It was in 601 that Pope Gregory I wrote to Melitus (his missionary in England) telling him “not to stop such ancient Pagan festivities” but to “adapt them to the rites of the Church, only changing the reason of them from a heathen to a Christian impulse”. So all those who have been claiming for years that Christmas was, in fact, actually a pagan holiday - you were right and Pope Gregory I handily put it in writing for you.
That said, Christmas also moved around the globe between 900 - 1000 Common Era (C.E.) and was adapted to match their winter celebrations there as well. Christmas evolved slowly and gradually, with no firm mention of it until the mid 11th century, where we actually find the first reference to it. It evolved and changed and
One of the reasons this was a very significant period was because during this time the first Bible was compiled in Nicaea in 325 CE. Later, around 400 CE the Roman people fully accepted Christianity as their religion, which gave the religion a home. Christianity was accepted by a splitting Roman Empire to give a sense of unity to the falling empire.This is a significant step in the development and change of Christianity because it gave Christianity room to develop. Meanwhile, a Latin version of the Bible was created. Shortly afterward, philosophical and religious ideas are debated within Christianity more complex ideas about faith are formed. Near the end of the First Seven Ecumenical Councils period Vikings began raids on Christendom, and caused new conflict. Christians were still constantly trying to convert pagans and foreigners to Christianity with various degrees of success. One tactic used to help convert pagans was that the Christians used the Winter Solstice as the date of Christmas. The Christians recognized the outside celebrations of the pagans and used it to their advantage. This is a step in towards religious tolerance. Yet another instance of continuity was the persecution of Christians. Before 400 A.D. Christians were still being slaughtered in Rome, and the persecution carried on outside of Rome for many years to come.
In The History of the Franks, Gregory of Tours portrayed Clovis as a leader who, although his conversion to Christianity appeared to be genuine, nonetheless, used his conversion to realize his political aspirations. By converting to Christianity, Clovis, according to Gregory of Tours’ narrative, was able to garner the support of Christian leaders such as Saint Remigius and, consequently, gain powerful political allies. Moreover, as a result of his conversion, Clovis became a king who was more attractive to orthodox Christians. Furthermore, Clovis’ conversion provided him with a reason for conquering territories that were not ruled by orthodox Christians. Thus, Clovis
When most people think of December they tend to think about Christmas. It is supposed to be a time of everyone coming together, being joyful, and
There is no doubt that Christmas is a religious event but nowadays Christmas becomes more commercialized, as it has been defined as a high consumption season because the gifts giving culture becomes the most important part of Christmas and the consumers want to please their children
Christmas can have many meaning to different people depending on how they interpret it. However, if looking at the Christian aspect of it. The
We all know what Christmas is. At least I hope so. You may not celebrate it, but you know what it is. Some have Hanukkah and others have Kwanzaa. Hanukkah is for the Jews who celebrate the victory of the Maccabees over the larger Syrian army. While with Kwanzaa, people light a kinara and give gifts to each other. This takes place over seven days. Isn't that nice? Seven days of celebration! Christmas however… Is a single day. With Christmas, the children believe in a big, old, jolly man in a red suit called “Santa Clause”. On Christmas night he comes down your chimney, leaves presents and take the milk and cookies. For one thing, that's breaking and entering and for a second thing, he leaves unknown gifts?! You don't know whats in there! It
The Christmas season was full of general joy and greatness, seeing that it consisted of festivals which contained overall buoyancy. Starting Christmas Eve and ending on Epiphany, this season consisted of celebrations, feasts, music, morris dancing, plays and general merriment. Christmas used to commonly be celebrated with religious connotation, but the Reformation introduced the secular way of celebrating Christmas, which most families adapted into their personal celebrations. Overall, this season was a practical way for families to spend time with each
Aquinas: Friendships consists between beings of certain equality. Before the Incarnation, God was on a level much higher than man was; therefore, there was a great inequality. By nature, there is a common friendship between man and man. The Incarnation made the friendship between God and man become much
We all know how the first Christmas actually happened, but I never understood the background story of it. Jesus was a person that as a human begins to grow into adulthood, their knowledge and understanding of Jesus changed. Paul Yancey wrote, “I first got acquainted
The word “Christmas” comes from Cristes Maesse, a Middle English phrase that means “Christ’s Mass”. Back in the Middle Ages, Christmas
Another hot topic that is brought up in the Christian vs. Non-Christian debate is “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays”. People are claiming that it is
The average population of the United States develops themselves on the basic understanding that Christmas is the same recognition around the world. On December 25th, people open gifts, eat a hearty meal, and usually attend some type of religious ceremony. However, the population may be surprised to find that their just perception is wrong. Greenland, Jamaica, Zambia have many traditions that recognize Christmas.
German-British astronomer called William Herschel discovered the Christmas Tree Cluster in 1783. Just 2 short years after this on December 26, 1785, was the time he had discovered the Cone Nebula within the Christmas Tree Cluster.
The works of Bede in the Ecclesiastical History of the English People are shown through very insightful spirituality. Bede is greatly known for his reverence, and his knowledge in history. This reputation of his makes him notable in varieties of writings. Through my own understanding and reading, I was attracted to two characters introduced in Book I and II, Augustine of Canterbury and Pope Gregory the Great. Their dedication to the church was not only inspiring, but very fruitful towards the history of England. Bravery, inspiration, and change drove Pope Gregory the Great and Augustine to be influential people of their time. From this we can unveil history and use these accounts as our own inspiration.
Most have seen the greenery with the candles in December leading up to Christmas, but few know the truth that surrounds the Advent wreath. Even though it has been used since the Middle Ages, the true origins of the Advent wreath are unclear. There is some evidence to suggest that pre-Christian Germanic peoples would use wreaths with lit candles during the depressive December in order to remind them of hope in the future and the days of spring with warm and sunlit-filled days. By the Middle Ages, Christians soon transformed this tradition and began to use Advent wreaths as part of the preparation for Christmas, in the spiritual sense.