A Brief History
On December 25, 336, the first documented celebration of December 25th as “Christmas” celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in Rome. Ever since, Christians have been celebrating Christmas on December 25th, or January 6th, or January 7th, or even January 19th!
Digging Deeper
Today, we ask what YOUR favorite Christmas tradition is, and we give you some suggestions to choose from:
Black Friday Sales
Christmas break from work and school
Christmas lights and trees
Christmas Music
Family get-togethers and dinners
Gift exchanging
Mistletoe
Question for students (and subscribers): So tell us, what is your favorite Christmas tradition? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Earl, Brian. Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday’s Traditions. Lyons Press, 2022.
Foley, Michael. Why We Kiss under the Mistletoe: Christmas Traditions Explained. Regnery History, 2022.
The featured image in this article, a painting by Gerard van Honthorst (1592–1656) of the Adoration of the Shepherds, is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason: The author died in 1656, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1927.
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