Holiday in Mexico – Día de Navidad (Christmas)
Important dates
There are many important dates that are part of Christmas. One of these dates is on Christmas Day – December 25. This day we celebrate Christ’s birth in Bethlehem as the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. After Easter we can say that this is the most important holiday of the Christian year. But is the real day of Christmas?
Officially recognized on 345 year
The Gospels do not mention dates. Therefore, it is not certain that Jesus was born that day. Christmas Day was not officially recognized until the year 345. That year, under the influence of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory Nazianzen, proclaimed December 25 as the date of Christmas. In this way the Church could absorb existing pagan rites, old celebrations of the winter solstice and the coming of spring.
El Saturnal
In the pagan Roman kingdom the largest party associated with this part of the year was the Saturnalia. On 19 December,there will be a party in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. At the same time, was celebrated in Northern Europe a similar winter festival. It was called Yule. In this party were burnt trunks and branches adorned with ribbons, in honor of the gods – to get the sun will always shine brightly.
On Christmas Day, today, is often the family eat well, and sometimes Santa Claus visits the children, to give them gifts. But this custom is not as popular in Spanish speaking countries and in other countries. The Spanish traditionally give gifts wait until the day of the Magi, an old tradition with biblical origin.