The Date---
Christmas is symbolic as a winter holiday, known for gift giving, family time (maybe, if you're that kind of person), church events, and general love and kindness and warm cuddles all around. However, the first Christmas held on its current date, December 25th, was about as far away from love and kindness and anything holy as you could imagine.
Long ago, the Romans had this festival, Saturnalia (in honor of Saturn, the god of harvest), that lasted from December 17-25. The premise of Saturnalia was basically an enormous frat party combined with lawlessness. People could do whatever they wanted with no consequences in court. All social norms were gone. Masters served their slaves! Interesting, isn't it?
When Christianity came along, and ministers tried converting the Romans, they turned the last day of Saturnalia into Christmas. They let them keep celebrating it the way they wanted to, so long as they had their mass celebration of Jesus's birth.
Also, it's interesting to note, gift giving during Christmas originated from the pre-Christian Roman tradition of emperors forcing the worst people to present gifts during the festival.
To be updated...
Christmas is symbolic as a winter holiday, known for gift giving, family time (maybe, if you're that kind of person), church events, and general love and kindness and warm cuddles all around. However, the first Christmas held on its current date, December 25th, was about as far away from love and kindness and anything holy as you could imagine.
Long ago, the Romans had this festival, Saturnalia (in honor of Saturn, the god of harvest), that lasted from December 17-25. The premise of Saturnalia was basically an enormous frat party combined with lawlessness. People could do whatever they wanted with no consequences in court. All social norms were gone. Masters served their slaves! Interesting, isn't it?
When Christianity came along, and ministers tried converting the Romans, they turned the last day of Saturnalia into Christmas. They let them keep celebrating it the way they wanted to, so long as they had their mass celebration of Jesus's birth.
Also, it's interesting to note, gift giving during Christmas originated from the pre-Christian Roman tradition of emperors forcing the worst people to present gifts during the festival.
To be updated...