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Dec 20, 2007 11:06 pm US/Central
Good Question: Your Christmas Questions Answered
(WCCO)
For thousands of years, the middle of winter has been a time
of celebration. Even before the arrival of a baby named Jesus, early Europeans
celebrated light and life during the darkest days of winter.
When Christians first began celebrating the birth of Christ in the fourth
century, it wasn't called Christmas. Rather, they called it the Feast of the
Nativity. The trees and fruitcakes came later, so how did some of our
traditions begin?
Why do we put up Christmas trees?
Long before Christianity, most people believed the sun was a god and that
winter came because the sun god was sick. So they celebrated the winter
solstice on Dec. 21 looking forward to his return. Many cultures brought
evergreens inside as a reminder of life and fertility. The Christmas tree as we
know it started with German Christians and didn't catch on in America until
the late 1800s.
Why are red and green the Christmas colors?
Green is a symbol of everlasting life and some say red is a reminder of
Christ's blood. They are also both considered colors of fertility which is a
reminder of the triumph of life over death during the dark winter.
Why do we celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25?
We have all been taught that this is the day Jesus Christ was born. Most
historians now agree that is not actually the case. It is more likely that
Christ was born in the spring based on information contained in the Gospels
("Shepherds in the field," etc.) Early Christians celebrated Easter,
not Christ's birth. However in the fourth century the pope chose Dec. 25 to
co-opt the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. This was one step in
Christianity dominating the pagan religions.
Where do letters to Santa end up?
They really do get to the North Pole. North Pole, N.Y. and North Pole, Alaska are official
receiving stations for Santa letters. While Santa himself gets most of the
letters, many are answered by his helpers -- charitable organizations,
employees of local post offices and volunteers who simply want to help make
some holiday wishes come true for kids in need.
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