The birth of Christmas

A Celebration That Transformed the World

Christmas is a celebration of love, togetherness and intimacy these days. At the same time, everything we call Christmas today is not the result of a single historical moment. The holiday has evolved over many centuries, born from the interaction of different cultures, religions and social traditions.

The story of Christmas is a religious, cultural and social process at the same time. To understand it, we must step back in time, long before the emergence of Christianity.

A Celebration of Light

Ancient roots at the time of the winter solstice

In the history of mankind, winter has always had a special significance. It was a period of long darkness, cold and uncertainty, which was mitigated by the knowledge of nature's cycles. The winter solstice, when the days begin to lengthen again, symbolized the victory of life over darkness in many cultures.

• In ancient Rome, during Saturnalia, feasts were held, gifts were given to each other, and social differences were temporarily eliminated.

• Germanic and Scandinavian peoples celebrated the rebirth of the day with the celebration of Yule.

• Evergreen plants have been a symbol of life and permanence in many places.

These customs were deeply ingrained in European cultures and later had a significant impact on the formation of Christmas.

The development of Christian Christmas

The Bible does not mention the exact date of Jesus' birth, nor did the first Christian communities celebrate it separately. For them, Jesus' death and resurrection were the central event of faith.

The roots of Christmas go back to the pagan holidays of the Roman Empire, especially the Saturnalia festival, which took place in mid-December in honor of the agricultural god Saturn, with joyful feasts, gift-giving, and role-swapping rites. In the 3rd and 4th centuries, the Christian Church chose this date as the birthday of Jesus to "baptize" the popular holiday of the cult of the Sun God (Sol Invictus) and Mithras, emphasizing Christ as the true light of the world. The first documented celebrations appeared in Rome in the 4th century, and then quickly spread to Constantinople (379), Antioch (388), and other regions. The change thus  occurred in the 4th century, when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. It was then that it became necessary to unify the church year and to consciously establish Christian holidays.

It was during this period that Christmas became a holiday in its own right, drawing attention to the birth of Jesus – not only as a historical event, but as a theological message.

In the Middle Ages, Christmas was gradually enriched with local customs: in the 16th and 17th centuries, German Lutherans introduced the Christmas tree growing out of parade trees, which was a symbol of the Fall and salvation. In Hungary, the epiphany of Jesus was originally celebrated on 6 January, the day of the Epiphany, with the adoption of an Egyptian fertility rite, but the Roman date gradually replaced this. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the secular elements of the holiday were strengthened, for example through the Anglo-Saxon Santa Claus (derived from St. Nicholas), which became a global trade phenomenon.

Why is December 25 Christmas Day?

The date of Christmas is one of the most controversial issues, especially since the holiday is often associated with December 24 in the public mind. However, from a historical and ecclesiastical point of view, Christmas Day is December 25., while the 24th is the eve of it, Christmas Eve.

The date was not based on historical evidence of Jesus' birth, but was a symbolic and theological decision. December 25 coincided with Rome's Sol Invictus, the "Invincible Sun," which celebrated the victory of light over darkness. In the Christian interpretation, Jesus became the "light of the world", so the meaning of the date was filled with new content.

In the Christian liturgy, the feast begins with sunset, according to the Old Testament tradition. This explains why Christmas ceremonies are held on the evening of December 24, and the midnight mass also takes place at this time. Regardless, the official holiday of Christmas is December 25., which is the beginning of a multi-day holiday cycle.

Some Orthodox churches celebrate on January 7, but they also keep December 25 – according to the Julian calendar .

The spread and national traditions of Christmas

As Christianity spread throughout Europe, Christmas took on a specific form in each culture.

• In Italy, the  visual representation of the nativity scene and the nativity story became emphasized.

• In German areas,  Advent customs and the veneration of the evergreen tree developed.

• In Scandinavia,  the traditions of pagan Yule merged with the Christian holiday.

• In Hungary , Christmas was associated with a rich folk tradition: regöl, nativity scenes, fasting customs and festive foods.

Thus, Christmas remained a religious holiday and became a communal event at the same time.

Gift-giving, family and community

The tradition of gift-giving is nourished by several sources: the gifts of the Magi, ancient Roman customs and medieval ecclesiastical charity. By the 19th century, especially in bourgeois societies, Christmas became more and more of a family-centered holiday .

It was then that the image that is still alive today was formed: candlelight, shared meals, gifts and the warmth of home.

A holiday that was able to renew itself

Christmas has remained a living tradition because it has always been able to adapt to the given era, while preserving its basic message: hope, togetherness and the importance of human relationships.

This holiday is not only a religious event, but one of the most complex and enduring traditions of human culture.

A holiday that has survived the centuries

The power of Christmas lies in its ability to constantly renew itself, while preserving

its fundamental message: hope, togetherness and the importance of human relationships.

This holiday is not just a religious event, but one of the most complex and profound traditions of human culture.

Christmas, one of the most significant holidays in Christianity, is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which has been shaped by pagan rites and Christian theology for centuries. The date of the holiday, December 25, does not mark the exact birthday, but is a symbolic choice that celebrates the winter solstice and the victory of light over darkness. This duality makes Christmas exciting: a theological miracle that has grown into a global cultural phenomenon.

Hungarian customs

In Hungary, Christmas Eve (24 December) is its key moment: a table set with fish soup, bagels and stuffed cabbage, where wheat is sprinkled for fertility and straw as a reminder of Jesus' manger. The nativity scene evokes the biblical story with dramatized shepherd plays, and the regalia and shepherd's walk go through the houses with songs of the magic of plenty. Today, tree decoration and gift-giving predominate, but old rites such as wearing an inside out fur coat can still be recalled in folk traditions.