Posted by trafego on 20 Dezembro, 2021
Christmas is just around the corner, and to get into the Christmas mood, we've set aside these curiosities about this very special date for you, check out the text below:
1 – On December 25th, the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated. But this date was only established in the year 350, when Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, made the day official to coincide with a pagan festival that honored the god Sol Invictus in the winter solstice period (the Northern Hemisphere season in December).
2 – Hindus recognize Christ as the incarnation of Vishnu, one of the main divine entities of the religion. They celebrate December 25th as the Feast of Lights, as they believe that the birth of light overcame darkness.
3 – A similar name has the Jewish celebration held in the same period. Originally known as Chanukah, the event recalls the reopening of the Great Temple in Jerusalem, regained by the Jews after three years of war. The Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Son of God.
4 – Muslims already see Christ as a kind of prophet, but they do not have a special date to celebrate his birth. Jehovah's Witnesses view birthdays as pagan festivals, so they choose not to celebrate the date.
5 - Some Afro-Brazilian religions, such as Umbanda, associate Christ with Oxalá, the greatest of all Orixás, and for that, they celebrate Christmas with thanks to the entity.
6 – The song “Noite Feliz” was created in Austria in 1818. It all started with Father Joseph Mohr who went after a new instrument to replace the church's organ. During his pilgrimages, the reverend came up with the idea of making him imagine what the night of Jesus' birth would have been like and writing down the details. After that, he sought out musician Franz Gruber to create the melody. The Brazilian version was composed in the 19th century by the Austrian Friar Pedro Sinzig, who became a naturalized Brazilian in 1898.
7 – There are several versions for the emergence of the Christmas tree, but most records point to Germany as the country of origin. The most widely accepted version is that the priest and founder of Protestantism Martin Luther set up a candle-bedecked pine tree in his home in the 16th century. The aim was to show children what heaven looked like on the night of Christ's birth.
8 – The British popularized the Christmas tree in the 19th century, when Prince Albert married Queen Victoria and the couple assembled majestic trees in their holiday home. The fashion “caught” among the population and, consequently, was adopted around the world, at a time when the British influence was present in all continents.
9 – For the Chinese, in addition to symbolizing Christmas, the pine tree also represents a long life. In Greek mythology, the tradition of relating trees to deities was also common. The Greeks believed that plants symbolized the evolution and elevation of man. The oak, for example, was used to honor Zeus; the olive tree, Athena; the vine, Dionysus.
10 – In the ancient Christian calendar, December 24th was dedicated to Adam and Eve. Churches enacted the story for people who could not read. Paradise was represented by a tree laden with fruit and which stood out in the scene. People started to assemble these trees in their homes, with trees decorated with different symbols. Placing roses, for example, represented the Virgin Mary, and the hosts, repentance for sins.
I hope you enjoyed these curiosities, hugs :)