The evolution of Christmas from the beginning until now has been fascinating

A portion of this article was assisted by AI.

Christmas has varied meanings

A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered in December 1966 and many generations have enjoyed this holiday animated classic. Families gathered around the television set to watch the Peanuts gang and to hear Linus quote from Luke chapter 2 in the Bible what Christmas is all about.

The meaning of Christmas can vary for different people and cultures, but at its core, Christmas is widely celebrated as a holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ in Christian traditions. It is considered a time of joy, love, and goodwill. Many people celebrate Christmas by exchanging gifts, spending time with family and friends, attending religious services, and enjoying festive decorations and meals.

Beyond its religious significance, Christmas has become a cultural and secular holiday celebrated by people of various backgrounds around the world. It often symbolizes values such as generosity, kindness, and compassion. For many, Christmas is an opportunity to express gratitude, share moments of joy, and reflect on the spirit of giving.

While the specific customs and traditions associated with Christmas can vary, the overarching themes often revolve around love, togetherness, and the spirit of giving. It's a time when people come together to celebrate and appreciate the meaningful aspects of life.

The reason Christmas is so broad is very interesting

Christians believed the celebrations on December 21 to be filled with too much drinking, sex, and partying. They wanted to share the gospel with "pagans" in an attempt to get them to turn their lives around. The date December 25 was chosen so that a holy day of observance would take place to commemorate the birth of Christ. Historians say Jesus was probably born in the Spring because shepherds would not be in the fields with their sheep in the Winter.

Christmas began as a spiritual observance but some Christians began borrowing traditions from Yule celebrations. Over time the December 25 holiday was filled with as much drinking and partying as the observances it was created to replace. Things got so out of hand that there were bans on the activities in some US states.

The evolution of Christmas music

The first Christmas carols were hymns based on scripture that spoke of the birth of Christ like Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and others from the 1600s until the 1930s.

In the early days of Hollywood Jewish men and women in the entertainment business were not able to make a decent living. They began writing songs about winter and secularized Christmas like Frosty the Snowman, Winter Wonderland, and other favorites that didn't mention the birth of Christ so they could feed their families.

Motivated by money

As time went on people began saying December 25 was Jesus's birth date which it was not. The giving of gifts was to represent God giving His Son to the earth and retailers saw a chance to make money. Christmas sales became big business which led to Black Friday and Cyber Monday which we have today. People from all walks of life, different faiths and no faith are now celebrating the December 25 holiday in their own ways and keeping it secular.

In recent years some Christians began saying Christmas is not Christ's birthday and is not ordained in scripture. They say it was pagan in origin and should not be celebrated. People began saying that Xmas was xing Jesus out of His own birthday but the X is the Greek letter for Christ. Non-Christians have been pointing out that traditions taken from Yule and the Winter Solstice and Solstice celebrations are increasing in December. So there you have the evolution of the December 25th holiday and surrounding controversies.

The original intent for Christmas still matters

Even with all the changes, there is a remnant who quietly reflects on the first Christmas in Bethlehem even though it did not take place on a cold winter night that was so deep.