ChristmasFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Christmas (originally the "Mass of Christ") is a holiday, observed in most of the world on December 25, celebrated by Christians to mark the birth of Jesus. Many Christmas traditions originated with pre-Christian observances that were subsumed into Christianity, for example the Winter solstice as well as Yule.
In predominantly Christian countries, Christmas has become the most economically significant holiday of the year, and it is also celebrated as a secular holiday in many countries with small Christian populations like Japan. It is largely characterized by gifts being exchanged within families and being brought by Santa Claus, Father Christmas or by other mythical figures. Local and regional Christmas traditions are still rich and varied, despite the widespread influence of American and British Christmas motifs disseminated by globalisation, popular literature, television, and other media.
The word Christmas is a contraction of Christ's Mass, derived from the Old English Cristes mæsse. It is often abbreviated Xmas, probably because X resembles the Greek letter Χ (chi) which has often historically been used as an abbreviation for Christ (Χριστός in Greek).
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More History...
Christmas' pagan originsIn 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.
Christmas (Christ-Mass) as we know it today, most historians agree, began in Germany, though Catholics and Lutherans still disagree about which church celebrated it first. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany. A prominent Lutheran minister of the day cried blasphemy: “Better that they should look to the true tree of life, Christ.”
The controversy continues even today in some fundamentalist sects.
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Miscellaneous Ramblings and Name Wonderings...
I wonder if "Xmas" could serve as a secular title for the holiday--it still retains a wee-bit of relationship to Christmas since X resembles the Greek letter X (chi) which is the Greek "initial" for the word Christ (like we could abbreviate it C-mas, which would seem a pretty weak religious link to "Christ").
How about "Feastmas"... (boy am I full of it).
"Wintermas" for Winter Feast
"Grinchmas" for the Grinch
"Whomas" for the Whos
"Solmas" for the Winter Solstice
"Yulemas" for Yule/Yuletide where Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born. The word Yule itself means “wheel,” the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun.
"Paganmas" for the defunct Pagan celebrations
Oh... I just realized (the obvious) the "-mas" is a religious link as well referring the the Christ's
Mass...
Okay, then relying on some history, how about:
"Isisfeast" for the ancient feast of the Son of Isis (Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast)(just like Christmas!!!)
"Saturnalia" after the Roman celebration of the Winter Solstice honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture?
If not them, then how about the Seinfeld solution:
"Festivus"!