CHRISTMAS IS COMING AGAIN

Hello guys ... December’s finally arrived and this means that Christmas is coming, followed by lots of lights, coloured shop windows, gifts and probably the most wanted gift: Christmas holidays. 

There are so many typical traditions that remind us of Christmas and here I’m going to list my favourite ones.

The Christmas Tree

One of the symbols of Christmas is undoubtedly the tree. This tradition comes from the Celts who used to decorate evergreen trees during the winter solstice celebration. In fact, since ancient times the tree had been very important for the pre-Christian civilizations as well as for the Romans, who,  even before the spread of Christianity, during the January Calends, decorated their houses with pine branches.

One of the most beautiful and famous trees in the world is the one located in Trafalgar Square from 1^stThursday of December. The tree is traditionally of Norwegian origin with a minimum height of 20 meters. It is decorated with 500 white lights and at the base there’s a slab that reads: "This tree was donated by the city of Oslo, as a gesture of Norwegian gratitude towards the people of London for the assistance received in the years 1940-1945. A tree is donated every year since 1947. 

Santa Claus

One of the moments that excite the children most is the night of  Christmas Eve,  in which they wait anxiously for Santa Claus’ arrival and thank him by leaving some sweets.

You probably know that the character of Santa Claus originates from the figure of St. Nicholas, but some historians tend to identify the god Saturn as the inspirer of the myth of Santa Claus. That’s because, during the winter Solstice,  there was the festival of Saturnalia in which they exchanged gifts. Anyway,  with the arrival of Christianity,  god Saturn disappeared and he was replaced by St. Nicholas. 

Christmas music

Christmas is that time of the year when music is the absolute protagonist. The   typical Christmas music probably finds its origins in the Rome of the fourth century with Latin hymns like "Veni redemptor gentium". While the Christmas carols in English appeared for the first time in a work of 1426 by John Awdlay. 

The musical tradition came to us changing year after year. What are your favourite Christmas songs?   Here are two of mine! 

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey

Jingle bells by Michael Bublé

Published for the first time in 2011 in the album "Christmas", it has become, in just a few years, the new classic Christmas song.

Guys, these are some of my favourite Christmas traditions and songs. What are yours?

FLORENCE (3Sc)