Christmas Unwrapped - The History of Christmas (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives)
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Actor: Bobby Hyatt, Darren McGavin, Forrest Church, Harry Smith (IX), Melinda DillonBrand: A&E
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 50 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-04-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: A&E Home Video
Product features:
- From Santa Claus to the Christmas Tree, this is an enchanting look at some of the most beloved holiday traditions.Every December 25, Christians throughout the world join together in celebration of Christ's birth. But where do these various Christmas traditions come from? Why, for instance, is the holiday marked by the giving and receiving of gifts? And who came up with the idea of a Christmas tree
DVD Reviews of Christmas Unwrapped - The History of Christmas (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives)
DVD Review: The True Spirit of Christmas
Summary: 5 Stars
The celebration is a mixture of pagan ritual and Christian assimilation. The Norse pagans called their winter celebration Yule. It consisted of feasting and an evergreen in the home because the tree symbolized life. The fire inside inspired the partying and protection from the demons outside. The ancient Germans were terrified of their mythical god Oden who rode the sky at night determining who would live and die in the following year.
The ancient Romans celebrated a week before the winter solstice, with Saturnalia and Juvenalia, a feast that honored the children of Rome. The Patricians celebrated Mythra, the sun God. Since Mythra occurred around December 25th, it was an opportune way to supplant one celebration with a Christian one, and that day became the Church's official recognition of the birth of Christ, even though it is an unlikely birth date if "shepherds were guarding their sheep" in the freezing cold.
The Christians knew they could not supplant the pagan celebrations, but they could assimilate them to a more Christian tradition. The evergreens could be decorated with apples to represent the Garden of Eden. These were the first Christmas ornaments. Holly, a midwinter decoration became a symbol of Christ's crown of thorns. By the Middle Ages, the faithful were called to celebrate Christ's Mass, which became known as Christmas.
English celebrations were more debaucherous than reverent. They would demand favor and presents from the Lords of the Manor at the risk of being given a trick instead. (Sound familiar)? The landlord could be forgiven slights large and small by supplying his best provisions for making merry. But Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans proved to be the "bah-humbugs" of the 17th Century outlawing Christ's Mass and all other celebrations. Non-Puritans simply took their celebrations underground substituting Christmas Pie for Mince Pie. Once the king was restored to the throne the celebration was renewed.
The Puritans in New England were no different than their religious cousins back home, but the Jamestown settlement celebrated Christmas introducing eggnog, "nog" being from grog or rum, but English traditions did not survive the Revolution in America where they were eschewed. Congress met on Christmas day in 1789 and continued to do so for the next 67 years!
Charles Dickens' "Christmas Carol" reflected the economic and social chasm between rich and poor, and a time when parents began to view their children less as subjects to be discipline and more to be nurtured. Presents at Christmas time were a reflection of that change.
The Christmas tree might have remained an ancient pagan ritual had it not been for the marriage of the German Albert to his English cousin and bride, Victoria. He brought the German tradition of the Christmas tree to England, a ritual that took root in England and America. Not to be outdone, the Americans added the poinsettia to the Christmas celebration when Joel R. Poinsett brought the plant from Mexico. In 1843, an English firm began making Christmas cards that could be distributed through the newly formed postal services. The tree, the plant, and the card became popular on both sides of the Atlantic.
The only place that Christmas could not be found by the mid 19th Century was in church. Pressure was put on the Protestant services to match the Christmas celebrations of the Catholic and Episcopalian faiths.
There was only one thing missing.
The Dutch celebrated the anniversary of St. Nicolas on December 6th. Good children awoke to find presents from St. Nick, while naughty children received nothing. The Dutch brought the tradition to the New World, but it would become American when an Episcopal minister, inspired by the Dutch practice of Sinter Klaus, wrote a poem in 1822 about a good-natured elf that brought gifts to children in their homes by entering through the chimney. It wasn't until 1863 when Thomas Nast, a cartoonist, developed his version. He was fat and looked a lot like bearded robber barons who fleeced the poor. But this one gave to the children rather than take things from them. Santa Claus or St. Nick took form.
Yule, Juvenalia, Mythra, evergreens, December 25th, apples and holly, Christmas cards, Christmas trees, and Santa Claus make people think that Christ's birthday was lost in Christmas celebrations, but it was never really only about Christ to begin with, as one historian noted. The secular celebration as well as the spiritual one need not be separate or in competition. It is doubtful that the spiritual one would have ever gained traction on its own or even survived if it had been the only form of celebration. Both go hand-in-hand rather than separate paths. Both reinforce each other.
Christmas is the spirit of giving, and the belief that to give is better than to receive, that Christmas presents represent the ever-evolving mystery of Christmas.
Perhaps that is the true spirit of Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
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Description of Christmas Unwrapped - The History of Christmas (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives)
From santa claus to the christmas tree this is an enchanting look at some of the most beloved christmas traditions. Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 04/26/2005Bestsellers in DVD
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