Discover the story of the creation of Christmas, a festival celebrated this Monday, 25th
Celebrated on December 25th, Christmas is considered one of the main annual festivities and, among its meanings, is the responsibility of celebrating the birth ofJesus Christthe great figure of Christianity, as well as remembering the main values that the son of God brought to earth with his arrival.
Still, despite being a Christian celebration, the date is considered a holiday in several countries and, in other territories around the world, it takes on completely different meanings. But have you ever stopped to think about how Christmas came about?
The origin of Christmas
The origin of the celebration cannot be specified, however, the most accepted version among historians is that Christmas has its roots in antiquity, more specifically, in the pagan festivals that existed in mid-December during the winter solstice, a period which corresponds to the longest night of the year and is responsible for marking the beginning of the coldest season of the year.
Among these festivals is Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, a festival held on December 25th in which the Roman Empire celebrated the sun, as well as Yule (or Jól), a celebration held by the Nordic peoples between December 21st and the first days of January. which brought important symbols to Christmas, such as the large decorated pine tree.
Even so, Dies Natalis Solis Invicti gained a new meaning, where the original deity of Persian mythology, Mithra, known as the god of Light, became the holder of the date, since the Romans They celebrated the birth of Mitra on that day.
Christmas as a Christian celebration
Although there is no confirmation of the date of birth of Jesus ChristChristians attributed December 25th to the celebration between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD, where the first mention of Christmas occurred in 354 AD in the Chronograph of 354, an illustrated calendar produced by the calligrapher Fúrio Filócalo.
The reason for the decision to choose the date is linked to Julius Ipope of the Catholic Church, who, according to historical studies, established the celebration during his pontificate between 337 AD and 352 AD
Source: Recreio
