Holiday

In the 16th century, Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we know it today, when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes.  If trees were scarce, some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles.  It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century German Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree.  Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the…

The history of Christmas as we know it today, as a religious event, began with greed and was invented to accommodate the pagan converts of Christianity. In 1 A.D. an apostate Jew and Greek philosopher named Philo began a religion based on the co-mingling of Judaism and the God’s Gospel of Grace.  Philo used a newly formed, ambiguous, and inaccurate term coined by unwary onlookers as the title of his new religion.  He adopted it to give credence to his…

So, in which country do we see the first celebration of what we now call Christmas?  Remember that these celebrations, customs, and traditions came into existence prior to the birth of Christ or the existence Christianity, and even before the language of English was used by the Celtic people.  This brings us to the beginning of the traditions that we now call Christmas.  Christmas as we know it today is a Victorian invention of the 1860s.  With every second generation…

The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world.  Centuries before the birth of Jesus, the early civilizations celebrated light, fertility, and birth in the darkest days of winter.  Most cultures rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight. In ancient times, in the northern hemisphere, the end of December was a perfect time for celebration.…