Christmas is the most popular and beloved holiday in the world. Its history goes back a long way, alongside several celebrations. Many holiday staples, like Santa and Christmas stories, have interesting histories.

Like most things in the Western world, Christmas originates in ancient Rome. In mid-December, Romans would celebrate a holiday called “Saturnalia.”

According to History.com, Saturnalia was a holiday around the Winter Solstice to honor the agricultural God Saturn. It started on December 17th and ended on the 25th, which the Romans used as the Winter Solstice.

Many Christmas traditions come from Saturnalia. These include gift-giving, feasting, singing/caroling, lighting candles, and charitable giving. Wax candles called “Cerei” were popular gifts for Saturnalia.

Many different traditions for Saturnalia differ from Christmas. In the temple of Saturn, the statue of Saturn in the temple has wool bonds tied around his feet, but during Saturnalia, the bonds were loosened to symbolize the god’s liberation. Another tradition is that slaves were allowed to joke with and insult their masters in a fun-loving spirit.

In many Roman households, a mock king was decided on the last day of Saturnalia called “Lord of Mischief” and any lower family member would engage in mischief on their behalf.

Saturnalia was implemented into Christmas in the fourth century AD. Many Church members agreed to celebrate Christmas on December 25th so that way the celebrations of Saturnalia would be incorporated into the new holiday. It is actually unknown what Jesus’s birthday was, which is why it is on December 25th.

There is another holiday involved in the history of Christmas called “Yule.” Yule is an old celebration, starting on December 21 or 22 on the Winter Solstice and ending on January 1. It originates in Scandinavia, according to Britannica.com.

Yule is one of the oldest Winter Solstice festivals. It’s believed that Yule started out as a Norse festival called “Jol” that was to praise the gods, but some think it may have been to praise mystical beings like elves or the dead. Some believe that it was more of a New Year’s celebration.

With harsh winters in northern Europe, it was almost impossible to keep livestock alive, so most were slaughtered or sacrificed to the gods. Because of this, meat was ubiquitous at Yule feasts.

One of the many names for the Norse God Odin was “Jolnir,” which many believe is where the name for Yule, Jol came from. Odin is considered by some to be the god of the dead in Norse mythology, which is why some believe that Yule is a celebration of the dead.

Like Saturnalia, Yule originated as a pagan holiday but later influenced Christmas.

In Yule, there was a “Yule Goat” that was used to represent Thor but is now seen as a companion or Counterpart to Santa in some parts of the world. In parts of Nordic countries towns build a huge Yule Goat out of straw.

A Yule log is a popular Christmas cake, but was not always a cake. The Yule log was originally a large log that would burn throughout the days of Yule. Due to environmental reasons, an alternative to burning a log is to eat a cake that looks like a log.

In the third century AD, a Saint commonly associated with Christmas lived. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of gift-giving, children, toymakers, and many other things. All the previously stated reasons contribute to why Saint Nicholas is commonly associated with Christmas, and why his name is a nickname for Santa.

According to Britannica.com, Saint Nicholas was the bishop of Myra, which is in modern-day Turkey. His reputation for kindness and generosity made him beloved by the people of Myra.

Saint Nicholas is one of the inspirations for Santa, in both actions and appearance. He is a very popular Saint in the Catholic Church for both his actions and association with Christmas. His feast day is on December 6th.

In Victorian England, an author named Charles Dickens had a huge influence on Christmas.

According to BBC.com, Dickens’ story A Christmas Carol expressed many ideas like the Christmas Spirit and being generous year round and not just around Christmas, being kind to all, and other messages. A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular and influential Christmas stories.

Another writer who had a huge influence on Christmas was Clement Clarke Moore, who wrote The Night Before Christmas, another very influential Christmas story. The Night Before Christmas is the story where the modern depiction of Sant came from.

In the story, Santa is described as “a jolly, plump man with a round belly, rosy cheeks, a white beard, twinkling eyes, and dressed entirely in fur.”

Santa has been a staple of Christmas for hundreds of years. Although Santa first became a thing in the third century, he didn’t become the staple of the holiday he is today until the 1700s.

A common misconception is that Coca-Cola invented Santa, but needless to say, they did not. Though to be fair, Coca-Cola helped popularize the modern depiction of Santa.

According to Coca-Colacompany.com, Coca-Cola made a version of Santa that is more realistic, drinking a bottle of Coke that appeared in many magazines.

The Coke Santa is based on a depiction of Santa found in the previously mentioned story The Night Before Christmas.

Throughout the 1900s, Christmas music exploded in popularity.

Some Christmas songs are very popular among many generations, and this generation of current Saint Paul’s students is no different. “For me, Christmas songs are essential to uplifting the holiday spirit. Out of all of the many songs devoted to the holiday, ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ has to be my favorite,” said Saint Paul’s junior Luca Rodas. “While being a controversial choice, I think the song’s innocent and playful sound helps me feel most excited for Christmas.”

Most popular Christmas music was made in this period. The main reason for this is that people made Christmas music in genres that were popular at the time.

Many very famous Christmas songs were made at this time, like The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole, It’s the Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams, Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow by Dean Martin, and many others that are still popular today.

Although caroling had existed for several centuries, Christmas music of different genres had become very popular, considering people could listen to it at any time, and the genres were very popular at the time.

In addition, charity has been a massive part of Christmas for centuries; fortunately, people still help others around Christmas. Even small things, like being friendly to others, are more prominent during the Christmas season.

“Sometimes, the best gift that we can give is our time. Spend quality time with your family. Call your grandparents. Smile at a classmate. Wave to a neighbor,” said Saint Paul’s religion teacher Catherine Tonry.

Ultimately, Christmas brings both peace and joy to billions of people every year, in large part due to its fascinating history.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Thomas Nast’s “Merry Old Santa Claus,” from January 1, 1881.