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| Color of the day: Blue
Incense of the day: Violet The feast celebrating the birth of Christ was not always celebrated on this day. Originally the church celebrated Christmas on the day of Epiphany, January 6. In a.d. 336, after Christianity had conquered Rome, the holiday was moved to December to coincide with the Festival of the Unconquered Sun. In this way, Christ was identified with the Sun god, the god of light. Other aspects of the holiday are derived from the Roman Saturnalia. The Saturnalia was a Winter Solstice festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture. It lasted from December 17 to 23. During this period there was a sacrifice at the temple of Saturn followed by a public feast. All work stopped; servants and slaves were freed from their chores. There was public gambling, merriment, and gift-giving presided over by a mock king. The midnight mass, the feast, and the giving of presents at Christmas are derived from the Saturnalia. The most popular presents during the Saturnalia were small figures made of wax or clay that represented the gods. Likewise today, we decorate our homes with small figures that represent the mythic beings that are associated with this season: Santa Claus, snowmen, reindeer, and elves. The Christmas tree can be traced to the myth of Yggdrasill, the Germanic world tree. The holly and the Yule log derive from the Germanic solstice celebration, and the tradition of mistletoe comes form the Celtic holiday. The creche was added by St. Francis. During this holiday everyone participates in magic. |
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