The History of Christmas

The Roan poet Virgil once wrote about "...the remnants of an ancient flame" ( veteris vestigia flammae) and those words ring true about the origins of Christmas which started as an ancient Roman holiday (The Saturnalia); a time when slave and master would change places for the day ( though I prefer the Roman custom of voluptates corporis). As one of my many varied sources of information, The History Channel has a lot of things going for it and it is here that I present to my readers the truth behind many of the Christmas traditions and practices which are far more recent in their origins than many who practice them would realize. The use of the Christmas Tree is less than 200 years old and German in origin not English but even newer in America. So here, my readers is Christmas Unwrapped:

Merry Christmas on and all.