Saint Nicholas traditionally appeared in bishop’s attire, accompanied by helpers, inquiring about the behaviour of children during the past year before deciding whether they deserved a gift or not. By the 13th century, Saint Nicholas was well known in the Netherlands, and the practice of gift-giving in his name spread to other parts of central and southern Europe. At the Reformation in 16th–17th-century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or Christkindl, corrupted in English to Kris Kringle, and the date of giving gifts changed from December 6 to Christmas Eve. See media help.Completely secular Christmas seasonal songs emerged in the late 18th century.
Create your own Advent calendar by using paper bags, a muffin tin, envelopes, or other accessible items around the house, and include cute and quirky little presents to celebrate each day. These make perfect holiday gifts or a great way to #treatyourself every day in December. Every year on December 25, we celebrate Christmas, a day for spending time with family, observing an important Christian holiday, partaking in lighthearted traditions, or just spreading some holiday cheer! Christmas has evolved over several millennia into a worldwide celebration that’s both religious and secular and chock full of fun-filled, family activities. In ancient Rome, December 25 was a celebration of the Unconquered Sun, marking the return of longer days.
On the Christmas Eve, churches around the world hold evening services. Santa Claus is a popular character in the Christmas celebration who brings gifts for the children. Give every room a chic look for the holidays with stylish Christmas decorations. Create a festive tablescape with red and green dinnerware and glassware. Accent the home with other holiday-inspired pieces, including candles, glass hurricanes and florals.
December 25 was first identified as the date of Jesus’ birth by Sextus Julius Africanus in 221 and later became the universally accepted date. Indeed, after December 25 had become widely accepted as the date of Jesus’ birth, Christian writers frequently made the connection between the rebirth of the sun and the birth of the Son. Christmas did not start in Germany, but many of the holiday’s traditions began there, including decorating trees.
Although many parents around the world routinely teach their children about Santa Claus and other gift bringers, some have come to reject this practice, considering it deceptive. The modern popular image of Santa Claus, however, was created in the United States, and in particular in New York. The transformation was accomplished with the aid of notable contributors including Washington Irving and the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840–1902). Following the American Revolutionary War, some of the inhabitants of New York City sought out symbols of the city’s non-English past. New York had originally been established as the Dutch colonial town of New Amsterdam and the Dutch Sinterklaas tradition was reinvented as Saint Nicholas.
Don’t forget to find the right Christmas tree for the whole family and decorate your place of gathering with our large variety of ornaments, candles and lighting essentials. Get inspired by DIY holiday craft ideas and wrap those precious gifts with our seasonal ribbons and trim. And when the holidays are over, shop our special storage and Christmas containers to keep those decorations safe for the years to come. Whatever your plans are this holiday season, you’ll be sure to find it at Michaels. Christmas is a festival that fills joy, happiness and love in people’s life. On this day, people go to church, sing carols, take part in special religious services, exchange gifts, decorate their homes with holly, mistletoe, lights, flowers and Christmas trees and organize family gatherings.
It was during the Reformation in 16th–17th-century Europe that many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or Christkindl, and the date of giving gifts changed from December 6 to Christmas Eve. In the Early Middle Ages, Christmas Day was overshadowed by Epiphany, which in western Christianity focused on the visit of the magi. But the medieval calendar was dominated by Christmas-related holidays. The forty days before Christmas became the “forty days of St. Martin” (which began on November 11, the feast of St. Martin of Tours), now known as Advent. Around the 12th century, these traditions transferred again to the Twelve Days of Christmas (December 25 – January 5); a time that appears in the liturgical calendars as Christmastide or Twelve Holy Days.
In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.