Changes

==Relationship to pagan festivals==

==Relationship to pagan festivals==

The end of the year was a time of celebration in pagan Rome. Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for several days. It was followed by ''Dies Natalis Solis Invicti'' on December 25 and Kalends on January 1 to January 4. It is sometimes suggested that Christmas is an "appropriation" of a pagan festival, an idea that goes back to the Puritans. Saturnalia was exclusive to Italy while ''Natalis Solis Invicti'' was prominent only under Aurelian. Both were overshadowed by Kalends, a new year celebration. While there is no trace of either Saturalia or ''Natalis Solis Invicti'' persisting into Christian times, various churchmen noted how difficult it was to suppress Kalends.<ref>"In 578 CE a church Council at Auxerre, Burgundy, forbade disguisings, and another Council, in the year 614, stated it was “unlawful to make any indecent plays upon the Kalends of January, according to the profane practices of the pagans.” (Pennick, Nigel, ''[https://books.google.ca/books?isbn=1620553902 Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition: Customs, Rites, and Ceremonies]'', 2015.)</ref> The Roman end-of-year celebrations transferred to Epiphany in the Early Middle Ages and later to the Twelve Days of Christmas.

The end of the year was a time of celebration in pagan Rome. Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for several days. It was followed by ''Dies Natalis Solis Invicti'' on December 25 and Kalends on January 1 to January 4. It is sometimes suggested that Christmas is an "appropriation" of a pagan festival. It is a view that can be traced back to the Puritans. According to this view, the Church placed Christmas on December 25, not because it believed this was the actual birthdate of Jesus, but as a marketing strategy to absorb a pagan festival into Christianity.

 

Saturnalia was exclusive to Italy while ''Natalis Solis Invicti'' was prominent only under Aurelian. Both were overshadowed by Kalends, a new year celebration. While there is no trace of either Saturalia or ''Natalis Solis Invicti'' persisting into Christian times, various churchmen noted how difficult it was to suppress Kalends.<ref>"In 578 CE a church Council at Auxerre, Burgundy, forbade disguisings, and another Council, in the year 614, stated it was “unlawful to make any indecent plays upon the Kalends of January, according to the profane practices of the pagans.” (Pennick, Nigel, ''[https://books.google.ca/books?isbn=1620553902 Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition: Customs, Rites, and Ceremonies]'', 2015.)</ref> The Roman end-of-year celebrations transferred to Epiphany in the Early Middle Ages and later to the Twelve Days of Christmas.

 

==Modern-day cultural significance==

==Modern-day cultural significance==

[[File:Santa Claus 1.jpg|right|thumb]]

[[File:Santa Claus 1.jpg|right|thumb]]