Christmas day is recognised as Christ’s birthday, and thus it is a very important day of the year for Christians. In turn, Christ’s birth brings to mind Christmas Carols, Nativity Scenes and midnight mass, and all these are very special to Christians and evoke feelings of peace and harmony.

Christmas is also a special time for the non-religious. The spirit of Christmas is associated with glistening snow, robin redbreasts, snowmen, jolly Santas, fairy lights, outdoor decorations, candles, crackers, roaring log fires; the list is endless. The smell of cinnamon is also found to remind many people of Christmas: in fact, it has been claimed that candles, carols and the smell of cinnamon are the things that primarily evoke the Christmas feeling. What exactly does cinnamon have to do with Xmas? Well, it has long been used in Europe to flavour Christmas cakes and mince pies, thus it’s distinctive aroma is instantly recognisable.

Talking of food, there are many types of delicious mouth-watering food associated with the spirit of Christmas. Turkey, goose, mince pies, rich Christmas pudding and cakes, cranberry and bread sauce, brussels sprouts, gingerbread, brandy butter, chestnuts – its enough to make you feel hungry!

In addition to the tantalising range of foods above, there are some drinks traditionally served at Christmas – two that spring to mind are mulled wine and egg nog. Mulled wine is basically red wine heated up with sugar and spices, of which cinnamon is one (nutmeg is also added). Egg nog is a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, brandy and vanilla, and may be served hot or cold. Both these drinks are sure to warm your insides on a cold winter’s night!

Everybody would agree that Christmas would not be Christmas without a Christmas tree. The Christmas tree has been associated with Christmas since the 16^th century, and an angel or star is often placed on top to signify the Star of Bethlehem or the angels from the Nativity. The evergreen pine tree especially evokes the Christmas spirit, with its distinctive pine smell. Today, there are trees to suit every household, even contemporary black trees for the modern home.

The true spirit of Christmas is created by a little bit of all the above. A roaring log fire, a choir singing carols in the market square, twinkling lights in windows and lovely food and drink all help to make Xmas a really special time. However, the loveliest part of Christmas is spending quality time with family and friends, exchanging thoughtfully chosen gifts – after all, being surrounded by those we love at such a special time is what Christmas is all about – and don’t forget the mistletoe!

We know that Finland was where Santa Claus began, Russia has always been the founder of hand-made Christmas baubles and ornaments and Germany is famous for its Christmas Markets. The interesting thing is the tree itself seems to have appeared in Latvia first, in their main square.

There have been stories regarding Martin Luther walking in the woods near Riga who in fact created a Christmas tree. Apparently these are two different references. Rigas first Christmas Tree was in 1510

Martin Luther was part of a ceremony with men in black hats who burnt a tree after their meeting. This was a mixture of both Christian and Pagan custom, which many other ceremonies in Central and Northen Europe were at the time.

The Martin Luther walk in the forest, is understood to have occurred in Northern Germany and was several decades after the Riga tree.

Many of the activities we consider as Christian often started as Pagan activities and were common in Latvia and northern Europe at the time as they had done for hundreds of years before them.

The pagans of northern Europe celebrated their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the Pagan ‘Sun God’, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. The theory was that as the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer.

It was at this stage customary to light a candle which would encourage Mithras, and the sun to reappear next year.

Huge Yule logs were soon burnt in his honour. The word Yule itself means wheel, which is a Pagan symbol for the sun. Mistletoe was considered sacred and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. We understand that the Holly berries were to be food for the gods.

Trees are the giver of life, they are some of the oldest living plants on earth and people often used them for religious ceremonies, gathering and worshipping around them. The large fir trees unite northern Europe, Russia and America

The legend has it that the first Riga Christmas Tree in 1510 was decorated in paper flowers and burnt on the bonfire, the paper flowers would light up and are similar to the lights we now put on our own trees.

According to Countess Maria Hubert von Staufer of the organization Christmas Archives International based in the England, http://www.christmasarchives.com/index.html “Riga is very important in the History of the Christmas Tree”.

The Riga Town square Town Hall Square was developed in the middle of the 13th century, was initially a marketplace. Of course it was the central location for dances, games, tournaments and ceremonies.

One of the most historic buildings in the Square is the House of Blackheads which was originally built in 1334 and re-built very recently in 1995 – 1999. The town hall building across the square was built later and rebuilt again in 2003.

Outside the House of Blackheads is placed the domed plaque makring the site of the first ever Christmas Tree ceremony. It is engraved in eight languages and states ‘ The First New Years Tree in Riga in 1510”.

The Christmas tree has been around for hundreds of years

The main thing that signifies the arrival of Christmas is the Christmas tree -putting up and decorating a tree is one of the most popular traditions of the festive period.

A tree, usually an evergreen conifer, is brought into the home and decorated with ornaments and lights, and then an angel or star is placed on the top to represent the angels or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity story. Many people also place trees in their garden, complete with decorations and lights, and cities, towns and businesses display their own specimens for public enjoyment. The tree which is placed in Trafalgar square, London, and every year is a gift from Oslo, Norway, to thank Britain for its support during the Second World War.

The custom of erecting a Christmas tree can be traced back to 16th century Germany, but in Britain the tradition did not become widespread until after Queen Victoria’s marriage to her german cousin Prince Albert. A picture of the royal couple gathered with their children around the Christmas tree was published in the Illustrated London News in 1848, and this helped to popularise the Christmas tree, both in Britain and the United States.

The earliest reference to celebrating the nativity on December 25 was found in a Roman manuscript compiled in the year 354. Christmas was popularised in the Christian East to help revive Catholicism following the death of Emperor Valens at the Battle of Adrianople in 378. However, the feast disappeared with the resignation of Bishop Gregory of Nazianzus in 381, only to be reintroduced in 400.

Christs Birthday is Celebrated at Christmas

By the Early Middle Ages, the medieval calendar was dominated by Christmas-related holidays. The 40 days before Christmas became the forty days of St. Martin, now known as Advent, and in the 12th century, the Twelve Days of Christmas appeared in liturgical calendars as Christmastide or Twelve Holy Days. The importance of Christmas Day increased gradually, and by the high middle ages, the holiday had become widely celebrated. Caroling became very popular and originally featured a group of dancers who sang, comprising of a lead singer and a ring of dancers that provided the chorus. In England, gifts were exchanged on New Year’s Day and Christmas was a public festival that incorporated the use of holly, ivy, and other evergreens.

During the Reformation, some Protestants condemned Christmas as the ‘trappings of popery’and the Roman Catholic Church responded by overtly promoting the religious aspects of the festival. English Puritan leaders banned Christmas in 1647, but this ban was lifted with the Restoration of Charles II in 1660.

In America, Christmas fell out of favor after the American Revolution, as it was considered an English custom. Charles Dickens’s 1843 novel A Christmas Carol played a major role in reintroducing Christmas as a holiday in the U.S, with its emphasis on family, goodwill, and compassion. Interest in Christmas had been revived in the 1820s through several short stories by Washington Irving – his stories told of lovely harmonius holiday traditions he claimed to have witnessed in England – and by Clement Clark Moore’s 1822 poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (widely recognised by its first line: Twas the Night Before Christmas). Finally, Christmas was declared a United States federal holiday in 1870.

Most Christians like to actively remember Christ’s birth at Christmas. Children the world over perform the nativity play and many homes display the nativity scene under the tree. Santa Claus, the bearer of gifts, originates from modern western culture and in the west Christmas is celebrated by the exchanging of gifts amongst friends and family. The image of Santa Claus as he is known today was created by the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast in the 1880’s.

Today, the history of Christmas is a long and colourful one, and the holiday is widely celebrated around the world.