JUPITER, FLORIDA – Christmas is the most celebrated holiday in the world.

Christmas is the spirit of joy and time spent with friends and family. Christmas allows families to have traditions and fun activities. When the word Christmas comes to mind, it fills people up with warmth and excitement.

Winter celebrations around the time we now call Christmas started centuries before Jesus even arrived. “Many people rejoiced during the winter solstice when the worst of the winter was behind them,” says Sullivan the author of History of Christmas.

In Scandinavia, the Norse people celebrated a Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. Fathers and sons would bring home large logs, and they would use these for the fire. “The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days,” says Sullivan. This meant that the people would wait by the fire until something good or someone good would come to them.

In Germany, the people would celebrate a pagan god named Oden during this holiday. “Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the country to observe his people and then decided who would prosper or perish,” says Sullivan.

Saturnalia was a holiday that honored Saturn, the god of agriculture. Saturnalia was one of the hedonistic times for the people – the food was very plentiful, and they drank so much. At that time, enslaved people were treated as equals and were let out for a month as temporary freedom.

During the 4th Century, Church officials decided to make the birth of Jesus a holiday. Christians celebrate Christmas to honor the birth of Jesus. There may not be any dates of the birth of Jesus in the Bible, and some have argued about the right date. However, throughout the world, Jesus is celebrated on December 25.

During the early 17th century, Christmas was canceled because of the form of religion that was changed throughout Europe. Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took power in England in the 1640s. They all vowed to rid England of decadence and all of Christmas was canceled. Charles II returned to his throne and restored the holiday we all love so much.

Christmas has many great traditions and knowing the history of Christmas brings families together to celebrate.