All over the country, high streets are being lit up with their Christmas lights. Christmas adverts have been playing since the first of November, along with Christmas songs. Here lies a question- do we celebrate Christmas too early?
Christmas as we know today originated around the Victorian Era, as the celebration became popular around the end of the 1800s. The true origins of Christmas though, dated to around 4th century CE around the reign of Emperor Constatine. It is possible the celebration of Christmas was started to weaken the old Pagan traditions, and to have people instead associate the date with the birth of the Jesus. The Romans are known to have celebrated a festival during the later days of December, known as Saturnalia. This festival was where a lot of our traditions come from, such as the giving of gifts to friends and families, and the Yule log.
So, now that we know Christmases origins, do we start to celebrate it too early?
Christmas is a holiday that unites a major part of the Uk’s population, unlike other major holidays, religious or not. All around the world, people celebrate it, and with the celebrations come decorations, lights and of course Christmas entertainment. Over the years, it has gained huge popularity, with December dedicated to it and now part of November. The festive atmosphere helps to cheer people up and makes the wintry weather more bearable with the knowledge it is a festive season. However, some people disagree.
Some say starting to celebrate Christmas in November is far too early, as we have only just finished celebrating Halloween, and there are other days or festivals to be celebrated such as Remembrance Day or other religious festivals. Having Christmas celebrated during this time can spoil these other festivals.
So, what do you think? Do we celebrate Christmas too early?
