The definition of Christmas

Every year on December 25th it’s a celebration of the annual Christian festival, the birth day of Jesus Christ. We celebrate the mass or church service for Christ. It is seen as a legal holiday and most people in England are off work this time of year and children are off school.

Christmas is a magical season, it’s a time for parties, delicious seasonal beverages, feasting, the giving and receiving of presents, and for many, a time of homecoming. Christmas is spent bringing friends and families together and comes with much loved customs and traditions which have been around for centuries.

Saint Nicholas

The true story of Father Christmas begins with Saint Nicholas, a bishop who lived in Myra (Turkey as now known). His wealthy parents died while Nicholas was still young, leaving their whole inheritance. Nicholas used this to assist the needy, the suffering and the sick. It has been said that he secretly dropped a bag of gold down a chimney for the daughters of a poor man. Later, the poor man searched to find the mystery patron, and when he did, was begged not to spill his identity to the rest of the land. However, when later revealed, the mystery of present giving was thought to be from Saint Nicholas from then onwards.

Father Christmas

Father Christmas, or more commonly known as Santa Claus, has become the human face of Christmas. Children are taught from a young age to believe in the mystery of Santa Claus who brings them presents down the chimney the night before Christmas.

The old man, white beard, bag of toys and a red suit is the commonly known look of Santa Claus. The colours red and white came from the colours of Saint Nicholas. Bishops’ wore red and white robes and during the 19th century, the colour red came to be linked to Father Christmas. In many countries, it is thought that he lives in the North Pole, flying through the sky to houses with his sledge being pulled by his reindeer.

Christmas tree

Christmas trees is a tradition more in the west and not as commonly used in Greece and Cyprus. The tradition of a Christmas tree began with the paradise tree decorated with apples to represent the Garden of Eden on Adam and Eve’s day, which fell on December 24. People then decorated their trees with edible goods and glass decorations. It has been said that around the 1830s, Christmas trees made it to Britain and in 1846, the royal family was sketched around their Christmas tree. After this, the custom became very fashionable and has been a tradition ever since.

Christmas cards

The custom of sending Christmas cards was started in the UK by Sir Henry Cole in the 1840s. Sir Henry had the idea of Christmas Cards alongside his friend John Horsley, who was an artist. They designed the first card and sold them for 1 shilling each. As printing methods improved over the years, Christmas cards became much more popular and were produced in large numbers. Nowadays, sending Christmas cards to friends, family and colleagues is a well known tradition and is nothing new to us.

The change in Christmas traditions

Many may agree and say that Christmas nowadays is more about just the giving of gifts, raising sales and the opening of shops till late. This means that not many people consider the religious meaning of Christmas, however more the gift buying and Boxing Day sales.