December 2023 Group Meeting Report
Here we are in December making arrangements for Christmas; preparing festive food; putting up decorations and lighting our Christmas tree; spending ages online and in shops searching for gifts. During his engrossing presentation ‘Christmas – A Festive History’ at our December meeting Andy Thomas gave us much room for thought and reflection on why we do all these things.
Delving back into different civilisations from the earliest times Andy presented some intriguing similarities. 21st December is the Winter Solstice, when the sun stands still until the return of light and warmth four days later on 25th. Romans venerated Sol Invictus, the Sun God on 25th December; their celebrations included riotous Saturnalia lasting for twelve days of merriment and feasting. Andy displayed slides showing the scene around the manger at the birth of Jesus. Were the three kings Persian astrologers or mystics following the star Sirius that glides across the desert or could the three bright stars of Orion have been known as the three kings? Is it possible that the three pyramids of Gaza were built to mirror these stars?
The Pagan Germanic tribes also celebrated their Yule festival on 25th December. Like the Druids, evergreen holly and ivy was used for decorations, though they made sure to remove them by the twelfth night in fear of mischievous elves lurking in the greenery. Wassailing celebrations involved drinking punch and dressing up with male mummers and guisers wearing animal heads and cross-dressing – a forerunner of pantomime characters.
All these festivities stopped in 1647 when Oliver Cromwell, a puritan, came to power and only started again on the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 – though they were not restored in Scotland until 1958, hence their Hogmanay celebrations. Changes to Christmas celebrations were also affected when country folk moved to cities during the Industrial Revolution. The Germanic Prince Albert was largely responsible for the resurgence of the festival introducing the decorated Christmas tree and the extravagant meal with goose and crackers. In his novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ Charles Dickens told how poor families suffered at this time of the year.
Andy’s illustrations of Father Christmas showed him in various guises - looking like The Green Man, associated with Druids - as St. Nicholas dressed in green venerated in continental Europe - Russian Grandfather Frost all in blue. The demon Krampus would not be a welcome visitor to the festive fun! What about flying reindeer? Could this be an echo of the eight horses pulling Odin’s chariot across the sky or originate from the Sami people who lived near the North Pole and, it is said, were known to have shamanic experiences through their habit of eating fly agaric mushrooms?
If you wish to read more Andy has written a book entitled ‘Christmas’ available from Amazon and www.vitalsignspublishing.co.uk
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
Next meeting will be
Wednesday 03 January 2024
Swanley Village – a photographic journey through time.
Presented by Keith Whitmore
NO NEED TO BOOK EVERYONE WELCOME . Members £2 Visitors £3. Annual membership £5 to include monthly newsletter and reduced entry fee.
7.00pm for 7.30 pm start at THE ALEXANDRA SUITE, St. Mary’s Road, Swanley, BR8 7BU
Further information- visit webpage swanleyhistorygroup.weebly.com or email [email protected] Programme may be subject to change without prior notice
Here we are in December making arrangements for Christmas; preparing festive food; putting up decorations and lighting our Christmas tree; spending ages online and in shops searching for gifts. During his engrossing presentation ‘Christmas – A Festive History’ at our December meeting Andy Thomas gave us much room for thought and reflection on why we do all these things.
Delving back into different civilisations from the earliest times Andy presented some intriguing similarities. 21st December is the Winter Solstice, when the sun stands still until the return of light and warmth four days later on 25th. Romans venerated Sol Invictus, the Sun God on 25th December; their celebrations included riotous Saturnalia lasting for twelve days of merriment and feasting. Andy displayed slides showing the scene around the manger at the birth of Jesus. Were the three kings Persian astrologers or mystics following the star Sirius that glides across the desert or could the three bright stars of Orion have been known as the three kings? Is it possible that the three pyramids of Gaza were built to mirror these stars?
The Pagan Germanic tribes also celebrated their Yule festival on 25th December. Like the Druids, evergreen holly and ivy was used for decorations, though they made sure to remove them by the twelfth night in fear of mischievous elves lurking in the greenery. Wassailing celebrations involved drinking punch and dressing up with male mummers and guisers wearing animal heads and cross-dressing – a forerunner of pantomime characters.
All these festivities stopped in 1647 when Oliver Cromwell, a puritan, came to power and only started again on the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 – though they were not restored in Scotland until 1958, hence their Hogmanay celebrations. Changes to Christmas celebrations were also affected when country folk moved to cities during the Industrial Revolution. The Germanic Prince Albert was largely responsible for the resurgence of the festival introducing the decorated Christmas tree and the extravagant meal with goose and crackers. In his novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ Charles Dickens told how poor families suffered at this time of the year.
Andy’s illustrations of Father Christmas showed him in various guises - looking like The Green Man, associated with Druids - as St. Nicholas dressed in green venerated in continental Europe - Russian Grandfather Frost all in blue. The demon Krampus would not be a welcome visitor to the festive fun! What about flying reindeer? Could this be an echo of the eight horses pulling Odin’s chariot across the sky or originate from the Sami people who lived near the North Pole and, it is said, were known to have shamanic experiences through their habit of eating fly agaric mushrooms?
If you wish to read more Andy has written a book entitled ‘Christmas’ available from Amazon and www.vitalsignspublishing.co.uk
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
Next meeting will be
Wednesday 03 January 2024
Swanley Village – a photographic journey through time.
Presented by Keith Whitmore
NO NEED TO BOOK EVERYONE WELCOME . Members £2 Visitors £3. Annual membership £5 to include monthly newsletter and reduced entry fee.
7.00pm for 7.30 pm start at THE ALEXANDRA SUITE, St. Mary’s Road, Swanley, BR8 7BU
Further information- visit webpage swanleyhistorygroup.weebly.com or email [email protected] Programme may be subject to change without prior notice