The Christmas we know today is the product of countless twists and turns throughout history. What was this beloved holiday before presents, cookies, and family? Well, the centuries of history might surprise you.
The earliest known Christmas celebration was in Rome, in the year 336 CE. Emperor Nero, the first of Rome’s Christian emperors, began celebrating what he believed to be Jesus’ birthday on December 25th. Even though this was the first instance of Christmas, it was far from the first winter holiday celebrated in Rome. For centuries, Romans celebrated Saturnalia, Juvenalia, and the birth of Mithra. Saturnalia was a month long holiday starting before the winter solstice that was a time of joy. During this time children, adults, peasants, and slaves alike shared in the joy. Juvenalia was a holiday during the winter solstice (December 21st) that celebrated children. The birth of Mithra was a holiday on December 25th honoring the birth of the infant god Mithra, which was generally only celebrated by the upper class. The birth of Christmas in 336 CE may have had its roots in Christianity, but it was heavily inspired by the pagan holidays of ancient Rome.
Christmas quickly spread throughout Europe after its creation. After Pope Julius I marked Christmas on the 25th of December, it spread to Egypt, England, and Scandinavia by the end of the eighth century. Due to the common occurrence of solstice holidays in pagan religions, many countries that adopted Christmas mixed it with their own traditions.
Modern Christmas took a lot of inspiration from literature. Two books inspired most modern Christmas traditions. The first novel, The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, gent., written by Washington Irving in 1819 introduced American audiences to the idea that Christmas was a time of family gatherings and generosity. To show this idea, the story featured the characters inviting the homeless into their house for the week of Christmas. Across the Atlantic, Charles Dickens released A Christmas Carol. Dickens furthered the idea of being joyful and generous during Christmas. The key thematic elements of these novels still linger in American society as the ideal Christmas: a warm home, time with family, and generous feasts.
Christmas changed drastically in the 1930s. The slow commercialization of Christmas began in the 19th century with the popularity of Christmas trees and ornaments, but it really changed with Coca-Cola. In the 1920s, Coca-Cola used Santa Claus in small advertisements, but they really ramped it up in 1931. Coca-Cola hired an illustrator to make Santa’s jolly demeanor the face of the Coca-Cola brand, even creating the iconic red and white suit to match the colors of a Coke bottle. Since then, Christmas has become synonymous with capitalism and commercialization.
Christmas’ history spans centuries and cultures. From its roots in Rome to modern Coca-Cola ads and fist fights over Barbie dolls, Christmas will go down as one of the most interesting traditions in history.