The origin of the Christmas

Roman pagans first introduced the feast of Saturnalia, a week long period of lawlessness celebrated between 17 and 25 12. During this period, Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one can be liable for damages to property or persons injured during the celebration of a week. Discount Nike Shoes at Christmas Day. The festival began when Roman authorities chose "an enemy of the Roman people" to represent the "Lord of Misrule." Each Roman community selected a victim who was forced to enjoy food and other physical pleasures throughout the week. At the conclusion of the festival, December 25th, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness and brutal murder of this innocent man or woman.
The ancient Greek writer poet and historian Lucian (in his dialogue entitled Saturnalia) describes the festival's observance in his time. Christmas Day Is Coming. In addition to human sacrifice, he mentions these customs: widespread intoxication, ranging from house to house singing naked, rape and other sexual debauchery and consuming human-shaped biscuits (still occurs in some more English and German bakeries during the Christmas season)
Christians had little success, however, of Saturnalia refining practices. As Stephen Nissenbaum, a history professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, writes: "In return for ensuring massive observance of the anniversary of the birth of the Savior by assigning to this resonant date, the Church, for its part tacitly agreed allow the party to be held more or less the way it had always been. "The History of Christmas Day is celebrated by eating, sexual indulgence, singing naked in the streets (a precursor of modern caroling), etc.

The Rev. Increase Mather of Boston in 1687 noted that "the early Christians who first observed Christmas on December 25 did not think that Christ was born in that month, but due to the pagan Saturnalia" was at that time held in Rome, and were willing to have those Pagan Holidays became the Christian. "Because of its known pagan origin, Christmas was banned by the Puritans and their enforcement is illegal in Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681. Happy Christmas Day. However, Christmas has been and is celebrated by most Christians.