A pagan tradition that became a Christian celebration

  One of the most well-known celebrations in the world today that is present in some way in almost every culture is Christmas.

  Every year on December 25th, no matter how hot it is here in Brazil or how cold it is in Canada, Santa Claus has to wear the same clothes and carry the same bag of presents.     Every year on this same date, people get together with their families to eat and drink and exchange gifts in order to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. But the story is not quite like that. How did the day of Jesus Christ's birth end up becoming December 25th? How did it all start?

  Ancient festivals and the winter solstice

  Before Christianity, there were many people who held festivals during the winter solstice, the day of the year when the daylight hours are shortest and the night is longest. For some ancient cultures, this period symbolized hope and the rebirth of light and life.

  Saturn, the god of agriculture, was worshipped at the Saturnalia festival among the Romans. During Saturnalia, some social rules between masters and slaves were suspended, and gifts were exchanged between family and friends (as I wrote, I wondered: did the Secret Santa game already exist?) The winter solstice was also celebrated by the Nordic people with a festival called Yule, which they used to celebrate with banquets, pine tree decorations, and bonfires. How these celebrations became part of Christianity In the early centuries, Christianity did not have a set date for the birth of Jesus Christ. In the 4th century, the Catholic Church set December 25th as the official date for the birth of Christ. The date was not chosen by chance, but rather as a strategy to convert more people. Instead of eradicating pagan customs, the church appropriated the customs, including the birth of Christ as the main focus, but still exchanging gifts, pine trees, and lights.

  Santa Claus

  Another important symbol for Christmas is the figure of the bishop Saint Nicholas, known for helping the poor with his generosity. Over time, Germanic traditions mixed with the figure of Saint Nicholas, giving rise to Santa Claus as we know him today.

  The conclusion is that Christmas is a mixture of many traditions of ancient peoples where the birth of Christ was introduced to fulfill the interests of the Catholic Church in the past.

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  Merry "belated" Christmas to everyone!