Everything About Christmas And How It Was Introduced Into Africa
Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is also known as the Feast of the Nativity. Christmas is observed on December 25th by Western Christian churches and on January 7th by Eastern Christian churches. Everything about christmas and how it was introduced into Africa.
The word Christmas is derived from the Old English word ‘Cristes maesse’, meaning ‘Christ’s Mass’. The name ‘Christmas’ was first used in the 4th century by the early Christians.
The holiday of Christmas was not originally celebrated by Christians. It was first celebrated by the pagans in Rome. The pagans celebrated the holiday of Saturnalia, which was a festival that honored the god, Saturn. The festival was held from December 17th-23rd. The holiday was a time of feasting, gift giving, and merriment. Saturnalia was eventually outlawed by the Christian emperor, Theodosius I, in the year 392.
In the year 325, the Council of Nicaea was held. This council was called by the Roman Emperor Constantine. At this council, the date of December 25th was chosen for the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity. This date was chosen because it was the date of the winter solstice on the Roman calendar. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and is a time when the sun is at its weakest. The pagans believed that the sun was reborn on the winter solstice. Constantine chose this date in an effort to Christianize the pagan holiday of Saturnalia.
The first recorded Christmas celebration was in the year 336 in Rome. Christmas was not widely celebrated in the United States until the 19th century. It wasn’t until the year 1836 that Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States.
Christmas in Africa is a relatively new phenomenon. The holiday was introduced to the continent by Christian missionaries in the 19th century. It has since become a popular celebration among Africans of all faiths.
Christmas is celebrated on December 25th in Africa, just as it is in the rest of the world. However, because of the continent’s tropical climate, Christmas is often a more calm affair than it is in the Northern Hemisphere. Families typically gather together for a meal and exchange gifts, but there is no tradition of decorating Christmas trees or hanging stockings by the fireplace.
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One of the most popular Christmas traditions in Africa is the Kwanzaa festival. Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration that honors African heritage and culture. It is observed from December 26th to January 1st. During Kwanzaa, families decorate their homes with vivid African art and partake in special feasts and ceremonies.