Christmas Eve: Why we celebrate Christmas on December 24th

Created: 12/23/2021, 09:10 AM

Many families in Germany come together on Christmas Eve, eat together and exchange gifts.

But why do we actually celebrate Christmas?

And why on December 24th of all times?

(Symbol picture).

© Gerald Matzka / dpa / picture alliance

Many families in Germany get together at Christmas and exchange gifts.

But where does this custom come from and why do we celebrate Christmas Eve on December 24th?

Munich - Easter is the most important festival of Christianity from a church perspective.

In terms of popularity and in commercial terms, however, Christmas comes out on top.

Because many families in Germany not only eat together on Christmas Eve, but also give each other presents.

Not only religious people follow this custom, for some it is simply a good opportunity to hang out with loved ones.

In Germany, Christians naturally celebrate Christmas Eve on December 24th - however, there is no evidence of the birthday of Jesus Christ on this day.

Even so, there is a good reason why Christmas Eve falls on this date.

Christmas Eve December 24th: How did the date come about?

Christianity celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25th, whom believers regard as the Son of God. Christmas Eve is the eve of Christmas. Traditionally, families get together on December 24th, Christmas Eve. A common dinner and mutual gifts under the Christmas tree are part of the tradition. But there are regional differences: In many countries, such as the USA, the gifts are not given until December 25th. Both December 25th and December 26th are public holidays in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Although the entire calendar of the western world is based on it, the exact year of Jesus Christ's birth is not entirely clear. 2021 AD does not necessarily have to mean that Jesus of Nazareth was actually born before 2021. Dr. Kai Brodersen, Professor of Ancient Culture at the University of Erfurt, uses various passages from the Bible as a basis for his analysis. They are about a decade apart, so Jesus could have been born 6 years AD - i.e. after the beginning of our era. Likewise, the birth of Christ as early as 4 BC. Chr. Lie.

The date of December 24th or 25th probably has a different background than the actual birth of Jesus Christ: The winter solstice falls on December 21st.

This is the shortest day in the northern hemisphere and has therefore always been important in many cultures and customs.

Even the Germanic peoples celebrated festivals around this time.

The Church adopted and given meaning to many pagan holidays, including the winter solstice.

In 313, Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the state religion in the Roman state.

Since the synod in 813, December 25th has been officially the birthday of Jesus Christ and a general church holiday, as the knowledge magazine

shows.

Christmas Eve: Where do the Christmas traditions come from?

Retail in Germany benefits from the Christmas business, some industries more than others. The toy industry and the book industry make around a quarter of their annual sales in the Christmas business. This is based on data from the Federal Statistical Office. German citizens bought almost 30 million Christmas trees in 2019. But originally, Christmas was neither about gifts nor about Christmas trees. So where do these traditions come from?

Theology professor Martin Luther has a share in our contemporary customs. In 1535 the reformer said that the birth of Jesus should be an occasion to get together with the family and to give each other gifts. From then on, the gifts were brought by the Christ Child, not Nicholas. He wanted to diminish the worship of the Catholic Church. However, the tradition of gifts existed before Luther. Even in old tribes people are said to have given each other. Marcel Mauss, a French sociologist and ethnologist, describes this custom as a “social contract of indigenous peoples”. The donation served to underline the peaceful intention. The Bible already mentions the gifts of the three kings. The birth of Jesus Christ himself is considered a gift from God to humanity.

Giving gifts on Christmas Eve is therefore a tradition with a long history.

In comparison, the Christmas tree is still a new custom that only became fashionable in German living rooms around 200 years ago.

Even before that, the green fir branch was a symbol of optimism and vitality.

The evergreen branches should also ward off evil spirits.

Gradually the branch developed into the custom of a whole tree.

In the beginning it was hanging from the ceiling, today it is on the floor and is decorated with candles.