The Origins of Christmas

by Joseph F. Kelly

Overview

When was Christmas first celebrated? How did December 25 become the date for the feast? How did the Bible’s “magi from the East” become three kings named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar who rode camels from three different continents to worship the newborn Christ? How did the Feast of the Nativity generate an entire liturgical season from Advent to Candlemas? Why did medieval and Renaissance artists portray Joseph as an old man? When did the first Christmas music appear? And who was the real Saint Nicholas?

These and many other questions are answered in this revised and expanded edition of The Origins of Christmas. The story of the origins of Christmas is not well known, but it is a fascinating tale. It begins when the first Christians had little interest in Christ’s Nativity, and it finishes when Christmas had become an integral part of Christian life and Western culture.

The Origins of Christmas covers a variety of topics in a concise and accessible style, and is suitable for group discussions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814648858
Publisher:	Liturgical Press
Publication date:	10/14/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	184
Sales rank:	954,169
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Joseph F. Kelly, PhD, (1945-2023), was the chair of the department of theology and religious studies at John Carroll University and was active in adult religious education in the Greater Cleveland area. The World of the Early Christians (1997), The Problem of Evil in the Western Tradition (2002), and History and Heresy (2012) are among his nine previous books published by Liturgical Press.

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
	Introduction	xi
Chapter 1	The Birth of Jesus	1
Chapter 2	Creating the Christmas Story	31
Chapter 3	Creating Christmas Day and the Christmas Season	53
Chapter 4	Jesus, Mary, the Magi, and an Obscure Asian Bishop	79
Chapter 5	The Popular Acceptance of Christmas	111
	Epilogue	129
Appendix	The Gospel Infancy Narratives	131
	Further Reading	143

Editorial Reviews

Scholar Kelly (Responding to Evil) here examines the story of the evolving celebration of Christmas, an account of creative imagination, accommodation, and necessity. He begins with a discussion of biblical and apocryphal accounts and of theological motifs that by the fourth century resulted in a "mass" and a growing tradition that in the 11th century came to be celebrated as Christ's Mass, Christmas. Early bishops had viewed "advent" as "the coming" (Christ's coming to be baptized), but a redefined "advent" centered on the birth of Jesus Christ. In fact, an entire liturgical season was developed to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Art and music contributed, and over time the door opened for the tales of Magi and St. Nicholas the miracle worker-even for relics that included straw from the crib! Although the book seems intended for a general audience, it is not organized in a fashion that would hold the attention of a casual reader. Because of its extensive details, it will appeal more to scholarly readers. Recommended with reservations to larger libraries.-George Westerlund, Palmyra, VA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

This brief, but well researched book is recommended not only for academic readers, but also appeals to public interest. Kelly succeeds in emphasizing the secular element of Christmas which flourishes alongside the religious element. Early Christians brought pagan elements into the celebration of their Christmas celebrations, thereby adding value to the Christmas season.
Theological Studies


This book would be an excellent 'all-household' read for the twelve days.
Alan Hommerding


This volume . . . serves well to dispel myths, explain legends, and name key figures for any reader interested in the subject.
Themelios


What a wonderful little book this is—full of historical and scriptural information! It is readable and accessible to all. But best of all—what a splendid antidote to the commercialism of the Christmas season to be reminded of the true meaning of this happy, holy day.
Catholic Library World


One of the many pleasures this book has to offer is the chance to recognize familiar faces—whether those of Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar or those of the ox and the ass—and to learn more about where they come from and why they are now so much a part of our understanding of Christmas. It shows the power of a good story, a story that Kelly calls 'a delight to research and tell.' That delight, so evident throughout this book, makes it a pleasure to read.
Catholic Studies


Any historian of the origins of Christmas confronts bewilderingly complex and uncertain evidence, and the need to be in command of a good many disciplines. The state and breadth of the evidence, moreover, would seem to make it impossible to convey a sense of the holiday's beginnings without misleading oversimplification. In The Origins of Christmas, however, Joseph F. Kelly does an outstanding job of making difficult material accessible to a non-academic audience, and of giving a perfectly clear account of what in less certain hands would surely be murky. Kelly's selection of passages to illustrate and explain the holiday's development is exemplary, and even the reader with no background in the Bible, early Christianity, or the ancient and medieval worlds, will know exactly what is going on and why at each point in his book. Most readers' questions about the origins of the holiday, such as why we think of three kings when the biblical Nativity accounts mention neither kings nor a


The diverse origins of Christmas will come as a fascinating surprise to most who know only the Sunday School version of the Christmas story from their childhoods. The Origins of Christmas is very highly recommended and informative reading.
Midwest Book Review


With its colorful binding, interesting illustrations, wide coverage of topics, and modest cost, the book is a valuable source of information and makes a fine Advent-Christmas gift.
Prairie Messenger

From the Publisher