Christmas

According to Catholic tradition, the crib was created by St. Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century, in 1223, the region of Umbria. With the permission of the Pope, set up a crib of straw representing the environment of the birth of Jesus with people and real animals and not dolls. In this scenario the mass was celebrated Christmas and was so successful that quickly spread throughout Italy. The sculptures and paintings that once adorned the temple to teach the faithful to the inspiration that created the manger, who is now a tradition in Italy, Spain (the tradition came with King Charles III, which imported from Naples, in the century), France (early twentieth century), the Austrian Tyrol, Germany, Czech Republic, Latin America and the United States.

Singing angels announce good news. "Glory in the highest heaven and on earth peace to men of good will." Angels, or messengers in the heavens appear to confirm the birth of the son of God. Who sing the melody herald a new tempo.As first songs carols date from the fourth century and are sung even today on Christmas Eve.

At the end of the Christmas tree and, often, on the crib is placed at the Star of Bethlehem symbolizes the guiding star of the wise men and sages of the East. The star has four points and a tail light, like a comet.

The Gospel of Matthew is the only one to report the arrival of the wise men of the East. Later, they added to many legends, one of them saying they came from Persia. In the fifth century, Origen and Leo the Great propose to call them kings magicians. In the seventh century, they gain popular names: Balthazar, Gaspar and Belquior and bring gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus. In the fifteenth century, they are assigned an ethnic group Belquior (or Melchior) becomes white and Gaspar, yellow, and Baltazar, black, to symbolize the whole of humanity.

The Christmas tree is symbolized by a pine tree decorated with lights and colored glazed beads, and for Christians and brings together two religious symbols: light and life.
One legend has it that there were three trees next to the Nativity: a tree, a palm tree and a pine-tree, who wanted to honor the newborn. The olive tree offered its olives, date palms and their dates, but the pine had nothing to offer. From above, the stars came down from heaven and landed on the branches of pine volunteering as a gift.
The tradition of the tree is very old (second and third millennium BC), when Indo-European trees considered an expression of energy fertility of nature, so they were earning service. The ancient Egyptians regarded as the palm tree of life and adorned with candy and fruit for the children. In ancient Rome, the Romans hung masks of Bacchus, the god of wine, pine trees to celebrate a festival called "Saturnalia", which coincided with our Christmas. In Greek mythology, the trees were used to honor the gods. They represented the possibilities of progress and elevation of man and were considered intermediate between heaven and earth. In China, the pine tree symbolizes long life, and in Japan, immortality.
The oak was, in many cases, considered the most powerful of the trees. In the winter when the leaves fell, the ancient people used to put different decorations on it to attract the spirit of nature, that they thought had fled.
The current Christmas tree appears in Germany in the sixteenth century and in the next century, are lit with candles. In the nineteenth century, in 1837, the German wife of the Duke of Orleans makes this custom in France. Even in the nineteenth century, the tradition came to England and Puerto Rico. In 1912, Boston, United States, opens a lighted tree in one of the central squares of the city, and it spreads throughout the world, including non-Christians. In the twentieth century, it is tradition in Spain and in most of Latin America.

In many countries, during the rise, is made with pine boughs, garland or a wreath with four candles to await the arrival of the baby Jesus., These candles symbolize the main stages of salvation in Christ. On the first Sunday of this liturgical season, lit the first candle that symbolizes forgiveness to Adam and Eve On Sunday, the second candle represents faith. The third candle symbolizes the joy of King David, who celebrated the alliance and its continuity. The last candle symbolizes the teaching of the prophets.

Lighting candles reminds us of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, which celebrates the return of the City of Jerusalem by the Maccabees brothers from the hands of the Greeks. Remember also the remote pagan festival of the Invincible Sun Romans (Dies solis invicti), held on the night of the winter solstice, on December 25. Christians make it the festival of light that is Christ. In the candle flame is present all the forces of nature. Candle is a symbol of individuation and our years lived. So many candles, so many years. For the Christian, the candles symbolize faith, love and life.

The reindeer bells carry advertising and call. The bell symbolizes respect for the divine call and represents the point of communication between heaven and earth. Refers to the environment, this time the church and its bells ring and warning and call to life and death.

The magic touch of Christmas come with the whiteness of the snow and cold in the northern hemisphere that require more persons live together in the houses. In cold countries, children have become accustomed to leave the snow days of Christmas to create their own snowman. You just need to arm two large balls of snow and put them one over the other. Serves as a carrot nose, an old scarf, a hat, some oranges for eyes and four branches to serve as feet and hands and the snowman is ready.
The tradition has become a popular piece of decoration of Christmas trees, even in tropical countries like Brazil.

The making of the first Christmas card, is usually attributed to the British Henry Cole, in 1843, commissioned a graphics card with the message: "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" because he had no time to write personally to each of its friends.
But in 1831, a newspaper in Barcelona, Spain, wanted to put in place the technique of lithography congratulate his readers for Christmas by a pattern, which can already be considered a form of Christmas cards.
The custom of wishing Happy Holidays to the use of a card spread throughout Europe and, from 1870, these cards began to be printed in color. Already from this time the image of Santa Claus - with its many variations over the decades - began to be frequent in Christmas cards

Character deployed Christmas is Santa Claus. St. Nicholas, called Santa Klaus, Bishop of Myra in Lycia old (now Turkey). During the fourth century, this remarkable man of faith has been transformed in this legendarily Santa universal that gives children gifts, toys and affection.

Legend has it that St. Nicholas, the day of your party 06 December of each year, going from rooftop to rooftop depositing gifts placed in the semi chaminés.Ele be accompanied by a "bad man" in charge of punishing the naughty children. It was a kind man who was happy to gift poor people. It became, over time, to shield children, sailors, travelers and merchants, the traditional providers of gifts.
In 1087, Italian merchants stole the relics from Myra this bishop and brought to Bari in Italy, where we are today.
Nicholas was replaced in some countries by the legend of the boy Jesus who distribute gifts on the night of December 24. Bringing these stories to the old Nordic legends, reindeer, snow sleds and mythical gnomes, we now have all the ingredients of a fairy tale capable of moving up to the adults who still dream of her childhood.

In antiquity were exchanged gifts on the feast of the winter solstice, as a sign of renewal. In Rome, celebrating the goddess Strenia. In the Nordic countries, the god Odin on horseback on a cloud for children brought rewards or punishments in relation to its behavior.
The current Santas, red suit and a bag on his back, was born in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, as St. Nicholas in the form of a gnome or elf, and soon after was transformed into a nice old man. He is introduced in Europe after World War I and imposed gradually by commercial pressure.

Legend has it that the good old man lives at the North Pole elves and have friends that help you deliver the gifts. And, as every country in the world lives in a different time, it can deliver all the presents in time.

Moreover, the reindeer that guide his sleigh have years of practice and can fly very fast. So many that Noel can not tell. The name of some of Santa's reindeer, in English, are: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitz. The first time they were mentioned was in a story called A Visit from St. Nicholas, written by C. Clement Moore in 1823. red nose reindeer came well after the other, in a story called Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 1939. Even before the publication of the story, Rudolph was called Rollo and Reginald

A series of cakes and pastries are prepared only for Christmas and are known throughout world.The cake filled with nuts and raisins is an Italian Christmas tradition. He was raised in Milan, it is unclear by whom. There are three versions. The first says that the product was invented in the year 900, by a baker named Tone. Therefore, the cake would become known as crash-di-Tone. The second version of the story is that the master-cuca Gian Galeazzo Visconti, first Duke of Milan, prepared in 1395, the product for a party. And the last version is more romantic and the fact that Ughetto decided to employ a bakery, so he could of his beloved pertinho Adalgisa, the daughter of the owner. There he would have invented the cake, between 1300 and 1400. Happy with the news, Baker allowed Ughetto marry Adalgisa. In Brazil, the tradition arose after the Second World War when Italian immigrants have followed suit panettone consumed by them in Italy at Christmas.

Fonte: http://ilove.terra.com.br/lili/PALAVRASESENTIMENTOS/natal_simbolos.asp