Did you know the Christmas traditions we cherish today—from carols to decorated trees—have their roots in the Middle Ages? This feature explores how the festive season evolved through centuries of Christian and pagan influence.
From Solstice to Saturnalia: Ancient Roots of Christmas
Many ancient religions placed great importance on the winter solstice, the time of year when daylight was at its shortest and night was at its longest. In the Julian calendar, this date originally fell on December 25th.
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The Romans celebrated this time with Saturnalia, a midwinter festival honouring the god Saturn. Saturnalia included lavish feasts, gift-giving, and the custom of presenting wax dolls to children. In Celtic regions of the Roman Empire, people took a playful approach, dressing in the clothing of the opposite sex and dancing with animal masks. These festivities, marked by merriment and symbolic acts, laid the groundwork for later Christmas traditions.
Drawing from the Chronography of 354 depicting the month of December, with Saturnalian dice on the table and a mask (oscilla) hanging above – Wikimedia Commons
How the Church Chose December 25th
As Christianity spread, its leaders sought to establish their own sacred days. Around the year 300, it was decided that a feast day would be held in honour of Christ’s birth. However, the date of Jesus’ birth was not recorded in the gospels or other early Christian writings.
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Drawing from the practice of emperors arbitrarily choosing their birthdays, December 25th was selected. The theological reasoning for this choice was significant—it was exactly nine months after March 25th, a date believed to mark both the creation of the world and Christ’s conception. This alignment tied the celebration of Jesus’ birth to a pivotal moment in the Christian understanding of time and creation.
Medieval Celebrations: A Blend of Piety and Paganism
By the Early Middle Ages, Christmas had become one of the most important days in the Christian calendar. The celebration expanded to include Advent and feast days for St. Stephen, John the Evangelist, and the Innocents (the children executed by Herod).
Over time, pagan customs were integrated into Christmas festivities, particularly those of Germanic peoples. St. Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz, complained in 742 that people engaged in “singing and dancing in pagan style; heathen acclamations and sacrilegious songs.” Yet many Christian leaders chose to tolerate or adapt these customs, which gradually became part of the standard festival.
Christmas also featured three special masses performed on the same day—at midnight, dawn, and later in the day—emphasizing its unique importance in the Christian year.
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A 12th-centiury depiction of twelve scenes from the Christmas story, British Library Additional MS 37472, fol. 1r
Christmas Plays: Bringing the Nativity to Life
To enhance the significance of Christmas masses, churches began incorporating visual imagery, such as cribs to represent the place where Jesus was born. By the twelfth century, dramatic scenes were included in the liturgy, with angels singing and actors portraying key figures.
These practices gave rise to elaborate Christmas plays in towns. For example, the Shepherds’ Plays from Wakefield in the fifteenth century turned eleven verses of Luke’s Gospel into fifty pages of performance, blending sacred storytelling with entertainment.
The Origin of Christmas Carols
The tradition of Christmas carols dates back to at least the thirteenth century. The word ‘carol’ originally referred to a song accompanied by dancing, often performed in a circle. One person would sing while others danced.
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Although most carols we sing today were written after the medieval period, some have their roots in the Middle Ages. The Coventry Carol, for example, was part of a medieval play and depicts a mother’s lament for her doomed child during the Massacre of the Innocents ordered by Herod. Its haunting melody remains one of the most poignant relics of medieval Christmas.
Trees were significant in many pagan cultures. Evergreens, thought to possess special powers, symbolised the return of life in spring. For Christians, they came to represent eternal life.
In the Middle Ages, churches decorated trees with apples on Christmas Eve, known as “Adam and Eve Day.” However, these trees remained outdoors. By the sixteenth century in Germany, decorated fir trees were carried through streets to the town square. After feasting and dancing around the tree, it was ceremonially burned.
The sixteenth-century London historian John Stow described a similar tradition from 1444, where a tree was “set up in the midst of the pavement fast in the ground, nailed full of holme and ivy.” Homes and churches were also decorated with greenery, creating a festive atmosphere during the darkest days of winter.
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The Christmas traditions we celebrate today are a rich tapestry woven from centuries of cultural exchange, religious adaptation, and creative expression. By understanding their medieval origins, we can appreciate the depth and complexity of a season that continues to bring people together worldwide.
Did you know the Christmas traditions we cherish today—from carols to decorated trees—have their roots in the Middle Ages? This feature explores how the festive season evolved through centuries of Christian and pagan influence.
From Solstice to Saturnalia: Ancient Roots of Christmas
Many ancient religions placed great importance on the winter solstice, the time of year when daylight was at its shortest and night was at its longest. In the Julian calendar, this date originally fell on December 25th.
The Romans celebrated this time with Saturnalia, a midwinter festival honouring the god Saturn. Saturnalia included lavish feasts, gift-giving, and the custom of presenting wax dolls to children. In Celtic regions of the Roman Empire, people took a playful approach, dressing in the clothing of the opposite sex and dancing with animal masks. These festivities, marked by merriment and symbolic acts, laid the groundwork for later Christmas traditions.
How the Church Chose December 25th
As Christianity spread, its leaders sought to establish their own sacred days. Around the year 300, it was decided that a feast day would be held in honour of Christ’s birth. However, the date of Jesus’ birth was not recorded in the gospels or other early Christian writings.
Drawing from the practice of emperors arbitrarily choosing their birthdays, December 25th was selected. The theological reasoning for this choice was significant—it was exactly nine months after March 25th, a date believed to mark both the creation of the world and Christ’s conception. This alignment tied the celebration of Jesus’ birth to a pivotal moment in the Christian understanding of time and creation.
Medieval Celebrations: A Blend of Piety and Paganism
By the Early Middle Ages, Christmas had become one of the most important days in the Christian calendar. The celebration expanded to include Advent and feast days for St. Stephen, John the Evangelist, and the Innocents (the children executed by Herod).
Over time, pagan customs were integrated into Christmas festivities, particularly those of Germanic peoples. St. Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz, complained in 742 that people engaged in “singing and dancing in pagan style; heathen acclamations and sacrilegious songs.” Yet many Christian leaders chose to tolerate or adapt these customs, which gradually became part of the standard festival.
Christmas also featured three special masses performed on the same day—at midnight, dawn, and later in the day—emphasizing its unique importance in the Christian year.
Christmas Plays: Bringing the Nativity to Life
To enhance the significance of Christmas masses, churches began incorporating visual imagery, such as cribs to represent the place where Jesus was born. By the twelfth century, dramatic scenes were included in the liturgy, with angels singing and actors portraying key figures.
These practices gave rise to elaborate Christmas plays in towns. For example, the Shepherds’ Plays from Wakefield in the fifteenth century turned eleven verses of Luke’s Gospel into fifty pages of performance, blending sacred storytelling with entertainment.
The Origin of Christmas Carols
The tradition of Christmas carols dates back to at least the thirteenth century. The word ‘carol’ originally referred to a song accompanied by dancing, often performed in a circle. One person would sing while others danced.
Although most carols we sing today were written after the medieval period, some have their roots in the Middle Ages. The Coventry Carol, for example, was part of a medieval play and depicts a mother’s lament for her doomed child during the Massacre of the Innocents ordered by Herod. Its haunting melody remains one of the most poignant relics of medieval Christmas.
The Evergreen Tradition: Medieval Christmas Trees
Trees were significant in many pagan cultures. Evergreens, thought to possess special powers, symbolised the return of life in spring. For Christians, they came to represent eternal life.
In the Middle Ages, churches decorated trees with apples on Christmas Eve, known as “Adam and Eve Day.” However, these trees remained outdoors. By the sixteenth century in Germany, decorated fir trees were carried through streets to the town square. After feasting and dancing around the tree, it was ceremonially burned.
The sixteenth-century London historian John Stow described a similar tradition from 1444, where a tree was “set up in the midst of the pavement fast in the ground, nailed full of holme and ivy.” Homes and churches were also decorated with greenery, creating a festive atmosphere during the darkest days of winter.
The Christmas traditions we celebrate today are a rich tapestry woven from centuries of cultural exchange, religious adaptation, and creative expression. By understanding their medieval origins, we can appreciate the depth and complexity of a season that continues to bring people together worldwide.
Learn more about Christmas in the Middle Ages:
Seven Medieval Christmas Traditions
The Ancient Origins of Christmas Magic
The First Christmas Tree
Pagan Survivals in Medieval Holiday Celebrations
Long-Lost Christmas Eve Traditions
Medieval Events that Happened on Christmas Day
Medieval Christmas Cards from Medievalists.net
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