Christmas History
Christmas history is much older than you think. It is older than Santa Claus, Christmas trees or even the Nativity of Jesus Christ.

Christmas history stretches from society to society, from culture to culture. It is amazing to see how many of the icons of the season pop up in the ancient history of civilizations all over the world.

In this merry section of MMC we dive deep into the stories of Christmas and explain how the modern elements of Christmas celebration came to be. Many of these are histories unknown to those who just do things because tradition dictates it.

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A Masterful Telling of Luke 2

There is not a Christmas lover anywhere who does not know well the text of the Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2, from the New Testament. But never have you heard it with such precise storytelling ability as we see in this video of John Rhys-Davies…
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Longfellow’s Christmas

This stirring combination of Christmas story telling, outstanding music and a true story is an unbeatable way to get in the Christmas Spirit. The late Edward Herrmann tells the tragic true tale of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the inspiration…
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The History of White Christmas

He knew the song was good. Using just 54 words and 67 notes Irving Berlin composed White Christmas over the holiday season of 1940. He liked it so much he told a secretary "I've just written a new song. Not only is the best song I've ever written,…
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History of Eggnog

Christmas of 1826 was snowy, cold and lonely for the cadets of West Point. Though called "men" they were really teenage boys -- some as young as 17 -- and they wanted to celebrate Christmas. Young Jefferson Davis, future president of the Confederate…
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History of Where Are You Christmas

Mariah Carey was denied a 2nd smash hit of Christmas back in 2000 all because of her marital woes. Today is August 14th, 2015 and there remains just 133 days in our Countdown to Christmas and today we mark it by declaring it Where Are You…
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The World’s First Christmas Movie

The world’s first Christmas movie dates back to 1898, an age well before even popular silent films shown in movie houses. Directed by George Albert Smith, a British pioneer of film making, this wonderful bit of film was considered a technological…
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The Misunderstood Legend of Krampus

High in the snowy back country of Germany children everywhere look forward to the early December feast day of St. Nicholas, that kindly gift bringer of ancient origin. But unlike other children German kids have not only to be on the lookout…
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Stuff You Did Not Know About Christmas Vacation

Nothing cools a summer heat wave better than a Christmas movie in July. And no movie is seemingly most appropriate for early season viewing than Christmas Vacation -- that John Hughes classic from 1989 that never seems to age. The great…
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Paganism and the Invention of Christmas

Among the arguments between historians and professional debaters of Christmas is the paradox between pagan traditions and Christian history: did Christians steal Christmas from pagans or did pagans steal Christmas from Christians? Just who invented…
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Clement Clarke Moore Day

Today is July 15th and there are only 163 days left until Christmas. Today marks the 236th birthday of Clement Clarke Moore, author of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" or, as it is better known, Twas the Night Before Christmas. Moore doesn't get…
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A Complete History of Tracking Santa Claus

Some would call the tracking of Santa a fairly recent phenomenon. After all, you need technology to follow the Big Guy. The truth is that Santa has been anticipated and tracked for centuries. Ancient stories of La Befana (Italy), Baboushka…
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Military Voices Carol of Christmas

Being the 100 year anniversary of The Christmas Truce we've heard and seen a lot in emotional ways of that great Christmas event. The video for the song was filmed at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey and contains original…
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St. Nicholas

The legend of Santa Claus, the image of Father Christmas, and the basis for most legendary Christmas gift bringers of old world Europe all has their genesis in the real-world figure of Saint Nicholas. His story as a benevolent religious figure…
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A Different Kind of History of Christmas Trees

Pick a history resource out there and you will find a history of Christmas trees that dates back to pagan traditions of the Winter Solstice. The History Channel says Christmas trees took root from ancient use of evergreens as an end-of-year…
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Jimmy Stewart’s Other Christmas Movie

In a 1980 production of a low budget and not-so widely distributed film directed by Academy Award winning director Keith Merrill, Jimmy Stewart gives the holiday performance of a lifetime. Unlike that other Christmas movie (It’s a Wonderful…