The Meaning of Christmas

One of the most widely known and eventful holidays of the year is Christmas. It’s a time of joy and bonding between family and friends. Many people around the world tell different stories about Santa, leaving him cookies and milk, maybe even carrots for his reindeers. But have you ever wondered what started the annual Christmas tradition? Who invented Santa? Why do we celebrate? Here’s a little bit of a background to this widely celebrated holiday.

Christmas is said to have originated in Constantine after the first Christian emperor was in reign. December 25th is said to be nine months after Jesus’s crucifixion around March 3, 336 A.D. From there, Pope Julius I, declared that the birth of Jesus would begin to be celebrated every December 25th. From there the tradition expanded worldwide, going to places like Egypt by the start of the Medieval Era, while Americans began celebrating around the 19th century. This tradition has led to different customs around the world, different religions and people have their own interpretations on Christmas and what it means to them. 

Everyone’s perspective on Christmas is different. We all have different traditions and activities that we follow. An example of this is “Christmas carols”. Christmas carols are stories in the form of a song. They usually share a story about Jesus or just lyrics built up to describe a Christmas night or day. This tradition is usually celebrated in the U.S. or England. Christmas can also be celebrated with an exchange of gifts. The religious significance to this is the Three Wise Men who brought gifts to Jesus when he was born. Typically families gather around a tree, known as a Christmas tree which they have decorated prior to the big day, and pass around their gifts to each other. Last but certainly not least, another Christmas tradition is the story of Santa Claus. Santa Claus is a typical children’s tale. He is described to live in the North Pole, with his elves who help him make presents. To help keep each kid to stay on their best behavior throughout the year, parents usually tell their children that Santa Claus only gives presents to good kids. Usually throughout the Christmas season children talk and meet Santa Claus. Children ask him questions and tell him what they want for Christmas with a follow up of the question “Have you been naughty or nice?”

There are few facts that you should know about this festive holiday. Christmas was outlawed in 1659-1681 in Boston. This was due to Englanders’ belief that the British crown was regulating them too much and that Christmas was just an example of this. Christmas wasn’t always a holiday in the U.S. On June 26, 1870, Christmas was declared a national holiday in the U.S. and there began the many versions of this day. This holiday is known to be a very bounding and peaceful day for many families however during the middle ages celebrations were more loud and filled with disorientation. Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer wasn’t always  celebrated during Christmas. Rudolph was created by an American retailer, Robert L. May, when he decided that this would be a good marketing strategy to gain the public’s attention into the Montgomery Ward department store. Last but certainly not least, we all associate the colors red, green, and maybe even white with Christmas, but what do they mean? Red is symbolized as the blood of Jesus Christ, green symbolizes the evergreen trees which are also known as Christmas trees, that represent eternal life. Lastly, white represents purity, innocence, and peace during the season and holiday.

How do you celebrate Christmas? What side of Christmas do you focus on? These are a few questions that were asked to see an overview of student perspectives on this holiday. I asked a few students the following questions, first question being “When thinking about Christmas do you focus on the religious side or just receiving gifts and being with family?” The second question was  “How do you celebrate Christmas?”, and lastly “Do you know the origins of Christmas?” and these were a few responses. 

Khalia Johnson, a junior at Blake, answered questions 1-3 in the same order as they are listed above. She said “My parents didn’t raise me religiously that much, so I don’t really focus on the religious aspect of Christmas, more so spending time with loved ones and gifts. I celebrate Christmas like most people do, decorate the tree, watch Christmas movies, open gifts, etc. From my grandparents, I know that Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus.” 

Another student Andrea Martinez, also a junior, answered the same questions and her responses were, “I focus on both sides but if I had to choose I’d say religious. I celebrate Christmas with my family by singing songs and praying around 12am on the 24th of December to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I know that Christmas is the day that Jesus Christ was born.”

To further this interview I decided to get a few words from Ms. Loveland. Ms. Loveland is a U.S. History teacher while also teaching AP Human Geography, and these are her responses. For our first question Ms. Loveland starts off with the origins of Christmas dating back to the winter solstice. “Christianity diffused this,” and she goes on to explain how “[they] chose the day near the solstice, [and dedicated] this day to be the birth of Jesus.” Ms. Loveland expresses to us how she celebrates Christmas with her family by saying, “We have a christmas tree and we decorate it, have family and friends.” “We have done a Christmas tree, ever since I was a kid. Our family would go to a Christmas tree farm and buy a tree, chop it down, take it home, then put it up.” Ms. Loveland also includes many other traditions like opening gifts on Christmas morning, going to church, listening to different music. For the final question, about  Christmas being about religion, gifts, or family,Ms Loveland said that her and her family’s Christmas day is 50/50. Especially when her children were younger, they would split the holiday evenly learning about it religiously but also setting aside time to be with each other.

Christmas is more than just getting gifts and spending time with family – there are many more traditions that people follow, whether they have been following them for years or starting it this year. This holiday has a lot of meaning and importance that most people may not realize. There are many things we can do to spread joy to others. Examples of this can be donating items to people in need like food and clothes, donating to Toys for Tots, which you can do at Blake (see link),, volunteering at soup kitchens, and so much more. Joy can be spread through anywhere and it can start with you.