About Christmas
It is said that ancient people celebrated winter festivals such as Saturnalia, by decorating their homes with evergreen fir trees or branches to commemorate the arrival of spring, a time when winter would come to an end and the Sun God would finally appear. The tradition of the Christmas tree as we know today, probably has its origins in 16th century Germany, when Martin Luther, awed by the beauty of stars shining among evergreen trees at night, brought a tree in his home and lighted it with candles.
Learn MoreThe History of Christmas Carols
Christmas carols were originally pagan songs sung by the Early Europeans during their winter solstice celebrations. Early Christians replaced pagan songs with Christmas hymns (religious songs), written and sung in Latin. In 1223 in Italy, Christmas carols became popular through the Nativity plays of St. Francis of Assisi. As opposed to Latin, they were in a language that was understood by most people, which is the reason why carols spread to other European countries.
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