Christmas: Dec 25 & 26
"Christmas, a Christian festival celebrated on December 25, commemorates the birth of Jesus. December 25 was identified by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 CE as the day on which Christmas would be celebrated, and it was celebrated in Rome by 336 CE. During the Middle Ages Christmas became extremely popular, and various liturgical celebrations of the holiday were established. The practice of exchanging gifts began by the 15th century. Traditions featuring the Yule log, cakes, and fir trees derive from German and Celtic customs. In the United States and other countries since the early 20th century, Christmas has also been celebrated as a secular family holiday, observed by Christians and non-Christians alike, devoid of Christian elements and marked by an elaborate exchange of gifts and the legendary figure of Santa Claus."
Source: Britannica
Image: © Hemera/Thinkstock
Streaming Films
Web Resources
- Christmas Past"It's the fascinating backstories to the Christmas traditions you cherish. Christmas Past brings you year-round Christmas history, forgotten Christmas fiction, roundtables, interviews, and most of all, Christmas cheer. And it's all from the uniquely warm and nostalgic world of Brian Earl — where the holiday season never ends!"
- Tis the Podcast"Tis the Podcast is determined to keep the Christmas Spirit alive 365 days a year! Join Anthony, Julia, and Thom as they embark on a magical journey debating and discussing different Christmas movies, specials, and television episodes each week. Please visit www.tisthepodcast.com for the running ranking of all the movies they review, in addition to episode show notes and contact information."
- The Christmas Story – The Fully Animated ReadingThe fully animated and narrated story of what happened at the very first Christmas, helping adults share the true story with a new generation of children.
- Feliz Navidad from Smithsonian Folkways A playlist of 25 songs from the Smithsonian Folkways recordings.
- Traditional European Christmas Music from Smithsonian Folkways From a Polish state folk chorus to a classic French carol re-imagined by Pete Seeger, this playlist draws from European Christian beliefs as well as secular performances, such as traditional Irish reels recorded in the pubs of Cleveland.