All About the Complex History of Christmas

The 16th-century Christmas carol "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" says, "God rest ye merry, gentlemen / Let nothing you dismay / Remember, Christ, our Saviour / Was born on Christmas Day." It’s a beautiful carol, recognizable in most households today. Except the holiday season does not always feel restful, Christ was likely not born on December 25 and not all Christians around the world celebrate his birth on that particular day. Christmas was even banned in Boston for a time! There’s some explaining to do there.

So, while many people may think there's a simple and quick explanation for the history of Christmas, the real story is much more complex. Fortunately, we're here to unpack (or, unwrap, we should say!) how this popular celebration originated.

Related: List of 45 Classic Christmas Carols

What are the origins of Christmas?

The usual "go-to" answer is that the first Christmas took place on Jesus Christ's birthday. 

And while it’s true we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas (note the word combination of "Christ" and "Mass"), this specific celebration did not begin until the fourth century, according to History.com. Before that, Easter was the main celebration for Christians.

In third-century Rome, its citizens celebrated the winter solstice, the mid-December festival Saturnalia for the god of Saturn and the birthday of the sun god, Sol Invictus, on December 25, per History.com. There are a couple of different beliefs about why that date was adopted by Christians to celebrate Jesus Christ's birth.

Related: When is the First Day of Winter, and What Exactly is the Winter Solstice? 

As Inside the Vatican reported, one belief is that St. Hippolytus claimed December 25 for Christianity first. He did this with his commentary on the book of Daniel (written circa 205 AD), stating that the birthdate of Jesus was December 25 (scholars do not agree this particular date was the factual birthdate). 

According to History.com, Pope Julius I chose December 25 "in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival."

Why do some people celebrate Christmas Day in January?

Technically, the original Christmas festival was actually observed on January 7. This is partly because the Julian calendar (also known as the "Old Calendar") was once used since Julius Caesar's time up until Pope Gregory XIII's reform, when the Gregorian calendar was adopted. With the change, over a week of days in the year were lost. 

So, using the Julian calendar, as Orthodox Christians still do, just means December 25 is on a different day. The first recorded Christmas celebration was December 25, 336 AD. The date was chosen because it is nine months after the Annunciation, which celebrates Christ’s conception in the womb of the Virgin Mary, on March 25 (also the date of the spring equinox). Because there was/is significance to the amount of time between the spring equinox and Christmas Day, it didn't make sense for them to celebrate earlier just because many others adopted the new Dec. 25 as the Christmas celebration.

The Orthodox Christians who follow the Julian calendar (most of Western Christianity uses the Gregorian calendar) include believers coming from places like Russia, Greece and Egypt, and they still celebrate Christmas on this day. Technically, these Orthodox believers observe the Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherds on January 6, and Adoration of the Magi plus Christmas Day on January 7. These Feast days are all about going to church and gathering with loved ones for lavish meals.

When was Christmas canceled in America?

When Puritan settlers arrived in 1620, they believed Christmas to be too extravagant and they did not celebrate the holiday, per History.com. They believed "there was no scriptural basis for commemorating Christmas." In fact, celebrating Christmas was actually banned in Boston from 1659-1681, according to History!

When did Christmas become an official holiday?

Christmas became recognized as a federal holiday around two centuries later in 1870.

Christmas festivities can expand well beyond December 25

While we’re taking a look at things like church history and the church calendar, we should recognize that for many Christians, Christmas Day is part of a twelve-day celebration. See why there’s little rest involved with Christmas? That’s a lot of religious feasting! Then, we've added a lot of commercialization to the season in modern times as well. But Christmastide is actually a liturgical season, starting after Advent and ending sometime in January. For some Christians, the season ends on January 6 (or the Sunday closest to this date), the Day of Epiphany (celebrating the Wise Men who visited Jesus). Others celebrate for 40 days, ending on February 2, which is known as Candlemas (celebrating the presentation of Jesus in the temple).

Related: Surprise! It's Not Just a Quirky Song—Here's the Real Meaning of the "12 Days of Christmas"

What is up with all the variations to the Christmas season?

If you look into the history of practically anything, it’s complex. The early Christians celebrated the incarnation of God, from the annunciation to his resurrection, on a variety of feast days. They also celebrated the changes in season, along with other members of their community, on days like spring solstice and winter solstice.

For a time, the religious faithful coming to America did not celebrate Christmas at all, wanting to separate themselves from Britain and show reverence to the Bible by not celebrating on Dec. 25. And as a reminder, Christmas did not become a federal holiday until 1870.

Today, we celebrate the holiday season with Christmas trees, yule logs and figgy pudding. We might ease into the Christmas season with Advent calendars, family baking days, singing carols, gifting presents and incorporating helpers like Santa Claus and Elf on the Shelf. While complex, most of our Christmas observances and symbols have a history behind them—beautiful, meaningful stories.

When it comes to the history of Christmas, the days and traditions may have changed over time, but one thing always remains the same: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” Hebrews 13:8 (NIV).

Next up: 25 Christmas Prayers and Blessings To Bring Joy to the World and to Your Family