Do you know the amazing ancient history of Christmas? While many of us understand the importance of modern traditions like Santa, baking cookies, and presents under the tree, we’re not really sure about the history of Christmas and how Christmas came to be what it is today. 

On top of that, there has been much debate about the history of Christmas! Some argue that it’s just a pagan holiday, while most others insist on it’s grounding in Christ’s birth…

The Importance of Christ’s Birth

Obviously, the history of Christmas ultimately began with the birth of Christ. In the Bible, the Gospels tells the story of Jesus’ birth by Mary through the Holy Spirit. The Christmas story is primarily found in the New Testament books of Matthew and Luke, specifically in Matthew 1–2 and Luke 1–2. While Luke is often considered the main source for details like the shepherds and the manger, Matthew includes key elements like the visit of the Magi and Joseph’s perspective.

Just as the Gospels describe, the Savior of the world was born, and since that day the Church continually rejoices and celebrates this special day. Today it’s through annual Christmas celebrations on Dec. 25th.

But it didn’t start out that way. Since Christ’s birth, it took many centuries for the Church to officially declare Christmas a church holiday, and for it to be celebrated in December.

If you’re looking for a brief history of Christmas, I’ve got you covered! Check out the most meaningful highlights of the ancient history of Christmas below and how it came to be celebrated around the world, and eventually uniquely in America today.

1. The Significance of the Winter Solstice

Each year, the shortest day of the year is called the Winter Solstice. Even before Christ was born, it was common for communities and cultures worldwide to celebrate the ending of the dark winter days on the shortest day of the year.

In midwinter, they welcomed the “rebirth” of the sun and warmer days to come. “As far back as history is recorded, midwinter festivals were held in Babylon and Egypt” (Collins, 11). The Greeks and Romans celebrated with midwinter festivals as well. In particular, the Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a festival dedicated to Saturn, with a weeklong festival from December 17th to December 24th.

To avoid religious persecution, or simply confused over what they could and could not participate in, or desiring to join in the usually wild festivities, many Christians in the Roman empire enjoyed the weeklong celebrations too, leaving the Church befuddled as to how to respond to such partying. This blending of history and Christmas is part of what shapes our understanding of how the Christmas season evolved.

2. The Birth Date of Christ is Not Officially Known

As the number of Christians grew, the second bishop of Rome, Telesphorus, declared in 125 A.D. that it was important for the Church to celebrate the Nativity of Christ. However, no one knew Christ’s exact birth date, and so September was chosen during the Jewish Feast of Trumpets (Rash Hashanah). However, as congregations began to rely on differing dates in winter, the most common date chosen became January 6th, what is now Epiphany today. It’s important to note that, “the fact that church leaders did not [yet] designate a single date for Christmas indicated how little emphasis was placed on this celebration” (Collins, 13, see reference below).

3. The Popularity of Saturnalia Eclipsed Christmas for Centuries

By the fourth century, Christianity had flourished throughout the Roman Empire. Soon, Easter became one of the most celebrated holidays of the year. But Saturnalia – the festival dedicated to Saturn – continued to grow in popularity too, and the 25th of December was chosen as the official day to celebrate the birth of the sun in 274 by Roman emperor Aurelian. Decades later, in 320, Pope Julius I declared December 25th as the official day to celebrate Christ’s birth as a rival for the pagan festivities. However, “This proclamation was in large part ignored, as Christmas still took a back seat to Natalis Solis Invicti,” or the celebration of Saturnalia (Collins, 13).

This overlap between Christmas pagan history and early Christian tradition is essential in understanding the blurred lines between pagan history of Christmas and the religious meaning it holds today.

4. Constantine Chose December 25th as the Official Date to Celebrate the Birth of Christ

Five years later, Constantine the Great, a recent convert to Christianity, “introduced Christmas as an immovable feast on December 25th. He also adopted Sunday as a holy day in a new seven-day week. These decisions were no doubt a result of church leaders’ lobbying the Roman emperor for a Christian holiday that would cancel out the pagan midwinter celebration” (Collins, 13-14).

For the next few hundred centuries, Christmas was celebrated right alongside the wild debaucheries and partying of the pagan festivals that honored Saturn and other gods, with many Christians choosing to celebrate the latter. These moments reflect the ongoing tension between pagan history of Christmas and evolving Christian practices.

5. Oliver Cromwell & Charles II’s Differing Christmas Legacies

In the 1600’s, Oliver Cromwell led a rebellion that overthrew King Charles I. During his rule, the British Empire changed dramatically, including King Charles’ banning of all Christmas festivities and celebrations—much to the horror of his subjects. A rebellion later ensued against Oliver’s son and England’s new leader, Richard Cromwell.

Charles II was welcomed back to the throne when he bowed to public pressure and promised to reinstate the wild festivities of Christmas. Hence, “Charles, and those who followed him, restored the debauchery of Christmas past” (Collins, 15).

6. Churchgoers Widely Ignored Christmas for the Next Two Centuries

The wild parties during the Christmas weeks (though truly unrelated to Christ’s birth) continued for generations. However, “Over the next two centuries the hope for a Christ-filled Christmas might have been lost altogether if it had not been for many Catholic and Anglican churches stubbornly holding Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services” (16). Some families gathered in quiet reflection and worship at home, but for the most part Christmas was widely neglected.

7. The Puritans Tried to Outlaw Christmas in the New World

Beginning in 1620 at Plymouth Rock, Christmas was banned in New England and went un-celebrated for the next 150 years! Even during the Revolutionary War. However, immigrants pouring into America brought with them the old ways of Christmas/Saturnalia, with drunken parties and gang riots—proof again of how pagan celebrations continued to influence American traditions.

8. Germany Had a Huge Effect on Christmas

Despite the partying and revelry of most other Christmas celebrations in the Western world (and perhaps beyond), “in Germany the holiday had evolved into a time when family and friends gathered to share food and fellowship and to acknowledge and celebrate the birth of the Savior. In homes throughout Germany, Christmas was the second most holy day of the year, eclipsed only by Easter. This day was especially important to children. The music, the simple decorations, the homemade treats, and the evergreen trees that could be found in many homes made Christmas the most anticipated day of the year” (17).

The German influence helped to turn the tides from a continuing pagan history of Christmas back to deep reflection and spiritual meaning.

9. The Marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert Transforms Christmas

Significantly, Queen Victoria married Germany’s Prince Albert, her cousin, in 1840—transforming the English Christmas: “Albert brought with him the reverent and family-oriented German traditions of the season, which turned Christmas celebrations in Windsor Castle into a family affair. Soon British families picked up on the way the royals were spending their Christmas and adopted the new traditions” (18).

10. American Writers Changed the Meaning of Christmas

During the past few hundred years, poetry, print journalism, and printed short stories have played a huge role in America and American culture. In fact, one poem printed in a national magazine could have a huge sway on Americans’ attitudes and mindsets. In the Christmas movie “I Heard the Bells”, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is portrayed as being nationally known and revered by America, demonstrating how American writers, authors, poets, and even hymn composers had great influence on the American conscience.

To demonstrate the power of printed poetry in America, in Christmas Eve 1822, minister and educator Clement Clarke Moore shared his poem with his children, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” now known as “The Night Before Christmas”. Once it was published the next year in the New York Sentinel, the popularity of Christmas would never be the same. For the first time, children were being considered as important to the Christmas holiday, shifting the focus from adult revelry to child-appropriate celebrations.

11. Scrooge and Santa Change Christmas Forever

Amazingly, much of the Christmas we know and love today can be owed to the influence of one man—Charles Dickens.

The world of 1800’s England was far from easy for the lower class, which is exactly why Dickens’ novella, “A Christmas Carol”, was so impactful when it was published in 1843: “At the heart of Dickens’ story were charity, hope, love, and family. This book was written at a time when the Industrial Age had created a culture in which money and hard labor seemed to rule every facet of society. Holidays had been all but eliminated. Men worked twelve hours a day, six days a week. Children were often put to work in factories at the age of eight or nine. No one had time to stop for even a moment to examine the wonder of life, much less reflect on the birth of a Savior. With Scrooge representing the common thinking of almost all industrialists of the time in both England and the United States, A Christmas Carol made people take a second look at their values” (18).

Because of the book’s influence, over the next thirty years the culture of Christmas turned from drunk revelry into a time for family, charity, and worship—similar to what we see today. And thanks to the poem by Clement Clark Moore, St. Nick had become a popular figure in Christmas folklore, emphasizing present-giving, decorating trees, and children’s central role on the special day. Today, these facets remain as hallmarks of the Christmas season.

12. Christmas Today is Largely Influenced by Pop Culture

From our favorite Christmas movies to our favorite Christmas songs, from Hallmark specials to holiday advertisements, Christmas in America for the last fifty years has been largely influenced by pop culture and our modern day media.

Many of the traditions we cherish today—like watching Christmas movies like Home Alone or It’s a Wonderful Life, singing along to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, or tuning into the latest Hallmark Christmas premiere—are cultural touchpoints that shape how we experience the holiday season.

While the heart of Christmas is rooted in Christ’s birth, Church, faith, family, and generosity, today’s celebrations often blend timeless traditions with the influences of film, music, television, and shopping. This mix has created a modern Christmas experience that feels both nostalgic and ever-evolving.

I owe much thanks to an amazing primary source for this blog, Ace Collins’ book, “Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas”. Purchase a copy of Collins’ book to learn even more history behind your favorite Christmas traditions!