114-637: The Megleno-Romanians , also known as Meglenites ( Megleno Romanian : Miglinits ), Moglenite Vlachs or simply Vlachs ( Megleno Romanian : Vlaș ), are an Eastern Romance ethnic group , originally inhabiting seven villages in the Moglena region spanning the Pella and Kilkis regional units of Central Macedonia , Greece , and one village, Huma , across the border in North Macedonia . These people live in an area of approximately 300 km in size. Unlike
228-633: A Festival in the Lutheran Churches , a solemnity in the Roman Catholic Church , and a Principal Feast of the Anglican Communion . Other Christian denominations do not rank their feast days but nevertheless place importance on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, as with other Christian feasts like Easter, Ascension Day, and Pentecost. As such, for Christians, attending a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day church service plays an important part in
342-463: A Nativity play ; an exchange of Christmas cards ; attending church services ; a special meal ; and displaying various Christmas decorations , including Christmas trees , Christmas lights , nativity scenes , garlands , wreaths , mistletoe , and holly . Additionally, several related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus , Father Christmas , Saint Nicholas , and Christkind , are associated with bringing gifts to children during
456-557: A Slavic influence, but show Greek influence instead. The study of Megleno-Romanian and other Eastern Romance varieties led Capidan to believe that during the establishment of the Romanian language in the Early Middle Ages , there was an ethnic Romanian continuity on both banks of the Danube (north and south). There were several small hamlets and cottage settlements at high elevations at
570-461: A Christian context. The prevailing atmosphere of Christmas has also continually evolved since the holiday's inception, ranging from a sometimes raucous, drunken, carnival -like state in the Middle Ages , to a tamer family-oriented and children-centered theme introduced in a 19th-century transformation. The celebration of Christmas was banned on more than one occasion within certain groups, such as
684-519: A customary holiday since time immemorial , it was not until 1871 that it was designated a bank holiday in Scotland. Following the Restoration of Charles II, Poor Robin's Almanack contained the lines: "Now thanks to God for Charles return, / Whose absence made old Christmas mourn. / For then we scarcely did it know, / Whether it Christmas were or no." The diary of James Woodforde, from the latter half of
798-693: A dialect of Aromanian, or an independent language. It is closer to standard Romanian than the Aromanian language, suggesting that it split from Common Romanian later than Aromanian. Megleno-Romanian has been strongly influenced by the neighbouring South Slavic varieties. The term Megleno-Romanian has been used by linguists (mainly Romanians), who noticed the similarity to the Romanian language . The Megleno-Romanians identify themselves as vlaș (" Vlach ") or by local endonyms such as liumnicean ("from Liumnița ") or umineț ("from Uma "). Megleno-Romanian
912-593: A distance in order to ease the pressure of war for the day) to friendly socializing, gift giving and even sport between enemies. These incidents became a well known and semi-mythologised part of popular memory. They have been described as a symbol of common humanity even in the darkest of situations and used to demonstrate to children the ideals of Christmas. Under the state atheism of the Soviet Union, after its foundation in 1917, Christmas celebrations—along with other Christian holidays—were prohibited in public. During
1026-486: A family-centered festival of generosity, linking "worship and feasting, within a context of social reconciliation." Superimposing his humanitarian vision of the holiday, in what has been termed "Carol Philosophy", Dickens influenced many aspects of Christmas that are celebrated today in Western culture, such as family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games, and a festive generosity of spirit. A prominent phrase from
1140-1002: A first such treaty was signed between Turkey and Bulgaria regarding exchange of population up to a range of 15 km from their border. The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine (November 27, 1919) led to an exchange of 40,000 Greeks for 80,000 Bulgarians between the two countries. After the Greek-Turkish War , by the Treaty of Lausanne , 500,000 of Turks and other Muslims were exchanged for a comparable number of Asia Minor Greeks. Muslim Megleno-Romanians, despite all their protests were forcefully deported to Turkey because of their religion. A significant number of incoming Greeks were settled in Greek Macedonia and Greek Thrace , including in traditional Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian areas. Economic and social consequences soon ensued, and local conflict between Aromanians and Greeks appeared. Acts of intimidation by
1254-788: A major point of tension between the Anglican party and the Puritan party." The Catholic Church also responded, promoting the festival in a more religiously oriented form. King Charles I of England directed his noblemen and gentry to return to their landed estates in midwinter to keep up their old-style Christmas generosity. Following the Parliamentarian victory over Charles I during the English Civil War , England's Puritan rulers banned Christmas in 1647. Protests followed as pro-Christmas rioting broke out in several cities and for weeks Canterbury
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#17328523943901368-422: A more traditional Christmas display. The concentric assortment of leaves, usually from an evergreen , make up Christmas wreaths. Candles in each window are meant to demonstrate that Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the ultimate light of the world. Christmas lights and banners may be hung along streets, music played by speakers, and Christmas trees placed in prominent places. It is common in many parts of
1482-693: A play be acted on Christmas night and that the court indulge in games. It was during the Reformation in 16th–17th-century Europe that many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or Christkindl , and the date of giving gifts changed from December 6 to Christmas Eve. Following the Protestant Reformation , many of the new denominations, including the Anglican Church and Lutheran Church , continued to celebrate Christmas. In 1629,
1596-717: A protest against the holiday. Instead, the importance of the holiday and all its trappings, such as the Christmas tree and gift-giving, was transferred to the New Year. It was not until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 that the persecution ended and Orthodox Christmas became a state holiday again for the first time in Russia after seven decades. European History Professor Joseph Perry wrote that likewise, in Nazi Germany , "because Nazi ideologues saw organized religion as an enemy of
1710-483: A sacred and festive season, and established the duty of Advent fasting in preparation for the feast." This was done in order to solve the "administrative problem for the Roman Empire as it tried to coordinate the solar Julian calendar with the lunar calendars of its provinces in the east." The prominence of Christmas Day increased gradually after Charlemagne was crowned Emperor on Christmas Day in 800. King Edmund
1824-855: A sensation when it was published in the Illustrated London News in 1848. A modified version of this image was published in Godey's Lady's Book , Philadelphia in 1850. By the 1870s, putting up a Christmas tree had become common in America. In America, interest in Christmas had been revived in the 1820s by several short stories by Washington Irving which appear in his The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. and "Old Christmas". Irving's stories depicted harmonious warm-hearted English Christmas festivities he experienced while staying in Aston Hall , Birmingham, England, that had largely been abandoned, and he used
1938-701: A traditional custom, called bondic , where the head of a household would take an oak log and place it in the hearth just before Christmas , burning it bit by bit until Epiphany . The resulting charcoal would be put under fruit trees to make them fertile. A similar custom called bavnic , but with specific variations, also existed among Aromanians , some Romanians and Latvians . This custom is found in Orthodox South Slavic cultures (Serbian badnjak , Bulgarian budnik , Macedonian badnik ). Some believe that these customs and other cultural archetypes discovered by scientists are proof that Megleno-Romanians come from
2052-671: A traditional mountainous region. Theodor Capidan , studying the resemblance of the Megleno-Romanian language with Romanian and other languages, concluded that Megleno-Romanians must have spent some time in the Rhodope Mountains before moving on to Moglen (due to the presence of elements similar to those found in the language of the Bulgarians in the Rhodopes). Both Papahagi and Capidan observed that Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian lack
2166-567: A very acute sense of nation. During their weddings, they use the Romanian tricolor as a furglița (wedding flag), and very rarely the traditional white-red colors. This illustrates the fact that despite their distinct (albeit also Eastern Romance) language, Megleno-Romanians in Romania identify themselves as Romanians. According to one observer, they consider themselves "more Romanian than the Romanians". Very small numbers of Megleno-Romanians also live in
2280-489: A very small community; as of 2014, only three people spoke Megleno-Romanian in Gudurica. The following is a list of notable Megleno-Romanians or people of Megleno-Romanian descent. Megleno Romanian language Megleno-Romanian (known as vlăhește by its speakers, and Megleno-Romanian or Meglenitic and sometimes Moglenitic or Meglinitic by linguists) is an Eastern Romance language , similar to Aromanian . It
2394-594: Is a public holiday in many countries , is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians , as well as culturally by many non-Christians, and forms an integral part of the holiday season surrounding it. The traditional Christmas narrative recounted in the New Testament , known as the Nativity of Jesus , says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem , in accordance with messianic prophecies . When Joseph and Mary arrived in
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#17328523943902508-872: Is a list of the Megleno-Romanian settlements. In seven villages (including one already assimilated by Greeks) and the small town of Notia , c. 4,000 Moglen Vlachs still speak their language today, while several thousand others are already assimilated: [REDACTED] Archangelos (Megleno-Romanian: Oșani ) [REDACTED] Karpi (Megleno-Romanian: Tarnareca ) [REDACTED] Koupa (Megleno-Romanian: Cupa ) [REDACTED] Langadia (Megleno-Romanian: Lugunța, Lundzini ) [REDACTED] Notia (Megleno-Romanian: Nânti, Nânta ) [REDACTED] Perikleia (Megleno-Romanian: Birislav ) [REDACTED] Skra (Megleno-Romanian: Liumnița ) [REDACTED] Kastaneri (Megleno-Romanian: Barovița ) Less than 1,000 people of Megleno-Romanian descent, most of whom are already Slavicized , live in one village and in
2622-548: Is a sentence in the Chronograph of 354 . Liturgical historians generally agree that this part of the text was written in Rome in AD 336. Though Christmas did not appear on the lists of festivals given by the early Christian writers Irenaeus and Tertullian , the early Church Fathers John Chrysostom , Augustine of Hippo , and Jerome attested to December 25 as the date of Christmas toward
2736-621: Is a shortened form of 'Christ's Mass '. The word is recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131. Crīst ( genitive Crīstes ) is from the Greek Χριστός ( Khrīstos , 'Christ'), a translation of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ ( Māšîaḥ , ' Messiah '), meaning 'anointed'; and mæsse is from the Latin missa , the celebration of the Eucharist . The form Christenmas
2850-559: Is an Eastern Romance language , a language formed after the retreat of the Roman Empire from the Balkans. Due to the fact that it is spoken by very few people and because of its similarities with the Aromanian , modern Romanian and Istro-Romanian languages, some linguists consider it to be an intermediary between Romanian and Aromanian , often being considered either a dialect of Romanian,
2964-523: Is another abbreviation of the Greek word). The holiday has had various other English names throughout its history. The Anglo-Saxons referred to the feast as "midwinter", or, more rarely, as Nātiuiteð (from the Latin nātīvitās below). Nativity , meaning 'birth', is from the Latin nātīvitās . In Old English , Gēola (' Yule ') referred to the period corresponding to December and January, which
3078-494: Is believed, however, that there are up to 20,000 people of Megleno-Romanian descent worldwide (including those assimilated into the basic populations of these countries). The Moglena region ( Turkish : Karacaova ) is located in the north of Greece at the border with North Macedonia. It is roughly bounded by the Vardar river to the east, by the Kožuf and Voras mountains to the west, by
3192-517: Is considered by some as Christianisation of pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice , which included the use of evergreen boughs, and an adaptation of pagan tree worship ; according to eighth-century biographer Æddi Stephanus , Saint Boniface (634–709), who was a missionary in Germany, took an ax to an oak tree dedicated to Thor and pointed out a fir tree , which he stated
3306-716: Is shared with Aromanian and Romanian: (n.b.: MR=Megleno-Romanian, DR=Daco-Romanian, i.e. Romanian) Megleno-Romanian also contains some words that have cognates with Albanian . These words are present in Daco-Romanian too: There are also some words which are of Slavic origin and which can be found in all the Eastern Romance languages: There are a number of Byzantine and Modern Greek words, several dozens of which are also found in Daco-Romanian ( Romanian language ) and Aromanian and about 80 words that were borrowed via Macedonian and Bulgarian languages and other languages of
3420-644: Is spoken by the Megleno-Romanians in a few villages in the Moglena region that spans the border between the Greek region of Macedonia and North Macedonia . It is also spoken by emigrants from these villages and their descendants in Romania , in Turkey by a small Muslim group, and in Serbia . It is considered an endangered language . Megleno-Romanian is a member of the family of Romance languages. More specifically, it
3534-561: Is spoken in several villages in the Pella and Kilkis regional units of Macedonia , Greece , as well as in a handful of villages across the border in North Macedonia . In the village of Huma , the language was spoken by most inhabitants before they and other Megleno-Romanians from the region moved in the cities of Gevgelija and Skopje where some have preserved their native language. After World War I , some Megleno-Romanians moved to Romania , in Southern Dobruja , but were moved to
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3648-764: The Aromanians , the other Romance-speaking population in the same historic region, the Megleno-Romanians are traditionally sedentary agriculturalists, and not traditionally transhumants . Sometimes, the Megleno-Romanians are referred as "Macedo-Romanians" together with the Aromanians. They speak a Romance language most often called by linguists Megleno-Romanian or Meglenitic in English, and βλαχομογλενίτικα ( vlakhomoglenítika ) or simply μογλενίτικα ( moglenítika ) in Greek . The people themselves call their language vlahește , but
3762-509: The Balkans . Prior to the creation of the modern state of Greece, Megleno-Romanian borrowed very few words directly from Greek. The most important influence on Megleno-Romanian was the East South Slavic languages , this influence being more profound than that exerted by Greek on Aromanian. Most Slavic terms are of Macedonian and Bulgarian origins. The linguist Theodor Capidan argued that
3876-563: The Mount Paiko before the founding of today's Megleno-Romanian villages. From the medieval and modern periods, it is known that Megleno-Romanians had an administration of their own. Each village was led by a captain . Their economic and social centre was the town of Nânta . After the incursions of the Pomaks of Moglen against the Ottomans , the latter started a persecution campaign against villages in
3990-539: The Puritans and Jehovah's Witnesses (who do not celebrate birthdays in general), due to concerns that it was too unbiblical. Prior to and through the early Christian centuries, winter festivals were the most popular of the year in many European pagan cultures. Reasons included the fact that less agricultural work needed to be done during the winter, as well as an expectation of better weather as spring approached. Celtic winter herbs such as mistletoe and ivy , and
4104-594: The Romanian-Bulgarian Empire who retreated to Moglen. This view was opposed by Jireček. Pericle Papahagi argued another version, according to which the Megleno-Romanians are descendants of a group of Romanians who were incorrectly called Vlachs and who came to Meglen area during the times of Dobromir Chrysos . Strez , another Vlach member of the Asan family, amplified Chrysos' lands by adding Macedonian territories for his principality. Megleno-Romanians used to have
4218-880: The Star of Bethlehem ; in that country it is known in Spanish as the Flower of the Holy Night . Other popular holiday plants include holly, mistletoe , red amaryllis , and Christmas cactus . Along with a Christmas tree, the interior of a home may be decorated with these plants, along with garlands and evergreen foliage. The display of Christmas villages has also become a tradition in many homes this season. The outside of houses may be decorated with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs , snowmen , and other Christmas figures. Mistletoe features prominently in European myth and folklore (for example,
4332-567: The Virgin Mary . In the Gospel of Luke, Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order to be counted for a census, and Jesus is born there and placed in a manger . Angels proclaim him a savior for all people, and three shepherds come to adore him. In the Gospel of Matthew, by contrast, three magi follow a star to Bethlehem to bring gifts to Jesus, born the king of the Jews . King Herod orders
4446-680: The Yule log , Yule boar , and the Yule goat . Often leading a ghostly procession through the sky (the Wild Hunt ), the long-bearded god Odin is referred to as "the Yule one" and "Yule father" in Old Norse texts, while other gods are referred to as "Yule beings". On the other hand, as there are no reliable existing references to a Christmas log prior to the 16th century, the burning of the Christmas block may have been an early modern invention by Christians unrelated to
4560-576: The massacre of all the boys less than two years old in Bethlehem, but the family flees to Egypt and later returns to Nazareth. In the 2nd century, the "earliest church records" indicate that "Christians were remembering and celebrating the birth of the Lord", an "observance [that] sprang up organically from the authentic devotion of ordinary believers"; although "they did not agree upon a set date". The earliest evidence of Christ's birth being marked on December 25
4674-445: The population exchange between them of the 1920s. Some also live in Serbia , specially in the village of Gudurica . Megleno-Romanian is not a standardised language and there are phonological differences across idioms. Some particular phonetic characteristics of the Megleno-Romanian vowel system compared to other Eastern Romance languages are: Much of the vocabulary is of Latin origin and much of its phonetics and semantics
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4788-702: The population exchange between Greece and Turkey . These 3,700 people mostly settled in the Edirne area (mainly in Kırklareli and Şarköy ) of Turkish East Thrace , and became known as Karacaovalılar in Turkish or Karadjovalides in Greek after the region of Almopia or Meglen, known in Turkish as Karadjova . The Muslim Megleno-Romanians from the village Notia call thelmselves Nantinets and their language as Nantinești; in Turkish, they are known as Nutyalı. They converted to Islam in 1759. In Turkey, marriage between them and Pomaks
4902-697: The three kings cake was renamed the "equality cake" under anticlerical government policies . In the early 19th century, Christmas festivities and services became widespread with the rise of the Oxford Movement in the Church of England that emphasized the centrality of Christmas in Christianity and charity to the poor, along with Washington Irving , Charles Dickens , and other authors emphasizing family, children, kind-heartedness, gift-giving, and Santa Claus (for Irving), or Father Christmas (for Dickens). In
5016-401: The "father of the American Christmas card". On June 28, 1870, Christmas was formally declared a United States federal holiday . During the First World War and particularly (but not exclusively) in 1914, a series of informal truces took place for Christmas between opposing armies. The truces, which were organised spontaneously by fighting men, ranged from promises not to shoot (shouted at
5130-470: The 18th century, details the observance of Christmas and celebrations associated with the season over a number of years. As in England, Puritans in Colonial America staunchly opposed the observation of Christmas. The Pilgrims of New England pointedly spent their first December 25 in the New World working normally. Puritans such as Cotton Mather condemned Christmas both because scripture did not mention its observance and because Christmas celebrations of
5244-432: The 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, the League of Militant Atheists encouraged school pupils to campaign against Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas tree, as well as other Christian holidays, including Easter; the League established an antireligious holiday to be the 31st of each month as a replacement. At the height of this persecution, in 1929, on Christmas Day, children in Moscow were encouraged to spit on crucifixes as
5358-419: The Anglican poet John Milton penned On the Morning of Christ's Nativity , a poem that has since been read by many during Christmastide. Donald Heinz, a professor at California State University, Chico , states that Martin Luther "inaugurated a period in which Germany would produce a unique culture of Christmas, much copied in North America." Among the congregations of the Dutch Reformed Church , Christmas
5472-521: The Christian world, dependent on local tradition and available resources, and can vary from simple representations of the crib to far more elaborate sets – renowned manger scene traditions include the colourful Kraków szopka in Poland, which imitate Kraków 's historical buildings as settings, the elaborate Italian presepi ( Neapolitan , Genoese and Bolognese ), or the Provençal crèches in southern France, using hand-painted terracotta figurines called santons . In certain parts of
5586-417: The Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore. Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. Over the past few centuries, Christmas has had a steadily growing economic effect in many regions of the world. The English word Christmas
5700-426: The Christmas tree, many individuals place a star at the top of the tree symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem , a fact recorded by The School Journal in 1897. Professor David Albert Jones of Oxford University writes that in the 19th century, it became popular for people to also use an angel to top the Christmas tree in order to symbolize the angels mentioned in the accounts of the Nativity of Jesus . Additionally, in
5814-430: The Greek authorities led to the formation in 1921–1923 of a national movement among Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians favourable to the idea of emigration to Romania, especially from Moglena , Veria and Vodena . In 1926, about 450 families of Megleno-Romanians of Greece moved to Romania , and settled in Southern Dobruja (the "Cadrilater" or "Quadrilateral"), a region which became Romanian in 1913. They originated from
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#17328523943905928-477: The Macedonians were some with Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian ethnicity. Neither ethnic group was recognized by the Yugoslav government at the time, so they were ignored not only in what is now North Macedonia, but also in Gudurica. These Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians did not have a very strong ethnic identity, so many assimilated quickly. Some Megleno-Romanians also settled in other villages in Vojvodina, but only those in Gudurica remain today. However, they represent
6042-464: The Martyr was anointed on Christmas in 855 and King William I of England was crowned on Christmas Day 1066. By the High Middle Ages , the holiday had become so prominent that chroniclers routinely noted where various magnates celebrated Christmas. King Richard II of England hosted a Christmas feast in 1377 at which 28 oxen and 300 sheep were eaten. The Yule boar was a common feature of medieval Christmas feasts. Caroling also became popular, and
6156-450: The Megleno-Romanian diaspora in Romania also uses the term meglenoromână . Unlike the other Eastern Romance populations, over time Megleno-Romanians have laid aside a name for themselves which originates in the Latin Romanus , and instead have adopted the term Vlasi or Vlashi , derived from " Vlachs ", a general term by which, in the Middle Ages, non-Romance peoples designated Romance peoples and shepherds. The term Megleno-Romanians
6270-420: The Megleno-Romanian ones. Most Meglen Vlachs are Orthodox Christians , but the population of the village of Nânti (Nótia) , which in 1900 had a population of 3,660, of which 3,500 Megleno-Romanians, in the Upper Karadjova Plain converted to Islam in the 17th or 18th century. It is the only case among Eastern Romance populations of an entire community converting to Islam. The entire population of this village
6384-419: The Megleno-Romanians were deported during the population exchange between Bulgaria and Romania to other regions of Romania, most of them to the village of Cerna in the Tulcea County , in northern Dobruja . 270 families of Megleno-Romanians and 158 families of Aromanians settled in this village in 1940. However, between 1940 and 1948, the Aromanian families moved to other localities of Dobruja. In 1947–1948,
6498-432: The Presbyterian Church of Scotland discouraged the observance of Christmas, and though James VI commanded its celebration in 1618, attendance at church was scant. The Parliament of Scotland officially abolished the observance of Christmas in 1640, claiming that the church had been "purged of all superstitious observation of days". Whereas in England, Wales and Ireland Christmas Day is a common law holiday, having been
6612-446: The Roman date of the spring equinox. Most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar , which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used in countries throughout the world. However, part of the Eastern Christian Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian calendar , which currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. For Christians, believing that God came into
6726-413: The South-East, lunzaneții , those from Lugunța in the North, usineții , those from Oșani in the Center, North and North-East, cupineții , those from Cupa in the West, while Romanians and Bulgarians that lived in the village before them are concentrated in the Western part of the village. Megleno-Romanians in that village preserved their Megleno-Romanian language very well. c. 1,200 people speak
6840-401: The Turks (most of them speak mainly the Turkish language ). They adopted the Megleno-Romanian exonym promoted by the Romanian authorities. As of 1996, in the whole of Romania there were about 820 families claiming Megleno-Romanian origin. [REDACTED] Cerna , a commune in Tulcea County , Situated in a hilly landscape 55 km from the city of Tulcea and 25 km from Măcin ,
6954-430: The U.S., Henry Wadsworth Longfellow detected "a transition state about Christmas here in New England" in 1856. "The old puritan feeling prevents it from being a cheerful, hearty holiday; though every year makes it more so." In Reading, Pennsylvania , a newspaper remarked in 1861, "Even our presbyterian friends who have hitherto steadfastly ignored Christmas—threw open their church doors and assembled in force to celebrate
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#17328523943907068-454: The United States after the American Revolution , when it was considered an English custom. George Washington attacked Hessian (German) mercenaries on the day after Christmas during the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, Christmas being much more popular in Germany than in America at this time. With the atheistic Cult of Reason in power during the era of Revolutionary France , Christian Christmas religious services were banned and
7182-416: The anniversary of the Savior's birth." The First Congregational Church of Rockford, Illinois , "although of genuine Puritan stock", was 'preparing for a grand Christmas jubilee', a news correspondent reported in 1864. By 1860, fourteen states including several from New England had adopted Christmas as a legal holiday. In 1875, Louis Prang introduced the Christmas card to Americans. He has been called
7296-473: The area, including those of the Megleno-Romanians. Most of the villages were put under the administration of an Ottoman bei , who exploited them to the extreme in exchange for their security. The village of Oșani , however, resisted much longer before submitting to Ahmed Beg around 1790, having benefitted from the leadership of an able captain and a willingness from the population to put up an armed resistance even after his murder. The number of Megleno-Romanians
7410-456: The birth of Jesus Christ , observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world . It is a feast central to Christianity . In the liturgical year , preparation for Christmas begins on the First Sunday of Advent (the fourth Sunday before), and it is followed by Christmastide , which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night . Christmas Day
7524-439: The city, the inn had no room, and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds , who then spread the word. There are different hypotheses regarding the date of Jesus's birth . In the early fourth century, the church fixed the date as December 25, the date of the winter solstice in the Roman calendar. It is nine months after Annunciation on March 25, also
7638-399: The communes of Variaș and Biled , and in the city of Jimbolia in Timiș County , in the historic region of Banat in Romania. In Romania, in 2021, the Balkan Romanianness Day was established as a holiday meant for all the allegedly ethnic Romanian subgroups living south of the Danube. This includes the Megleno-Romanians as well as the Aromanians and the Istro-Romanians . It commemorates
7752-404: The context of a Christian celebration of Christmas, the Christmas tree, being evergreen in colour, is symbolic of Christ, who offers eternal life; the candles or lights on the tree represent the Light of the World —Jesus—born in Bethlehem. Christian services for family use and public worship have been published for the blessing of a Christmas tree, after it has been erected. The Christmas tree
7866-663: The cultural aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations, and Christmas trees. A similar example is in Turkey , being Muslim-majority and with a small number of Christians, where Christmas trees and decorations tend to line public streets during the festival. Many popular customs associated with Christmas developed independently of the commemoration of Jesus's birth, with some claiming that certain elements are Christianized and have origins in pre-Christian festivals that were celebrated by pagan populations who were later converted to Christianity ; other scholars reject these claims and affirm that Christmas customs largely developed in
7980-402: The cultural conflict between the holiday's spiritual significance and its associated commercialism that some see as corrupting the holiday. In her 1850 book The First Christmas in New England , Harriet Beecher Stowe includes a character who complains that the true meaning of Christmas was lost in a shopping spree. While the celebration of Christmas was not yet customary in some regions in
8094-513: The custom of kissing under a mistletoe, are common in modern Christmas celebrations in the English-speaking countries. The pre-Christian Germanic peoples —including the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse—celebrated a winter festival called Yule , held in the late December to early January period, yielding modern English yule , today used as a synonym for Christmas . In Germanic language-speaking areas, numerous elements of modern Christmas folk custom and iconography may have originated from Yule, including
8208-619: The day often involved boisterous behavior. Many non-Puritans in New England deplored the loss of the holidays enjoyed by the laboring classes in England. Christmas observance was outlawed in Boston in 1659. The ban on Christmas observance was revoked in 1681 by English governor Edmund Andros , but it was not until the mid-19th century that celebrating Christmas became fashionable in the Boston region. At
8322-409: The early-19th century, writers imagined Tudor -period Christmas as a time of heartfelt celebration. In 1843, Charles Dickens wrote the novel A Christmas Carol , which helped revive the "spirit" of Christmas and seasonal merriment. Its instant popularity played a major role in portraying Christmas as a holiday emphasizing family, goodwill, and compassion. Dickens sought to construct Christmas as
8436-555: The end of the fourth century. December 25 was the traditional date of the winter solstice in the Roman Empire, where most Christians lived, and the Roman festival Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of Sol Invictus , the 'Invincible Sun') had been held on this date since 274 AD. In the East , the birth of Jesus was celebrated in connection with the Epiphany on January 6. This holiday
8550-801: The establishment of the Ullah millet in 1905 and is officially celebrated every 10 May. A very small community of Megleno-Romanians also lives in Serbia , more precisely in the village of Gudurica in Vojvodina . Originally an ethnic German settlement, the Germans of the village were expelled following the capture of Gudurica by the Yugoslav Partisans . The repopulation of the settlement began in September 1945, and Slovenes , Croats , Bosniaks , Serbs , Albanians and Macedonians were sent to colonize Gudurica. Among
8664-574: The feast of St. Martin of Tours ), now known as Advent. In Italy, former Saturnalian traditions were attached to Advent. Around the 12th century, these traditions transferred again to the Twelve Days of Christmas (December 25 – January 5); a time that appears in the liturgical calendars as Christmastide or Twelve Holy Days. In 567, the Council of Tours put in place the season of Christmastide , proclaiming "the twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany as
8778-583: The fire, card playing, dances with "plow-boys" and "maidservants", old Father Christmas and carol singing. During the ban, semi-clandestine religious services marking Christ's birth continued to be held, and people sang carols in secret. It was restored as a legal holiday in England with the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 when Puritan legislation was declared null and void, with Christmas again freely celebrated in England. Many Calvinist clergymen disapproved of Christmas celebration. As such, in Scotland,
8892-635: The first commercial Christmas card was produced by Sir Henry Cole . The revival of the Christmas Carol began with William Sandys 's Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (1833), with the first appearance in print of " The First Noel ", " I Saw Three Ships ", " Hark the Herald Angels Sing " and " God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen ", popularized in Dickens's A Christmas Carol . In Britain, the Christmas tree
9006-494: The following century. The Georgian Iadgari demonstrates that Christmas was celebrated in Jerusalem by the sixth century . In the Early Middle Ages , Christmas Day was overshadowed by Epiphany, which in western Christianity focused on the visit of the magi . However, the medieval calendar was dominated by Christmas-related holidays. The forty days before Christmas became the "forty days of St. Martin" (which began on November 11,
9120-496: The language today. However, their small overall number meant that after 1950 mixed marriages with Romanians became more frequent, unlike the Aromanians who by the nature of their traditional occupations have developed a special psychology, gaining importance in Romanian society and preserving the identity of their people (very few mixed marriages with Romanians occur). However, due to the hardships this small community has endured, Megleno-Romanians in Romania remain very united, with
9234-614: The legend of Baldr ); it is an evergreen parasitic plant that grows on trees, especially apple and poplar, and turns golden when it is dried. It is customary to hang a sprig of mistletoe in the house at Christmas, and anyone standing underneath it may be kissed. Mistletoe has sticky white berries, one of which was traditionally removed whenever someone was kissed under it. This is probably a fertility ritual. The mistletoe berry juice resembles semen. Other traditional decorations include bells , candles , candy canes , stockings , wreaths , and angels . The wreaths and candles in each window are
9348-526: The new Communist authorities deported 40 Megleno-Romanian families from Cerna to Ialomița and Brăila Counties , and to Banat . Only a few of them returned to Cerna, where about 1,200 continue to speak Megleno-Romanian. Another wave of Megleno-Romanians emigrated to Romania and to other countries during World War II and the Greek Civil War , due to the heavy fighting in the Moglena region. The following
9462-412: The observance of Christmas, claiming it undermined Islam . In 2023, public Christmas celebrations were cancelled in Bethlehem , the city synonymous with the birth of Jesus. Palestinian leaders of various Christian denominations cited the ongoing Israel–Hamas war in their unanimous decision to cancel celebrations. Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in countries around
9576-448: The pagan practice. Among countries with a strong Christian tradition , a variety of Christmas celebrations have developed that incorporate regional and local cultures. For example, in eastern Europe Christmas celebrations incorporated pre-Christian traditions such as the Koleda , which shares parallels with the Christmas carol . Christmas Day (inclusive of its vigil , Christmas Eve), is
9690-418: The pieces used to make the representation are considered a valuable family heirloom . The traditional colors of Christmas decorations are red, green, and gold. Red symbolizes the blood of Jesus, which was shed in his crucifixion ; green symbolizes eternal life, and in particular the evergreen tree, which does not lose its leaves in the winter; and gold is the first color associated with Christmas, as one of
9804-823: The plains of Giannitsa and Edessa to the south, and by the Mariansca Mountains to the north. Historians Ovid Densusianu and Konstantin Jireček considered that Megleno-Romanians descended from a mixture of Romanians with Pechenegs , settled in Moglen by the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos in 1091. They argued this on the basis in part of the Asian-like facial appearance (more prominent cheek bones) of Meglen Vlachs. By contrast, Gustav Weigand and George Murnu believed that Megleno-Romanians were descendants of
9918-687: The recognition of the Christmas season . Christmas, along with Easter, is the period of highest annual church attendance. A 2010 survey by LifeWay Christian Resources found that six in ten Americans attend church services during this time. In the United Kingdom, the Church of England reported an estimated attendance of 2.5 million people at Christmas services in 2015. Nativity scenes are known from 10th-century Rome. They were popularised by Saint Francis of Assisi from 1223, quickly spreading across Europe. Different types of decorations developed across
10032-606: The same time, Christian residents of Virginia and New York observed the holiday freely. Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, predominantly Moravian settlers of Bethlehem , Nazareth , and Lititz in Pennsylvania and the Wachovia settlements in North Carolina, were enthusiastic celebrators of Christmas. The Moravians in Bethlehem had the first Christmas trees in America as well as the first Nativity Scenes. Christmas fell out of favor in
10146-420: The tale, "Merry Christmas" , was popularized following the appearance of the story. This coincided with the appearance of the Oxford Movement and the growth of Anglo-Catholicism , which led a revival in traditional rituals and religious observances. The term Scrooge became a synonym for miser , with the phrase "Bah! Humbug!" becoming emblematic of a dismissive attitude of the festive spirit. In 1843,
10260-777: The three gifts of the Magi , symbolizing royalty. The Christmas tree was first used by German Lutherans in the 16th century, with records indicating that a Christmas tree was placed in the Cathedral of Strassburg in 1539, under the leadership of the Protestant Reformer , Martin Bucer . In the United States, these "German Lutherans brought the decorated Christmas tree with them; the Moravians put lighted candles on those trees." When decorating
10374-470: The totalitarian state, propagandists sought to deemphasize—or eliminate altogether—the Christian aspects of the holiday" and that "Propagandists tirelessly promoted numerous Nazified Christmas songs, which replaced Christian themes with the regime's racial ideologies." As Christmas celebrations began to spread globally even outside traditional Christian cultures , several Muslim-majority countries began to ban
10488-529: The town of Gevgelija. c. 200, mostly old people, still speak the Megleno-Romanian: The first emigration from Nanti was in 1912 to Soğucak, Vize and Demirköy, Kırklareli in the Ottoman Empire. In 1923, the entire population of the village of Nânti (Nótia) , the only case among Eastern Romance populations with an entire community converting to Islam , was expelled by force to Turkey , as part of
10602-518: The tract Vindication of Christmas (1652) of Old English Christmas traditions, that he had transcribed into his journal as a format for his stories. In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (popularly known by its first line: Twas the Night Before Christmas ). The poem helped popularize the tradition of exchanging gifts, and seasonal Christmas shopping began to assume economic importance. This also started
10716-540: The village of Cerna in Tulcea County ( Northern Dobruja ) after the population exchange between Bulgaria and Romania . In Cerna, about 1,200 people continue to speak Megleno-Romanian. In 1940, about 30 families moved from Cerna to the Banat region of Romania in the villages of Variaș, Biled and Jimbolia. Some speakers who identified as Muslim , from the village of Nânti (Nótia), were moved to Turkey from Greece as part of
10830-406: The village of Cerna had at the time of the 2002 Romanian census a population of 2,427, and together with three smaller villages the population of the entire commune was 4,227. Estimates of the number of Megleno-Romanians in this village vary from 1,200 to 2,000. In this locality, Megleno-Romanians settled according to the villages they originate from in Moglena : lumnicianii , those from Lumnița in
10944-675: The villages of Oșani, Liumnița, Cupa, Lundzini, Birislav, and Livezi, and were settled in villages around the city of Silistra such as Cocina (Turkish: "Koçina", now Profesor-Ishirkovo), Cazimir (Turkish: "Kazemir", now Kazimir), Capaclia (Turkish: "Kapaklı", now Slatina), Bazarghian (Turkish: "Bezirgan", now Miletich), Aidodu (Turkish: "Aydoğdu", now Zvezdel), Tatar Admagea (Turkish: "Tatar Atmaca", now Sokol), Uzungi Ozman (Turkish: "Uzunca Orman", now Bogdantsi), Strebarna Viskioi (Now Sreburna), Cadichioi (Turkish: "Kadıköy", now Maluk Preslavets), Haschioi (Turkish: "Hasköy", now Dobrotitsa). After Bulgaria re-acquired Southern Dobruja from Romania in 1940,
11058-513: The words borrowed show some phonetic features of the Bulgarian language dialect spoken in the Rhodope Mountains . There are many instances where basic words of Latin origin that can still be found in Daco-Romanian and Aromanian were replaced by Slavic words. In some cases, standard Romanian also independently borrowed the same word. Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating
11172-403: The world for town squares and consumer shopping areas to sponsor and display decorations. Rolls of brightly colored paper with secular or religious Christmas motifs are manufactured to wrap gifts. In some countries, Christmas decorations are traditionally taken down on Twelfth Night . The tradition of the Nativity scene comes from Italy. One of the earliest representation in art of the nativity
11286-489: The world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity rather than knowing Jesus's exact birth date is considered to be the primary purpose of celebrating Christmas. The customs associated with Christmas in various countries have a mix of pre-Christian , Christian, and secular themes and origins. Popular holiday traditions include gift giving ; completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath ; Christmas music and caroling ; watching Christmas movies ; viewing
11400-411: The world, including many whose populations are mostly non-Christian. In some non-Christian areas, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday. Countries such as Japan, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of
11514-442: The world, notably Sicily , living nativity scenes following the tradition of Saint Francis are a popular alternative to static crèches. The first commercially produced decorations appeared in Germany in the 1860s, inspired by paper chains made by children. In countries where a representation of the Nativity scene is very popular, people are encouraged to compete and create the most original or realistic ones. Within some families,
11628-518: Was a more fitting object of reverence because it pointed to heaven and it had a triangular shape, which he said was symbolic of the Trinity . The English language phrase "Christmas tree" is first recorded in 1835 and represents an importation from the German language. Since the 16th century, the poinsettia , a native plant from Mexico, has been associated with Christmas carrying the Christian symbolism of
11742-545: Was also used during some periods, but is now considered archaic and dialectal. The term derives from Middle English Cristenmasse , meaning 'Christian mass'. Xmas is an abbreviation of Christmas found particularly in print, based on the initial letter chi (Χ) in the Greek [Χριστός] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |literal= ( help ) , although some style guides discourage its use. This abbreviation has precedent in Middle English Χρ̄es masse (where Χρ̄
11856-493: Was celebrated as one of the principal evangelical feasts . However, in 17th century England, some groups such as the Puritans strongly condemned the celebration of Christmas, considering it a Catholic invention and the "trappings of popery " or the "rags of the Beast ". In contrast, the established Anglican Church "pressed for a more elaborate observance of feasts, penitential seasons, and saints' days. The calendar reform became
11970-518: Was common. [REDACTED] Kırklareli , near Edirne . The number of families settled in Turkish cities and villages were: Kırklareli (110), Edirne (100), Şarköy (80), Babaeski (70), Lüleburgaz (80), Uzunköprü (100), Çorlu (100), Malkara (50), Ballı [ tr ] (10), Gözsüzköy (50), Kalamiş (50), Hoşköy (20), Mürefte (5), according to the German scholar Thede Kahl . At present they number only 500 Karacaovalılar, concentrated in Kırklareli and culturally assimilated to
12084-586: Was controlled by the rioters, who decorated doorways with holly and shouted royalist slogans. Football, among the sports the Puritans banned on a Sunday, was also used as a rebellious force: when Puritans outlawed Christmas in England in December 1647 the crowd brought out footballs as a symbol of festive misrule. The book, The Vindication of Christmas (London, 1652), argued against the Puritans, and makes note of Old English Christmas traditions, dinner, roast apples on
12198-443: Was estimated by different authors as follows: In 1900, the then province of Gevgelija , which contained most of the Megleno-Romanian settlements, had a population of 49,315, of which 20,643 Slavs , 14,900 Turks , 9,400 Christian Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians, 3,500 Muslim Megleno-Romanians, 655 Romani , and 187 Circassians . The villages of Meglen Vlachs had in 1900 the following populations: Aromanian village surrounded by
12312-613: Was eventually equated with Christian Christmas. 'Noel' (also 'Nowel' or 'Nowell', as in " The First Nowell ") entered English in the late 14th century and is from the Old French noël or naël , itself ultimately from the Latin nātālis (diēs) meaning 'birth (day)'. Koleda is the traditional Slavic name for Christmas and the period from Christmas to Epiphany or, more generally, to Slavic Christmas-related rituals, some dating to pre-Christian times. The gospels of Luke and Matthew describe Jesus as being born in Bethlehem to
12426-577: Was expelled by force to Turkey in 1923, as part of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey , where they mostly settled in Kırklareli and Şarköy , and became known as Karadjovalides ( Turkish : Karacaovalılar ) after the Turkish name of Moglen ( Karacaova ). Since 1913, after the Second Balkan War , there was a general policy of the Balkan states to achieve greater ethnic uniformity through exchange of population. On September 29, 1913,
12540-680: Was given to them in the 19th century by the scholars who studied their language and customs, based on the region in which they live. Their number is estimated between 5,213 (P. Atanasov, most recent estimate), and 20,000 (P. Papahagi, c. 1900). There is a larger Megleno-Romanian diaspora in Romania ( c. 1,500 people), a smaller one in Turkey ( c. 500 people) and an even smaller one in Serbia . Greece does not recognize national minorities , thus this approximately 4,000-strong community does not have any official recognition from Greece. Another 1,000 Megleno-Romanians live in North Macedonia. It
12654-615: Was introduced in the early 19th century by the German-born Queen Charlotte . In 1832, the future Queen Victoria wrote about her delight at having a Christmas tree, hung with lights , ornaments , and presents placed round it. After her marriage to her German cousin Prince Albert , by 1841 the custom became more widespread throughout Britain. An image of the British royal family with their Christmas tree at Windsor Castle created
12768-668: Was not primarily about Christ's birth, but rather his baptism . Christmas was promoted in the East as part of the revival of Orthodox Christianity that followed the death of the pro- Arian Emperor Valens at the Battle of Adrianople in 378. The feast was introduced in Constantinople in 379, in Antioch by John Chrysostom towards the end of the fourth century, probably in 388, and in Alexandria in
12882-450: Was originally performed by a group of dancers who sang. The group was composed of a lead singer and a ring of dancers that provided the chorus. Various writers of the time condemned caroling as lewd, indicating that the unruly traditions of Saturnalia and Yule may have continued in this form. " Misrule "—drunkenness, promiscuity, gambling—was also an important aspect of the festival. In England, gifts were exchanged on New Year's Day, and there
12996-566: Was special Christmas ale. Christmas during the Middle Ages was a public festival that incorporated ivy , holly , and other evergreens. Christmas gift-giving during the Middle Ages was usually between people with legal relationships, such as tenant and landlord. The annual indulgence in eating, dancing, singing, sporting, and card playing escalated in England, and by the 17th century the Christmas season featured lavish dinners, elaborate masques, and pageants. In 1607, King James I insisted that
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