The Christmas season has always been an important time for the people of Europe. Harvest time was over and silence fell over the land. The festival evolved over many centuries and different cultures influenced the traditions celebrated, some of which have survived to this day. But how did people celebrate Christmas in the Middle Ages?
Many are familiar with the story of the stable in Bethlehem, the three wise men and God's Son, who was sent to earth to free people from their sins. That's what the legend says, but the background behind the Christian lullaby - the winter solstice - is a completely different story.
The winter solstice
December 21 is the solstice in the northern hemisphere. Then the day is shortest and the night is longest. In ancient times, this was the Yule festival for humans, when the god of the waning year gives way to the god of the waxing year and the days are finally getting longer again.
Lights and candles were brought into each house, bonfires were lit that burned all night long, evoking the dawn, symbolic of the end of the darkness. After death – in other words, autumn, when nature slowly comes to a standstill – rebirth follows. It's getting light, a new cycle is beginning and it's time for things to grow again and for people to find hope.
In the Julian calendar, the winter solstice falls on December 25th. On this day the Romans celebrated a festival called Saturnalia. It was celebrated extensively and children received wax figures as gifts. In Celtic areas, a tradition developed of dressing up in clothing of the opposite sex and wearing animal masks to dance.
The mid-winter festival knew many customs that Christianity practically “built in” into Christmas in the Middle Ages. The fact that the birth of Jesus is celebrated, for example, was only introduced around 300 AD.
Date and word explanation
The date of Christmas itself is of pagan origin, as the birth of Christ was moved to the winter solstice. References in the Bible indicate that Jesus was born in the fall. It was said that he was born at the time of a census, which usually took place after the harvest, i.e. in the fall. From a theological point of view, this date was probably chosen by Christians because it was assumed that the world was created on March 25th and that Jesus should have been born nine months later - on December 25th.
Some authors assume that the word Christmas itself has a pagan background. Accordingly, it would go back to the 12 holy nights of the Yule festival, which are known today as the rough nights or the internal nights, which are counted from the birth of Jesus to the arrival of the three wise men and are therefore to be settled at the turn of the year. Originally, however, the rough nights testified to the wild behavior of the powers of dark winter, which withdraw at the beginning of January and which, according to old rules, revealed the weather for the next 12 months. It was not until Christmas in the Middle Ages that the rough nights had a Christian meaning.
Of course, this is all speculation, because the term Christmas was first found in the 12th century, albeit in an adjectival form as wîhe naht – holy night. In the sermon collection Speculum ecclesiae it says:"diu gnâde diu anegengete sih to dirre nahn:von diu heizet si diu wîhe nahn."
Adapted customs from the Midwinter Festival
Whether the Christian Christmas in the Middle Ages developed from the midwinter festival cannot be said conclusively. Nevertheless, many customs and customs of the midwinter festival were adopted or superimposed with similar traditions. Of course, this was not an ad hoc development, as some people still clung to their old traditions. The Archbishop of Mainz, St. Boniface, visited Rome in 742 and complained that people were singing and dancing in the streets in pagan style.
The tree, the many candles, or the fairy lights and also the mistletoe, as well as the Advent wreath are customs that Christianity took over from the midwinter festival. The green tree is said to represent the hope of life. You decorate your house with fir boughs and garlands of holly so that the coming summer and harvest will be good. The candles on the tree are a symbol of sunlight and life.
Of course, the tree in its forerunners did not appear until Christmas in the Middle Ages. In ancient times, people tended to bring twigs indoors to celebrate the midwinter festival and also to ward off the malicious spirits of the dark season.
The round circle of the Advent wreath can be interpreted as a symbol of the sun. In her honor, people decorated it with the colors of light, red and gold. This heralds an early end to the harsh winter season, when supplies can quickly run out and dire needs can arise. That may not be the case today, but red and gold are the traditional colors of Christmas and the Advent wreath can be found in almost every house.
Christmas in the Middle Ages
The first predecessors of the Christmas tree come from the Middle Ages and baking at Christmas time also has its origins here. Since 1475 there has even been a wrapped Jesus child as a treat - you know it today as a stollen, which, sprinkled with powdered sugar, is part of Christmas in many variations.
As with pretty much every festival, there was a lot to feast on at Christmas in the Middle Ages. England's King John ordered huge amounts of food and drink for his Christmas celebrations in 1213; including 24 wine barrels, 200 pig heads and no fewer than 10,000 eels. There were also celebrations in the rural community. Various squire reports show that the lords sometimes provided food for the common people for the festival. For example, a Somerset shepherd received a loaf of bread and a meat dish on Christmas Eve.
Incidentally, the custom of giving gifts comes from the Catholic faith; the Christ Child itself was brought into being by a completely different person, namely the evangelical reformer Martin Luther.
So Christmas in the Middle Ages was basically not that different from Christmas today. But as always, it depends on the exact time, status and region we are looking at.