cyclefreaks

Cory & I have often discussed the hypocrisy of us putting up a tree and celebrating Christmas (though we have always thought of it as an end of the year celebration and never pretend to associate it with Christianity or the birth of Jesus), so this year, I decided to do some digging. I know you all have probably read up on these things before or remember them from some long ago History class, I thought I would still put it up. The last thing I want to be called is a hypocrite. :)

The History of Christmas...

• Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra's birthday was the most sacred day of the year.
• In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday.Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival.
  
• By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today's Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the "lord of misrule" and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined "debt" to society by entertaining less fortunate citizens.

If you would like to read more (it's interesting), go here. To me, Christmas is about the 3 Fs: family, friends, and food. :) The older I get, the more I appreciate those things (ok, so the food thing has always been well-appreciated in my house, which brings about my love of the 4th F: fitness!), and if that's the reason I put up a tree, so be it.

I guess I'm just still feeling kind of mushy. I love you guys. :)