Why do we give PRESENTS at Christmas?

One of the earliest known customs of giving presents around the time of the winter solstice was during the Roman festival of the Kalends, on the first day of January. Such gifts were known as "strenae" and were originally merely branches plucked from the grove of the goddess Strenia, probably with the aim of securing contact with this vegetation-spirit. High ranking officials of the Roman Administration were expected to present gifts to their Emperor during Kalends, and during Caligula's reign the gifts were changed to honey and cakes, as a symbol of their wish that the new year might be full of sweetness, and gold that it might bring prosperity, as Caligula was not impressed with olive branches.

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.

PANTOMIMES - why???

from www.hissboo.co.uk/pantomimes.html - Like Cricket, another venerated English institution, pantomime defies an easy and logical description. Why do men dress up as women and women with seemingly endless legs slap their thighs and pretend to be men - usually without the slightest glimmer of innuendo? Vast tomes have been written on the history of pantomime. It draws its origins from aspects of Commedia dell'arte, French ballets-pantomimes - which were themselves descended from a distant Roman tradition based on a dumb show performed by a single masked dancer called Pantomimus - and the 18th century Harlequinade. It was to be transformed in the early 19th century by the great clown Grimaldi who established many of its now established conventions.

see www.limelightscripts.co.uk/scripts/history.htm for more info!

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.

The tradition of crib making dates back to at least 400 AD when Pope Sixtus III had one built in Rome. In many parts of Europe in the 18th century crib making was an important craft form. This was not the case in England until much later, suggesting that British Christmases were less Christian than those in other parts of Europe. St Francis of Assisi is credited with staging the first Nativity performance in Italy in about 1223.

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.

Who put on the first NATIVITY PLAY?

The nativity play was created as a means of telling the Christmas story. Many people were unable to read or write so they couldn't read the Christmas story in the Bible themselves. Also many of the church services were in Latin which they didn't understand. There were generally two plays in the Christmas repertoire, one about shepherds, the other involving wise men. These plays merged and some details about Herod and the slaughter of the innocents were later added for dramatic effect. The telling of the Christmas story has been an important part of the Christianisation of Christmas. One way that the Christmas story has been maintained is through the crib, a model of the manger that Jesus was born in.

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.

Scandinavians regarded mistletoe as a peace plant and it was given to indicate a truce between warring nations or husband and wife. Its evergreen leaves and association with kissing meant it later got used as a symbol of Christian love and eternal life. The modern tradition of kissing under the mistletoe may be more to with 18th century fashions to promote druidic ideas than a genuine national tradition. It is a very British tradition, hardly practised abroad except for English-speaking countries, particularly North America.

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.

Why do people kiss under the MISTLETOE?

The European mistletoe, as a parasitic plant growing on deciduous trees, was seen as a symbol of the continuing 'life-force' (and vitality/fertility) of the tree through the winter, and was sacred to the Celts. The fertility image was completed by European mistletoe's shape and form. Druids would hold a special ceremony for any mistletoe found growing on a similarly sacred oak. Such a plant could be cut only with a golden sickle on to a white sheet - if it touched either earth or iron the magic powers would be lost.

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.

Originally the mince pie did contain meat - mincemeat was a way of preserving meat by mixing it with fruit, spices and alcohol. The initial mince pies were large rather than bite size. It is sometimes said that the large pies were cooked in an oblong dish and that the top often used to cave in. As a result the mince pie looked a little like a crib, in keeping with the Christian nativity story. Over time the amount of meat in mincemeat was gradually reduced until it became the fruit only substance we know today. In addition, the pies became smaller. Apparently they were sometimes called "wayfarers' pies" because they were given to visitors over the Christmas period.

richmondparkchurch.org.uk an evangelical pentecostal church in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.