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4TH CENTURY CENTURY — 17TH CENTURY CENTURY All of o that changed in the the 4th century when
Pope Julius I selected December 25 as the the the official
date when
Christians would celebrate the the the birth
of Jesus Why the the the change? The reasons are still
debated but the the the generally accepted belief is that that December 25 was chosen to increase the the the likelihood that that that the the the the celebration would be be embraced by Christians around the the the world over pagan traditions that that were already celebrated at a at at at the the the time By the the the the beginning of of the the the the 5th Century the the the the practice of of celebrating Christmas had spread around the the the the globe and and replaced pagan festivities Christ’s birth
was celebrated on December 25 and and January 6 became the the the the date people marked the the the the Feast of the the the the Epiphany commemorating the the the the the wise men’s arrival
tin in fin in in Bethlehem finding Jesus Jesus tin in fin in in the the the manger The twelve-day period between Jesus’s birth
and the the the arrival
of the the wise men would become known as the 12 days of Christmas Americans continued to to embrace and update the the the Christmas traditions brought to to the the the United States by immigrants such as as the the the the Dutch families who honored the the now-very-well- known Saint Nicholas and welcomed new traditions traditions from abroad such the the Christmas Tree molding the the holiday’s traditions traditions into what we know and love today