from the spiritual realm
Relationships
How to meet men or women from the comfort of your home
How To Prevent A Break Up
An Effective Way to Cope with Being Dumped
Sales
New Devices and Asthma
Sponsorship for Marketing
Stock Market Crash
Self Improvement
Bankruptcy Information - Repairing Your Credit after Bankruptcy
Self-love is not Narcissism!
Seven Exercises That Help Develop a Business Mission and Vision Statement
Spiritual
Roger Revaks Book, Internal Vision: A Ten-Day Journey to True Happiness
Age New Spirituality - The Open Secret ( Read It At Your Own Risk )
Origins of Christmas
Sports
Another Kind of Horse Brand: Business Branding in Equine Marketing
Serious Sports Fans Spend More Time Online
Carp Bait Making For Beginners And Cheap Big Fish Baits!
Technology
New Mechanism of IBM LTO-4 Tape Media
SEOMoz Dishes On 'Give It Up' Secrets
Pew: Newspapers Circling The Wagons
Travel & Tourism
Morgans mobile RV Service & Repairs
Sacred Headwaters Campaign
Travel Rewards Credit Cards and Airline Credit Cards
Add your Article Database Error. System Administrator has been notified and this problem will be solved as soon as possible. We are sorry for the inconvenience.Database Error. System Administrator has been notified and this problem will be solved as soon as possible. We are sorry for the inconvenience.Database Error. System Administrator has been notified and this problem will be solved as soon as possible. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Origins of Christmas
11/24/2008 - By Thomas O Donovan

Origins of Christmas

There was a time when Christmas did not exist. It was simply, in one culture or another, a pagan celebration of the winter solstice.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year which usually occurs on the 22nd or 23rd of December. During the solstice the ancient Egyptians filled their homes with palm rushes to protect themselves from evil and celebrate the return of their Sun God Ra. European and Mediterranean cultures also have episodes in this long saga that is part of the history of Christmas (and Christmas trees). In ancient Rome, the Romans held their own December festival, Saturnalia, and even decorated their homes with evergreen boughs. This honored the God Saturn whose domain was agriculture. Further north, the Celtic Druids also celebrated the winter solstice and used evergreens on the darkest day of the year to symbolize eternal life.

This has all evolved to the present day when Christmas is the time that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The name "Christmas" literally comes from the early English phrase, "Christes Masse" which means the Mass of Christ. While the actual date of Jesus' birth remains a mystery, Christians in many countries observe it on the 25th of December. The birth of Jesus is described in the first couple of chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament.

Why December 25th? There were competing groups of early Christian believers who felt that Jesus' birth and his ascendancy into divinity might have been on two different occasions.

Before the fourth century, early followers of Jesus did not have a festival for His birth, fearing that it might be interpreted to place him on par with King Pharaoh. Around the third century, many believed that Jesus' spiritual and physical birth occurred on the same day, January 6th that is the feast of Epiphany.

Eventually, December 25th was finally selected when St. Cyril of Jerusalem requested that Pope Julius I settle the matter definitively. That date however, was likely selected to coincide with existing pagan holidays. It made converting the pagans to Christianity that much easier.

Christmas or Xmas? Many people feel that 'Xmas' is a secular substitute for Christmas. Some feel that it takes the "Christ" out of Christmas. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the Greek letter X represents the first letters of Christ's name (Ch). Therefore, X was taken to represent the word "Christ" in the early Christian Church.

I am involved with a web-site that provides topical information about Christmas.
http://christmas.irishastrology.com/christmas-articles.html

Ever wondered what your Celtic Tree Astrology Sign is?
http://www.irishastrology.com/celtic-astrology/celtic-tree-astrology.html

Also, go here if you want some lovely (and free!) Screensavers of Happy Animals, Beautiful Flowers, Amazing Galaxies, etc.
http://screensavers.irishastrology.com/

My hobbies/pastimes/life include Astrology, Music, Reading, Sport, Cycling, Chocolate, My cat and a love for animals...our equals.








Database Error. System Administrator has been notified and this problem will be solved as soon as possible. We are sorry for the inconvenience.Database Error. System Administrator has been notified and this problem will be solved as soon as possible. We are sorry for the inconvenience.