His Holiness Pope Francis came to Bangladesh a few days ago and symbolised the interest taken by the Christian community with regard to the trials being faced by the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
This has persuaded me to try and understand the evolving scenario of observance of Christmas in different parts of the world -- particularly its social, religious, ethnic, and cultural dimensions. Christmas, an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is observed most commonly on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.
This is a feast that is considered central to the Christian liturgical year, and is preceded by the season of Advent or what is commonly known as the Nativity Fast. This initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically, in the West, lasts 12 days and ends on the Twelfth Night with observance of traditional activities. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many countries, including Bangladesh. It is celebrated religiously by a majority of Christians, as well as culturally by many non-Christians, and forms an integral part of the holiday season.
However, there are also many countries where Christmas is not a formal public holiday. That includes Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (excepting Hong Kong and Macao), Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Laos, the Maldives, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Although the month and date of Jesus’ birth were unknown, by the early-to-mid 14th century, Christians in te West had placed Christmas on December 25, a date that was later adopted also in the East.
The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas appear to have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes in their origins. Today, Christmas has acquired a cultural content in addition to the religious dimension. Popular modern customs of the holiday include giving of gifts, completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath, specialised Christmas music and caroling, a Nativity play, exchange of Christmas cards (on paper or in a digitalised form), specialised Church services, special meals, display of different kinds of Christmas decorations -- including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, use of garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly.
In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus or Father Christmas or Saint Nicholas are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season. Such activity naturally creates heightened economic activity.
Around the world todayThis holiday, as in the case of observance of other religious festivals like Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-ul-Adha or Puja, has consequently become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. This economic impact of Christmas has grown steadily over the past few centuries and has now spread all over the world. This has partially taken place because people belonging to different religious denominations are now spread throughout the world.
Such an approach towards tolerance and general respect for the activities of religious minorities normally ensures stability
During this time, sales increase dramatically as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies to celebrate. In the US, the “Christmas shopping season” starts as early as October. In Canada, merchants begin advertising campaigns just before Halloween (October 31), and step up their marketing following Remembrance Day on November 11.
In the UK and Ireland, the Christmas shopping season starts from mid-November, around the time when high street Christmas lights are turned on. In the US, it has been calculated that a quarter of all personal spending takes place during the Christmas/holiday shopping season. There is usually also a buying surge of 100% in bookstores and 170% in jewellery stores.
How it beganHistorical evidence suggests that the concept of a grand Christmas feast gained prominence after 800 AD, when Charlemagne was crowned emperor on Christmas Day. This annual indulgence in eating, dancing, singing, sporting, and card-playing escalated in England, and by the 17th century, the Christmas season featured lavish dinners, elaborate masques, and pageants.
However, quite often, such merry-making was associated with drunkenness and other misbehaviour. This resulted in the Puritans banning Christmas in England in the 17th century.
It was subsequently restored as a legal holiday in 1660. In the early 19th century, the revival of Christmas with its merry-making took place through the Oxford Movement in the Anglican Church.
This effort was assisted by novelists like Charles Dickens who reinvented the holiday by emphasising Christmas as a time for family, religion, gift-giving, and social reconciliation as opposed to the revelry that had been common historically. In the UK, Christmas Day eventually became a bank holiday in 1834 and Boxing Day was added to this list in 1871.
In Britain, the Christmas tree was introduced in the early 19th century following the union between Princess Charlotte of the Kingdom of Hanover and King George III of England. In 1832, the future Queen Victoria wrote of her delight at having a Christmas tree, hung with lights, ornaments, and presents placed round it.
After her marriage to her German cousin Prince Albert, the custom became more widespread throughout Britain. By the 1870s, putting up a Christmas tree had also become common in America.
Sociologists have indicated that up to the 1950s, partially because of the disastrous effects of the Second World War in the UK, many Christmas customs were restricted to the upper classes and better-off families.
In their stockings, children normally received as a present an apple, orange, or sweets. Full celebration of a family Christmas with all the trimmings only became widespread with increased prosperity from the 1950s.
South Asia, particularly India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, having been British colonies till 1947, still observe many British traditions. One of them is enjoying the festivities associated with Christmas and the arrival of the New Year on January 1. Christmas is a state holiday in Bangladesh, and the respective minority Christian communities -- be it Protestant or Roman Catholic -- enjoy full freedom.
Most of the Christians attend the church and also decorate Christmas cribs and distribute sweets and cakes to their neighbours. Christmas celebrations are also popular with the urban middle class in the country with hotels, cafes, restaurants, and theme parks hosting festivities and special events.
Such an approach towards tolerance and general respect for the activities of religious minorities normally ensures stability. This is something which the Myanmar authorities need to understand in their governance of the Rohingya Muslim population in their Rakhine state.
Muhammad Zamir, a former ambassador, is an analyst specialised in foreign affairs, right to information, and good governance. He can be reached at muhammadzamir0@gmail.com.