At the height of this persecution, in 1929, on Christmas Day, children in Moscow were encouraged to spit on crucifixes as a protest against the holiday. It was not until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 that the persecution ended and Orthodox Christmas became a state holiday again for the first time in Russia after seven decades. Associating it with drunkenness and other misbehaviour, the Puritans banned Christmas in England in the 17th century. It was restored as a legal holiday in 1660, but remained disreputable.
Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight. During the 19th Century in the United States, there was a significant adoption of Christmas traditions from German and other immgrants, as well as novels by of Charles Dickens, including The Pickwick Papers and A Christmas Carol. The practices included having Christmas parties, caroling door-to-door, sending Christmas cards, giving gifts, and decorating houses and trees.
Capture the joyful magic of the Christmas season with Santa and his elves as they prepare for the biggest night of the year. Make a magical trip with Santa Claus as he delivers gifts around the world – ensuring every child will find joy under the Christmas tree. The colors of the Christmas season are on glorious display with Yuletide Window, a radiant collection of iconic animated stained glass-displays. The spirit of Jacob Marley returns in this nod to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – at once a harrowing ghost story and a message of holiday grace. One reason may be that not all consumers are happy with the supersized shopping season. From real, live Christmas trees to fake Christmas trees, from tall Christmas trees to small Christmas trees – we have the right tree for your family’s style and budget.
With the season of giving in mind, we’ve collected our best homemade Christmas gift ideas and curated gift guides for everyone on your list. The celebration of Christmas may date to around the year 200, but it did not become widespread as a holiday until much later, around the Middle Ages. Today, Christians often attend church on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.
Other names for Christmas include Noel and Nativity, which are typically used in religious contexts. The word yule is sometimes used as another word for Christmas or Christmastime, but it is rooted in and is also used as a name for the celebration of the Winter Solstice that’s observed in some Pagan traditions. Some of these customs influenced the ways that Christmas is celebrated.
