Everything you need to know about Christmas, and how it has evolved into a global holiday

Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. But did you know that Jesus’ first followers did not celebrate his birth anniversary annually? Or was Santa Claus inspired by acts of kindness performed by a 4th century Christian saint? And have you heard about the contemporary Japanese tradition of eating Kentucky Fried Chicken at Christmas?

Since the early 1900s, Christmas has evolved from a religious holiday into a hugely popular cultural holiday celebrated by Christians and secular people around the world who gather with families, exchange gifts and cards, and decorate Christmas trees.

Here’s a look at the history, beliefs, and development of Christmas:

Origins and early history of Christmas

Jesus’ early followers did not commemorate his birth annually, but instead focused on commemorating their faith in his resurrection at Easter.

The story of Jesus’ birth appears in only two of the four New Testament Gospels: Matthew and Luke. They give different details, although both say that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

The day, month and even year Jesus was born are unknown, said Christine Shepardson, a University of Tennessee professor who studies early Christianity.

She said that the tradition of celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25 did not appear until the fourth century.

“It is difficult to overemphasize how important the fourth century was in building Christianity as we experience it in our world today,” Shepardson said. At that time, during the reign of Emperor Constantine, Christians began the practice of gathering in churches rather than meeting in homes.

Some theories say the date coincides with existing pagan winter solstice festivals, including the Roman celebration of Sol Invictus, or “Invincible Sun,” on December 25.

While most Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25, some Eastern Orthodox traditions celebrate the Holy Day on January 7. This is because they follow the old Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, which is used by the Catholic and Protestant churches as well as in most parts of the secular world.

Noisy celebrations in the Middle Ages

For many centuries, especially during the Middle Ages, Christmas was associated with raucous street celebrations of feasting and drinking, and for many Christians, it “did not stand well as a holiday,” said Thomas Ruiz-Smith, a professor of American literature and culture at the University of East Anglia in England.

He said, “The extremists were not fond of Christmas.”

But in the 19th century, he said, Christmas became “respectable” through “the domestic celebration we understand today — a celebration centered around home, family, children, and gift-giving.”

The roots of modern Christmas can be traced back to Germany. In the late 19th century, there are accounts of Christmas trees and gift-giving, which, according to Smith, later spread to Britain and America, helping to revitalize Christmas on both sides of the Atlantic.

Christmas became more popular with the publication of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in 1843, and the writings of Washington Irving, who was a devotee of Saint Nicholas and helped popularize the celebration of Christmas in America.

The first Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was put up by workers in 1931 to boost morale during the Great Depression. This tradition has stuck around since the first tree lighting ceremony was held in 1933, and remains one of New York City’s most popular tourist attractions.

America’s secular Santa is inspired by a Christian saint

Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century Christian bishop of the Mediterranean port city of Myra (in modern-day Türkiye). His generous acts inspired the secular legend of Santa Claus.

The legends surrounding Old Saint Nicholas – celebrated annually on December 6 – go far beyond simply offering children candy and toys. He is believed to have interceded on behalf of wrongly condemned prisoners and miraculously saved sailors from storms.

During the Middle Ages devotion to Saint Nicholas spread throughout Europe and became a favorite subject of medieval artists and liturgical plays. He is the patron saint of sailors and children, as well as Greece, Russia and New York.

Devotion to Saint Nicholas appears to have died out after the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, except in the Netherlands, where his legend remains as Sinterklaas. In the 17th century, Dutch Protestants who settled in New York brought with them the Sinterklaas tradition.

Eventually, Saint Nicholas turned into a secular Santa Claus.

It’s not just Santa who delivers gifts

In the UK, it’s Father’s Day. In Greece and Cyprus, Saint Basil (who arrives on New Year’s Eve). In some parts of Italy, it is Saint Lucy (earlier in December) and in other Italian regions, Befana, a witch-like figure, brings gifts on Epiphany on January 6.

Instead of a friendly Santa Claus, children in Iceland enjoy the services of 13 naughty brothers, called Yule Lads. They descended from their mountain cave 13 days before Christmas, according to folklore.

Christian traditions of Christmas

One of the oldest Christmas traditions is bringing green plants – holly, ivy, or evergreen trees – into homes. But determining whether this is a Christian tradition is more difficult. “For many people, greenery can symbolize Christ’s promise of eternal life and his return from the dead,” Smith said. “So, you can interpret this evergreen tradition within the Christian concept.”

Maria Kennedy, a professor in the Department of American Studies at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, said decorating evergreen trees is a German custom that began in the 16th century. It later spread to England and America.

“Mistletoe, an evergreen shrub, has been used in ceremonies dating back to the ancient Druids — Celtic religious leaders — about 2,000 years ago,” Kennedy wrote in his book The Surprising History of Christmas Traditions.

“Mistletoe represents immortality because it continued to grow during the darkest times of the year and bear white berries when all else died.”

Other traditions include Christmas services and nativity scenes in homes and churches. More recently, nativity scenes, when erected on public property in the United States, have sparked legal battles over the issue of separation of church and state.

Kennedy wrote that Christmas carols can also be traced back to European traditions, where people would go from house to house during the darkest time of the year to renew relationships within their communities and offer wishes for good luck, health and wealth for the coming year.

“They recited poetry, sang, and sometimes performed skits. The idea was that these acts would bring good luck to influence the future harvest,” Kennedy writes.

Kentucky Fried Chicken for Christmas in Japan

Among the many Christmas traditions that have been adopted and localized globally, there are traditions related to Kentucky Fried Chicken.

In 1974, KFC launched a Christmas campaign where they started selling fried chicken with a bottle of wine so it could be used at a Christmas party.

KFC says the idea for the campaign came from an employee who overheard a foreign customer at one of its Tokyo restaurants say that since he couldn’t get turkey in Japan, he would have to celebrate Christmas with KFC fried chicken.

“That really stuck,” Smith said. “And still today you have to order your KFC chicken months in advance to make sure you’ll get it on Christmas Day.”