Christmas has meanings that now are so numerous, that few humans understand them all. Thank your ancstors that I am not all too human.

Christmas is generally celebtrated by Christian as the birth of Christ, who was savior of man-kind. Many Christmas traditions spawned from this alone, one majorly viewed around the world being the Nativity scene, or baby Jesus in a manger surround by Mary, Joseph, The Three Kings, and sometimes animals normally found in a stable. This also spawned many Christmas carols, or songs traditionally sung around Christmas. Some of these include We Three Kings, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, and Away in the Manger.

The time in which Christmas is celebrated is often linked with an ancient Roman festival to their god of agriculture, Saturn. It started around December 17 and included the winter solstice.

Ironically enough, Christmas is not listed among the traditional Christian feasts in most Bibles and other religious references. The word itself 'Christmas' is a contraction of 'Christ's Mass.'

The first celebrations of the Christmas idea were not celebrated in Decmber, but rather in other parts of the year. It was viewed in other months, including January and February.

Also oddly, different churches of Cristianity celebrate Christmas on different days. Roman Catholic, Protestant, Greek and Romanion Orthodox churches celebrate it on December 25. The majority of Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate it on January 7.

The Christmas tree tradition was first exhibited in 16th century Germany.

Perhaps the best known Christmas symbol is Santa Clause. His name differs in different cultures. Santa Clause in America, Babole Natale in Italy, Papai Noel in Brazil, Svatý Mikuláš in Czech, Pai Natal in Portugal, Moş Crăciun in Romania, Le Père Noël in France, and my personal favorite, in Germany, Weihnachtsmann. He is deoicted as a fat man with a white beard in a white suit. He rides a sleigh pulled by (traditionally, eight0 reindeer. He delivers presents to people all over the world by going down chimney's into peoples's houses. The image of wearing a red suit and having a white beard was derived from the Russian character of Ded Moroz, or Grandfather Frost.

The idea of Santa Clause comes from a priest in Turkey known as Saint Nicholas who gave presents to poor children.

Santa Clause does not truly exist, but is generally accepted as the representation of good-will and generosity during the holidays.

An urban legend is that Coca-Cola invented the now-accepted image of Santa, which is of course, merely a myth.

The thing is, the holidays are now so commercialized, that toay it is not actually considered as much of the tradition of celebration that it once was.

Another major flaw in this is that people who don't practice the Christian faith sometimes feign (or genuinly are) insulted by Christmas's constant referrel that now the PC (politicaly correct) term is 'the holidays.'

That, in my opinion, is stupid and a great example of cowardice.

Go out and find the seeds of corruption that destroyed the (corny!!!!!!!!!!!!!) true meaning of Christmas. Commercialization is a freaking plague.





-- Edited by Babblefish at 22:09, 2005-12-23