Christmas in late Old English is known as Cristes Maesse or the Mass of Christ; it was first recorded in 1038 and renamed as Cristes-messe in 1131 (Dies Natalis in Latin).
Early Times
Christmas was not among the Church's early celebrations. It is not included in the lists of feasts by Sts. Irenaeus and Tertullian. Egypt provides the first proof of the feast. The year of Christ's birth is said to have been "over curiously" assigned by some Egyptian theologians around the year 200 A.D., placing it on 25 Pachon (May 20,) in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus. The December feast later arrived in Egypt somewhere between 427 and 433.
The earliest evidence from Rome comes from the Philocalian Calendar, which was put together in 354 and has three significant entries. On December 25, the civil calendar observes "Natalis Invicti." The phrase "VIII kal. ian. natus Christus in Betleem Iudae" appears on December 25 in the "Depositio Martyrum," a list of Roman or early and widely revered martyrs.
In line with Erbes, De Santi contends that Rome appropriated the Eastern Epiphany, giving it a distinct Nativity theme, and, in agreement with a growing number of Eastern Churches, set it for December 25. Later, the feasts were split between the East and the West, with Epiphany falling on January 6 and Nativity (Christmas) on December 25.
The dates of Circumcision, Presentation, Expectation, and possibly Annunciation were also determined by setting this date. Up to the ninth century, Christmas was observed by the pope as the start of the church year.
The Crib (creche) or Nativity Scene
The Life of St. Francis of Assisi by St. Bonaventure states that the first Nativity scene was presented in the Italian village of Greccio in 1223. During a visit to the Holy Land, St. Francis saw the site of Our Lord's birth. This gave him the motivation to restore the faith of the Greccio people, who had let the exchange of gifts eclipse the real significance of Christmas. Francis, a deacon, wanted to show the parishioners the Christmas story rather than just tell them about it.
Francis was granted permission by Pope Honorius III to exhibit a Nativity scene in a cave in Greccio, complete with hay, an ox, and a donkey. According to Bonaventure, “Then [Francis] preached to the people around the Nativity of the poor King; and being unable to utter His Name for the tenderness of his love, he called Him the Babe of Bethlehem.”
In less than two centuries, manger scenes quickly expanded throughout Europe, and cribs are now a typical sight in every home throughout the Christmas season.
Hymns and Carols
The degradation of these plays contributed to the spread of noels, pastorali, and carols, which were given a quasi-liturgical status at times. The first person to sing the Nativity hymn for the "Vox Clara" (the Lauds hymn in Advent) is Prudentius in the fourth century. The first noels appeared in the eleventh century, while the first carols appeared in the thirteenth century.
Current Picture
The Season of Advent, which is a period of preparation, comes before Christmas, and the Christmas Season itself extends the celebration of the Nativity. This season spans from Christmas Eve, when Catholics celebrate the birth of the Lord on December 25th, to the Sunday following the Epiphany, when the Lord is baptized.
An Octave of Christmas takes place over eight days, starting on Christmas Day. The Feast of the Holy Family falls within this octave, and on January 1st, it culminates in Mary being honored as the Mother of God.
Throughout the Octave, the price of redemption and discipleship is always visible. The Church remembers the Holy Innocents, who were slain by Herod in an impulsive search for the Messiah, and the proto-martyr Stephen, who was slain while Saul—later on, St. Paul—continued to promote it.
Ultimately, the Christmas Season comes to an end with anticipation of Jesus' public life and ministry, together with the solemnity of the Epiphany and the Lord's baptism. These occasions are "manifestations" of Christ's divinity and act as a bookend to His life of seclusion from conception until the start of His public ministry.
The only liturgical event that has four Masses—the Vigil Mass, the Night Mass, the Dawn Mass, and the Day Mass—is Christmas. For all three liturgical years, the readings for each of these Masses are the same. This selection aims to illustrate and emphasize the moment that altered human history—God becoming man.
The birth of our Lord Jesus serves as a reminder that God is always present, even in circumstances where we would otherwise assume He is not or never could be. We are motivated by our faith to approach this period with more hope and serenity. God is here. He is so present that we should probably reevaluate our lifestyles—or rather, He is inviting us to do so. He is asking us to keep in mind that, just as He came to save us, we can only be saved if we walk in unity with Him and learn to look out for one another.
The purpose of the Lord's offering to us is for us to bear His witness through our lives. As Christians, we are asked to be sentinels of a new dawn, full of hope for this lost and alone mankind, so that the darkness of this age may be broken by the Light that comes from the Lord Jesus.
He is our existence's ultimate reality. The most valuable thing we can share is an interior solidarity and closeness that we all learn to share from the Lord Jesus, who drew near to us. This enables us to praise God with the angels and declare, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests”.
Other Saints of the Day
Saint Adalsindis
Saint Alburga
Saint Anastasia
Saint Eugenia
Blessed Michael Nakashima