If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the вЂњlord of misruleвЂќ and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to todayвЂ™s Mardi Gras. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century.Д«y holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. Is Christmas Really the Day Jesus Was Born? For some Romans, MithraвЂ™s birthday was the most sacred day of the year. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. 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.ДЄlso around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Watch Christmas documentaries on HISTORY Vault How Did Christmas Start? December 25-Christmas Day-has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Washington Irving Reinvents Christmas in AmericaД¬hristmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon.

Is Christmas Really the Day Jesus Was Born?.

Yule saturnalia