The Adoration of the Shepherds (Gerard van Honthorst 1590–1656) Image: Public Domain (Wikipedia)
Most Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Day on 7 January as they follow the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian for liturgical feasts and occasions such as Christmas. When Pope Gregory XIII proclaimed it in a Papal Bull in 1582 proclaiming the new calendar, it took a long while for it to be full implemented (over 300 years). Some of it was due to countries being Protestant and not wanting to adopt a calendar proclaimed by a pope. Other reasons include local customs and traditions, and in some cases, governments just being slow to implement a major change (it meant resetting the calendar back 13 days when implemented). No one doubted the accuracy of the new calendar as it corrected the problems of the old Julian.
For Eastern Orthodox, it was a bit more complicated. First it was not exactly welcomed by the Eastern Orthodox bishops that the new calendar was issued by Pope Gregory XIII. It came with some additional items that Eastern Orthodox bishops did not agree with. In the end, it was decided while they had no problems with the calendar itself, the additional items Pope Gregory attached to his Papal Bull, they had to reject it. In 1923 the Congress of Constantinople attempted to correct it with a Revised Julian Calendar. This calendar synchronized with the Gregorian for nearly all the important dates (except Easter). The Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria accepted this. However, the Orthodox Churches of Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Georgia rejected it. Easter poses a problem as well due to its calculations. The Revised Julian Calendar churches follow a different formula for Easter which all of the Eastern Orthodox churches that follow the Julian reject.
Wise Men Adoration Bartolomé Esteban Murillo ((1617–1682) Toledo Museum of Art Public Domain
We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. (Matthew 2:2)
Epiphany Sunday in most Christian liturgical calendars is celebrated on the nearest Sunday prior to 6 January, the traditional date of the solemnity. On the Roman Catholic church calendar, it was always celebrated on that date (twelve days after the birth of Jesus) to commemorate the arrival of the Magi as noted in both Luke and Matthew. Protestant denominations generally kept this observance (except the strictest ones such as Puritans) as the arrival of the Magi reveals to the world the birth of the savior. The Catholic church moved the solemnity in 1970 to be observed on the first Sunday after the new year, so it is no longer celebrated on 6 January.
The observance goes back to the third century when church leaders established Epiphany to recognize the birth, baptism, the arrival of the Magi, and the first miracle in Cana. This celebration predates the observance of Jesus’ birth as that was not yet observed. That would begin in the fourth century when Advent and Christmas would begin to be observed. The importance of celebrating Epiphany is to have Christians reflect on the gifts brought by the Magi, how those gifts revealed the world to Jesus, and the gifts that Jesus has for each and every one of us.
Adoration of the Magi El Greco (1541–1614) Museo Soumaya at Plaza Carso Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
In older times, 6 January was considered the Twelfth Day of Christmas and marked the end of the season. Usually there would be a feast, and decorations would begin to be taken down. However, changes in church calendars have altered that. Only the Eastern Orthodox church celebrates the actual day (but since they use the Julian calendar it occurs on 19 January). However, many of the traditions around it still continue to be observed. In some countries, putting the names of the Magi on house doors is common. Others celebrate with special cakes or processions (Dia de los Reyes) with parades and gifts for children. La Befana, the Christmas Witch, has the kids in Italy waiting for the morning with gifts and candy from her. France has special cake, Galette des Rois, with the figure of baby Jesus inside it to be found by a lucky person. And many Spanish speaking countries (and localities) have Los Reyes Magos festivities and gifts for kids as well. So, the day is a festive one for many people. And a nice way to wind down the Christmas season
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Saint Stephen by Carlo Crivelli (1476) Source: National Gallery, London via Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain in UK and US; may be restricted in other countries.
If you remember the Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas , you heard the name. Stephen was a deacon in the early Christian church who was accused of blasphemy and put on trial by Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. After a trial in which he denounced them, Stephen was stoned to death. One of the witnesses to the event was Saul of Tarsus, who later converted and is known today as the apostle Saint Paul. Stephen is considered the first martyr for the faith, the reason his feast day immediately follows the celebration of Jesus birth. All the major Christian congregations–Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox–all venerate him as a Saint and celebrate the feast day (Western churches on 26 December, 27 Dec Orthodox, and 8 Jan Oriental Orthodox). In some countries (mainly Western Europe) it is a public holiday.
In the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand it is celebrated as Boxing Day, a secular holiday that falls on the same day as Feast of Stephen. Traditionally it is the day in which servants and tradespeople receive the “Christmas box” from their employers. While that tradition may still hold true, it is either a second Christmas day for some or an extra shopping day (though in some countries it apparently is a day when a lot of returns to retailers takes place). It is also a major sports day as well.
If you are in Italy, it is treated like a second Christmas Day but with a difference. Christmas Day is home with family and streets are mostly empty (and nearly everything is closed except for some restaurants and parafarmacies (pharmacies). December 26th is il giorno di Santo Stefano and a major day for Italians. They go out to eat at restaurants with family and friends. The streets are teeming with people often to see the Presepe (Nativity scene) in their local church or perhaps to see many of them in different churches. Donations to the church usually are made as well. Processions to Santo Stefano take place in many cities and towns. And there are many local traditions as well. Also many seek out the living Nativity scenes as well..
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “St. Stephen | Patron Saint of, Death, Martyr, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified December 10, 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Stephen.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Boxing Day | Definition, Meaning, Traditions, Activities, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified December 25, 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Boxing-Day.
O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Today Christians celebrate the fourth and final Sunday in Advent. The liturgy will often include Old Testament readings from Micah (5:1-4) or Isaiah (7:10) that contain the prophecies about how God will send Jesus to come among the people and stop the enemies that are plaguing his people. A second reading, such as from Hebrews (10:5-10), will be used to show how Jesus came to fulfill God’s will and defeating the enemy that separates us from him. Finally, the Gospel, often from Luke about Mary visiting Elizabeth, will be read to show a parallel to the Ark of the Covenant. As the Ark contained the Ten Commandments-the word of God-Mary contains the son of God in her body. Elizabeth exclaims she is full of grace for the child she bears-the future John the Baptist-jumped with joy inside her when she greeted Mary.
The final days of Advent are thus to prepare for the great celebration of Christmas. Christians are asked to not only reflect on this great day of joy to come, but to also find Jesus in a very real way during this time. Perhaps it will come from service to others, donating food for families in need, or spending time with those who have no one close to be with during this time of year.
Journey to Bethlehem Altus Fine Arts via Pinterest
Suggested Reading
Santa, Thomas M. The Essential Advent and Christmas Handbook: A Daily Companion, 2000.
Christmas Pudding being flamed with brandy. Served as last course of Christmas dinner in England. Image: Kolforn via Wikimedia
If you have ever read A Christmas Carol (or seen many of its filmed adaptations), then you have heard about this traditional Christmas desert. While called today Christmas Pudding, it has been known as Plum Pudding or its earlier incarnation Figgy Pudding. All three are essentially the same though variations do exist. At one time spices and fruits were often exotic and expensive, so this pudding was a way of serving them. Like fruitcake, you baked these weeks before you would actually eat. Traditionally a Christmas Pudding was baked five weeks before Christmas. This allowed the pudding to mature its flavor and would regularly be soaked with brandy. Thus, by Christmas day it would be very flavorful.
The original figgy pudding though was quite different than its counterparts that came later. Back in the 14th century it was a porridge that had boiled figs, water, wine, almonds, honey, and raisins. This is what is referred to in the song “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” when the carolers would gather outside wealthy people’s homes and ask for this pudding (since it contained exotic ingredients). Another incarnation of this later would include meat as well. A further evolution of it turned it into a round cake made with raisins and steamed. The name Plum Pudding is misleading to us today. A very long time ago plum referred to any dried fruit that was used and usually this pudding contained raisins (and no plums). By the Victorian era that name was dropped, and it became the Christmas Pudding. However, the older names still are spoken in different places in the UK (and even here in the US), so those old names are still floating around.
When you prepared it five weeks ahead of Christmas, often whole families would be involved (which is why the term Stir Up Sunday was coined as the day it was made). Often a six pence coin would be added so that whoever got it would get good luck for the year. Then when all done, wrapped up and stored in a cool pantry (often the basement) until it was needed. In olden days (certainly the time in which Mrs. Cratchit was cooking it), it would take up to four hours or longer to steam the pudding. Since suet was used, the longer cooking time was needed to make it soft. Suet was used since it provided both moisture and sweetness, but over time it would be replaced as more fruit and sugar were available. Mrs. Cratchit was living in the time when this change was occurring but considering that they lived modestly, she probably used suet as it might have been easier to obtain rather than more fruits and sugar. By 1845 certainly the change was done as cookbooks show it without suet.
Since the British had colonies all over the world, Christmas pudding would be exported to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. In the U.S. it was known in the earlier pre-Independence days and was popular later with British and Irish that immigrated here. It would morph ultimately into bread pudding that used stale bread, spices, fruits, suet, raisins, and brandy. Many variations exist today though suet has been dropped in most of them.
Today can purchase ready-made Christmas puddings avoiding having to make it yourself. All you have to do is steam for an hour and it is ready to go. Traditionally you would top the pudding with a sprig of holly representing the crown of thorns Jesus wore. And after you douse it with some alcohol and then light it up, this signifies his passion. Now if you make it yourself, you can steam it for a long time to get it really dark as that makes both very tasty and looks like the pictures of it from long ago. Also topping it some brandy butter makes it even more delicious. While you can purchase them online or in specialty stores, you can easily make it yourself. Check out one recipe here. Making your own brandy butter is very easily and you control how much brandy and sweetness you put into it.
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Marley’s Ghost. Image from 1843 edition of A Christmas Carol, illustrated by John Leech Source: British Library via Wikimedia Commons Public Domain
On 19 Dec 1843 noted writer Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol was published by Chapman & Hall. The book came at a time when Christmas was fading but at the same time people were rediscovering Christmas traditions and exploring new ones (such as Christmas cards and Christmas trees). The story relates how Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly man, who receives the ghost of his dead partner along with Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The visitations changed Scrooge into a warmer, forgiving man and the book sold out all its initial copies on Christmas Eve.
The story has become a favorite at Christmas time owing to its theme of transformation. While some academics argue about whether his story was secular or a religious allegory, the story alludes to a higher power at work to help Scrooge reflect on his life and to make changes. Scrooge shows everything wrong about the age-of acquiring money for its own sake and nothing else. He showed no empathy nor compassion for the plights of his fellow men and women wanting only to increase his wealth at the expense of others. One can be lulled into thinking though that Scrooge is just a two-dimensional character at first. As the story progresses, we learn of his early years, his being at school alone, of his lovely sister who brings him home, and the joy of working with old Fezziwig. And then he changes, slowly but steadily into the man we see at the beginning and losing the woman who loved him in the process. And we see as he reflects back upon his past, he starts regretting ill-treating his nephew and his clerk Bob Cratchit.
The story is of redemption, but not done in the modern syrupy way you see now in terribly done holiday movies of today. There are hard truths that Scrooge has to face about himself, and his choice is simple: continue as he is now and face a terrible fate or change to becoming more caring and joyful in his life. We also get to see the joy of Christmas being celebrated both in the Cratchit house and later with his nephew Fred. Despite not having a lot of money, the Cratchit’s have a wonderful holiday together. Christmas is depicted as a time for families, children, and to care about our fellow brothers and sisters. Dickens wanted to relate in his book that poverty was no small thing and that we needed to help those in need rather than ignoring them (especially children).
Christmas, like much of the world in Dickens time, was undergoing a major change. The observance of the Nativity of Christ was important to the faithful. Yet while it was a time of celebration, it was a simpler celebration. The religious part took place in church while food and drink were at home. Some took the partying to excess causing social problems. General George Washington famously crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Day in 1776 knowing that after a day of partying the German soldiers would be unable to fight. The Reformation had wiped out Christmas traditions in many places, and the Puritans had banned its celebration in England and later in the areas they settled in North America. It was not a public holiday in the United States (except in states that made it a holiday) or much of Europe.
The social changes brought by the dramatic shift from agrarian to industrial society made people want to look for a deeper meaning to things. And Christmas was ripe to be revitalized after being so low-key or ignored for a long time, or a time for wild partying. Dicken’s depiction of the day was family, church, mistletoe and holly, charity, and food. After the book came out, more traditions would be created from Christmas carols, St. Nicholas, Christmas cards and trees. And as many people wanted to celebrate the day with family, it became eventually a national holiday in just about every country in Europe, North and South America, and parts of the far east (Russia mostly). And reading A Christmas Carol has become a Christmas tradition as well. Dicken’s was at the cusp of change when it came to Christmas. He wrote great books before and after this one, but many remember him chiefly for the story of redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Adaptations
There are many adaptations that have been made from plays to movies. Here is a list of those you might want to watch. Almost all the movies change the story in varying ways but try to keep faithful to the overall story.
Scrooge (1913)
One of the early silent movies starring Seymour Hicks. It is one of the few that shows Bob Cratchit sitting by the body of Tiny Tim.
A Christmas Carol (1938)
This version stars Reginald Owen who plays Scrooge well. The story cuts out a lot of the sadder parts of the story and alters the story in other ways (Cratchit is fired early in the movie). Still a good movie to watch for the excellent acting.
Scrooge (1951), re-titled A Christmas Carol
This one starring Alistair Sim is considered by many to be the best. Sim really nails Scrooge, and it is closer to the original in some ways. Shows a bit of his life not covered in the book or other movies to show how became so mean and miserly.
A Christmas Carol (1984)
This version stars George C. Scott as Scrooge. This was a made for television unlike the others above. It was filmed on location in the historic town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England lending it an authentic look. Scott’s depiction is not as harsh in tone as Alistair Sim’s depiction, but just as ruthless and unbending in his ways. It has a good cast as well with David Warner playing Bob Cratchit. It has become a favorite and seen on Hallmark and AMC channels during Christmas. Scott’s portrayal got him a nomination for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special. The combination of a great supporting cast and Scott’s performance as Scrooge makes this adaptation better than Alistair Sim’s version.
A Christmas Carol (1999)
A version based on Patrick Stewart’s one man play, but with a full supporting cast, it was inspired by the Sim movie and shows a lot of the grimness of the story. Stewart’s depiction of Scrooge is even more harsh than what Sim or Scott did. Solidly acted but one may be put off by the harsh and grim version of this Scrooge.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
This musical starring Michael Caine and all the Muppet favorites is funny and amusing at times. It is heartwarming and enjoyable on its own terms. Michael Caine delivers a great performance as Scrooge. It is mainly directed at kids, so they will enjoy it best. Adults may find it tedious at times, but the payoffs are the wonderful musical numbers and how the Muppet characters interact during the story. Especially when the Ghost of Christmas Future appears. It sends our narrator running for cover until the scene is over.
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[This has been updated from 2023 with new description of the day and new source material]
The first two Sundays of Advent are times of penance and reflection. On the third Sunday, it is time to remember both the joy to come with the birth of Jesus and his return. The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday or Rejoice Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word for Rejoice so is commonly called that on traditional Christian liturgical calendars. The third Sunday is the joyful midpoint on our way towards Christmas, so we spend time reflecting on joy and hope.
Back in the Middle Ages, church leaders realized that if you have an entire season of repentance, you need to also celebrate joy and hope. Without that, its whole purpose would be lost. So on Gaudete Sunday we take time to step back from the somber nature of the season and celebrate the joy and hope that is to come. Rather than the somber purple of penance, the liturgical color is rose or pink (priests or ministers can wear either one). And the advent candle for this day is one of those colors as well. Since we are lighting this candle on Gaudete Sunday, it is the candle of joy.
The scripture readings will also reflect this as well. Often St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians is read in particular verses 4:4-7:
“Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
On this particular Sunday, you will see more joyful decorations in church with emphasis on joy. Colorful flowers, decorations, and banners may be displayed. Music will be joyful as well along with special prayers offered during the service. Families are encouraged to get together for a special meal on this Gaudete Sunday (often a brunch).
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2nd Advent Sunday Photo: Clemens PFEIFFER, Vienna (Wikimedia Commons)
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Advent finds its roots not in Christmas but in the observance of the Epiphany where Jesus is baptized. In France during the early centuries there was a time of preparation for this feast, which included fasting and prayer. Initially this was for three weeks and extended to forty to imitate the Lent season. Since this started on November 11 and on the feast of St. Martin, it became known as St. Martin’s Lent. This became codified by the Council of Saragossa in 330 AD requiring a time of fasting and prayer before the Epiphany, Then, in 581 the Council of Macon extended this to all the dioceses in France. This would spread to England where this custom was observed as well.
Back in Rome though the feast of the Epiphany was not celebrated but Christmas was. There was no special preparatory period for it either but there was concern there should be one for Christmas. Pope Gregory 1 (590-604) created the Advent Season by composing prayers, antiphons, and psalms to be used. This became known as the Roman Rite of Advent that lasted four weeks. When France adopted this, it added an emphasis be made to the second coming of Jesus. This eventually got back to Rome, which added it to the Advent themes. This became the Advent Liturgical season that we know today.
This is why the first two weeks have scripture readings focusing on the return of Jesus, while the last two weeks are concerned with the birth. Both themes are connected, and the emphasis is on people to “be prepared.” It is this dynamic that makes Advent an important part of the Christian calendar and why it is the beginning of the liturgical year. Advent is the starting point which flows to all the feasts and important holy days to come and ends on the very last Sunday before Advent celebrating Christ the King. Advent is a spiritual journey that prepares both for the birth of the savior but also his return. That is why the readings of the prophet Isaiah are featured during Advent as he speaks often of Israel’s salvation. Music played for Advent such as “Come, O Come, Emmanuel (based on the 9th century Veni, Veni Emmanuel) match this preparation period.
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[This has been updated for 2024 with grammar, punctuation, and source updating.]
St. Nicholas St.Nicholas Center/Pinterest
Today is the feast of St. Nicholas, the basis for what has become known as Santa Claus. He was born in the third century to a wealthy family in the village of Patara (now located on the southern coast of Turkey). At the time the area was mostly Greek. While he was young, his parents died during an epidemic. Raised as a Christian, he believed in obeying Jesus in giving his inheritance to those in need. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra was still quite young. He earned a reputation for being generous to those in need, his love for children, and concern for sailors and ships.
During the rule of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, Christians were ruthlessly persecuted, and Nicholas suffered for his faith by being exiled and imprisoned. Despite all of the hardship he endured, he never wavered in his faith. He was released and attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. He died on 6 December 343 AD in Myra and was buried. The anniversary of his death would become a celebration and still celebrated to this day (it is 19 December on the Julian calendar used by Eastern Orthodox churches).
His generous deeds and miracles attributed to him spread during the Middle Ages. Many sailors claimed him as a patron and told of him when they traveled. Churches dedicated to Nicholas appeared in many seaport cities. His name spread both east and west making him a very popular saint with many churches named after him in Austria, Belgium, England, Italy, Russia and Switzerland to name a few. His tomb became popular to visit but concerns over wars in the area cutting off access worried many. In 1087 sailors from Bari were able to retrieve his relics and bring them back. A church was built over his crypt so that pilgrims could visit. The shrine to St. Nicholas in Bari became a major pilgrimage center during medieval Europe. People still visit the shrine today at the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari.
The Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches all have his feast day on their calendars. His generosity and compassion are seen as a model of Christian life. There is some confusion generated about how saint feasts days are celebrated in the Catholic church. Since there quite a number of saints with feasts, it was decided that some saint feast days would be optional for a diocese to celebrate. Saint Nicholas became one of them. He was not stripped of his sainthood. In a diocese where he is popular, has churches or schools named after him, or perhaps the bishop believes he is model to be held up for veneration, his feast day will be celebrated. His feast day is celebrated throughout Europe and in Russia and children receive gifts on the day. Saint Nicholas’ feast day is usually the start of the Christmas season in Europe and elsewhere.
Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus
Saint Nicholas did not fare well during the Protestant Reformation. Saints, even revered ones, were removed to focus on Jesus. Some went so far as to nearly ban any public display of traditional religious customs related to saints or even Christmas (it was not a holiday for that reason in areas that groups like the Puritans dominated). Martin Luther wanted to shift the focus of Christmas to Jesus. The problem was that you cannot have a baby delivering gifts to children as Saint Nicholas did. He came up with the Christkind (Christkindl), a children’s gift giver. This angel, depicted as young girl, brings the gifts when the children are not present. In Nuremberg, the Christkind is selected every two years by vote and between the ages of 16-19. The Christkind opens the Christmas market. She also has her picture taken with kids, listens to what they want, visits kids in hospitals and the elderly as well amongst many other duties. The Christkind was also adopted by many German Catholics as well and spread into Latin America as well. In some cases, both the Christkind and Saint Nicholas deliver presents together.
Despite attempts to diminish Saint Nicholas using the Christkind, he remained popular except in England where many Christmas folk traditions were altered (especially under the rule of the Puritans and Oliver Cromwell). Puritans in America (and some others as well) forbade celebrating Christmas. German immigrants brought celebrating Christmas with them along with Saint Nicholas as well. It was believed the Dutch had brought Saint Nicholas to America, but recent scholarship indicates that was not likely (it is not mentioned in letters or records from the Dutch who lived in New Amsterdam at the time). It appears a series of fictional stories about Saint Nicholas (described as a jolly man with a clay piper) being celebrated by the early Dutch may have been the source.
The 19th century was one of change in America regarding Christmas-and elsewhere as well. Since it was not a sacred or public holiday in many places, it was not the time of carols and goodwill we think about today. Instead, it was a was a rowdy holiday where many got wildly drunk, gambled, and got riotous in some cases threatening people. In England, the Father Christmas figure was about adult merriment and feasting and had nothing to do with children. The actual celebration of Christmas seemed to be fading until books were published depicting Christmas as a time for family, children and faith were published in the 19th century. Washington Irving’s The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon (1819) depicted the celebration of Christmas in England as a warm holiday where peasants were invited into the home to celebrate the holiday. And stories about a magical gift giver called Sante Claus began to appear. Books such as The Children’s Friend (1821) had a character delivering gifts to children on Christmas Eve. Flying a sleigh and living up north, this Sante Claus would form the basis of what is known today as Santa Claus.
Merry Old Santa Claus Thomas Nast, 1881 Public Domain
The famous Clement Clark Moore poem A Visit from St. Nicholas would further cement the image of this Sante Claus. Books depicting Christmas began to appear and of course the most famous being A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens in 1843. This came at a time in Britain when they were re-examining Christmas. This book and others would further help to make Christmas as a time for families, children, and caring about the less fortunate as well. Thomas Nast, the famous political cartoonist, illustrated him as a rotund figure with a beard, fur clothing, and with a clay pipe in 1863. He also changed the name to Santa Claus. His image, with some embellishments and refinements, has remained more or less intact to our time. Christmas was becoming widely celebrated and by 1860 had already been adopted as a state holiday in fourteen states. In 1870, President Grant proclaimed Christmas Day as a federal holiday in the District of Columbia. Congress would pass legislation that made Christmas, New Years, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving as federal holidays (remember back then nearly all federal workers were in the District of Columbia). States would also make it a holiday as well.
By the start of the 1930’s, the American Santa had come full form thanks to various illustrators such as Norman Rockwell. Coca-Cola would use Santa in its advertising further establishing his identity in the commercial world. The jolly man with the red suit would be seen in magazines, billboards, shop counters, and greeting cards. A benign source of happiness and seemingly endorsing all kinds of commercial products, he became as American as apple pie (to coin a phrase). His image would spread out to the world competing with local versions (Father Christmas, Pere Noel, Babbo Natale, Sinter Klass, Julenesse etc.) Saint Nicholas still retains his place in Europe despite this.
Image:public domain
Many people, seeing Santa as a commercial and pagan creation, are now reclaiming the saint for use in the holiday. Saint Nicholas brings a spiritual emphasis to the holiday, which Santa does not. Some have tried to ban Santa Claus because of his supposed connection to Saint Nicholas, except there is none. One is a revered saint and bishop, the other a complete concoction of writers, illustrators, and marketing departments. There is nothing Christian about Santa Claus. Movies like The Santa Clause, while entertaining, put him into a world of fantasy beings like Mother Nature, Cupid, and the Tooth Fairy. By returning focus to Saint Nicholas, we get closer to what the celebration is about-the birth of the savior.
“Federal Holidays: Evolution and Current Practices,” Congressional Research Service, last modified July 21, 2021, accessed December 3, 2024, https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R41990.pdf.
St Nicholas: Real Story. Vision Video, 2015.
This is an excellent documentary on who Saint Nicholas was and the historical evidence that shows he did exist.
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