When did Christmas become popular in western society and how this differed between Britain, USA and other?

Question

what about France or Germany, or Poland, Greece etc?

how and why this particular holiday became so famous and how it has changed in way it was celebrated and etc since it became really popular?

WAS IT ONLY REALLY POPULAR IN BRITAIN AND USA FIRST IN THE MIDDLE 1800S? WITH CHARLES DICKENS WRITINGS? OR HOW IT WAS POPULAR BEFORE?

ALSO, HOW THIS HOLIDAY HAS CHANGED IN RECENT DECADES? WHY SO MANY DISLIKE THIS HOLIDAY THESE DAYS AND WILL IT LOSE ALL POPULARITY SOON?

PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT YOU CAN.

THANKS FOR YOUR ANSWERS!

Answer 1

Long before Christmas (which means the mass of Christ) there were Winter festivals such as Geola (pronounced Yule) celebrated by the Anglo Saxons at the deepest part of the Winter. When Christianity arrived many of the same customs continued - such as bringing n the Yule Log which would burn in the hearth during the festivities and a small piece would be kept to light the one the following year. The habit of decorating with evergreens such as holly and ivy was because everything else was "dead". During the Middle Ages and into Tudor times there would be feasting, but it was still a Religious festival. It was also one of the few days which the poor had off from their hard work so they made the most of it



The Victorians really "invented" the Christmas we know today with cards being sent and trees decorated. However, they still all went to church. Some of the food has changed - mince pies used to have meat in them as well as fruit. The religious aspect has survived in many other European countries - their customs are quite different, and so is what they eat.



Englsh speaking countries have made the festival much more secular, and concentrate on presents and eating and drinking. Having the family together should be a happy time but tempers can soon get frayed when they are all cooped up and have eaten and drunk too much. There is so much hassle with all the shopping in crowded stores and people spending more than they can afford and all the work involved that it is no wonder that some folk do not like this time and think that it has got over-commercialised. The remedy is in their own hands - drop out, chill out - but there is so much pressure to conform.



Because of the many different cultures in the UK some silly folk think we should not have Christmas - or at least not call it that, so as not to offend But all kinds of other festivals take place and we all join in and no-one is offended..



Many folk who have no homes and live on the streets rely on the good heartedness of a few who give up their time to provide food and shelter during Christmas. Others look out for the elderly who are perhaps on their own with no family and feeling very miserable. So there is still some charity in some hearts.



You really could google most if this, you know, as I suspect it is for a school essay - getting others to write your essay is a bit of a cheat !

Answer 2

Well the religion has been practised for a while, although celebrating Jesus's birthday didn't actually happen until a few centuries after his death, Western Christians first celebrated Christmas on December 25 in 336, after Emperor Constantine had declared Christianity the empire's favoured religion. It was easier to convert everyone by changing the meaning of an already existing festival since December 25 already hosted two other related festivals: natalis solis invicti (the Roman "birth of the unconquered sun"), and the birthday of Mithras, the Iranian "Sun of Righteousness". By keeping celebrations on the same day of the year it was just easier for everyone, although many think Jesus was born much earlier in the year, around somewhere from March to May. Ever since this point, it's been celebrated although it wasn't very overly celebrated like it is today, it used to be done on a much smaller scale.



In other countries because there were different churches, such as the orthodox and such , some disagreed with this date and used to host Christmas on different dates but I think this practise isn't very widespread now.



It's famous because it holds great meaning to a over a billion people who follow Christianity and the majority of countries like the UK and the USA would have celebrated it's original message about 50 or so years ago. I think it's changed because as a whole, many societies are much more multicultural, we have Christians, Atheists, Muslims, Hindu's etc. The Christian aspect seems to have been played down nowadays and the importance placed on spending time with family, giving presents - a 'consumer' christmas as I've heard it from many people. This way the holiday is even celebrated by non-religious people.



I don't believe it will lose popularity, I think the Christian side of it is already becoming very unpopular as more and more people are becoming atheist or non-religious, especially as science pushes forward, but the consumer side will go on strong for a long time. If we lose Christmas, we would have nothing to celebrate and nothing to do.

Answer 3

It was a German thing,Prince Albert husband of Queen Victoria brought the first Christmas tree to Britain before that Christmas was a deeply religious time of the year.,there was a feast on Christmas day for those that could afford it but for most of the populace it was a religious day.Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas as pagan.

Answer 4

i admire their accents :D quite little youngsters!!! its between the justifications beside the stable universities that i choose to go there, i choose my little ones to have that accessory :) additionally, i admire their vocabulary and the human beings I certainly have met from Britain so some distance have been rather super :) i'm basically jealous that they get to drink 3 years earlier us, and that they have got most of the main fittest universal chaps (1D, the Harries twins, Marcus Butler and extra).

Answer 5

Emma Smith and George have given you lots of information........Christmas in the UK is no longer celebrated in the vast majority of homes as a Christan festival.............it is commercialism gone mad......with thousands being spent on presents bought on credit cards and lots of debt after Christmas...children asking for the latest most expensive gadgets...huge amount of drinking and eating.....presents opened on 25th, lunch of Turkey and all the trimmings ( Goose is the traditional meat, but turkey is cheaper) and for afters Christmas pudding and brandy butter or sauce....with sandwiches of cold turkey and /or cold ham and salad for tea ( which no one wants because they have eaten too much lunch.....drinking all day, eating chocolates etc..........Boxing Day sales ( which now start before Christmas) and of course they are all out stocking up their groceries ( needed or not)....and then a week of finishing up all the food which was purchased...everyone sick of turkey....then in one week it all starts again with too much food and drink for new year