Hello #Vivers! Next Friday, December 21, the long-awaited Christmas holidays arrive, a period that the students of our Spanish school for foreigners in Madrid take advantage of to rest and share good times with friends and family, but do you know the origin of the word "Christmas"? Keep reading the new entry on Luis Vives' Spanish Blog where our teacher Yara explains the origin of this word and some more curiosities related to Christmas.
The origin of Christmas
The word Christmas comes from latin Natīvītas, abl. Nativitate, which means “Nati”: birth, “vita”: of life and “te”: for you. Translated into Spanish: “birth of life for you.”
This festival, known as Christmas Day, began to be celebrated in the year 440 AD. C. That year, the Roman bishops decided that December 25 would be the day of Jesus' birth, although Jesus Christ was not born on December 25. In fact, the Bible does not explain an exact time or date of Jesus' birth.
This day replaced several pagan celebrations that the Romans celebrated on the winter solstice (such as the Natalis Solis Invicti, in Latin, or the festival of the Invincible Rising Sun, in Spanish, or the Saturnalia). The Christians added a religious meaning and the name was changed to Christmas.
Among the ancient Romans it was customary to give each other three dried figs decorated with bay leaves and olive twigs on New Year's Eve. Also some small lamps (bronze, for the rich; clay, for the poorest), on which some legend was usually written with wishes for the year that was beginning. Apparently, our custom of giving each other gifts on Christmas Day or on "Three Kings' Day" in Spain comes from this custom.
Christmas tree
The custom of the famous Christmas tree arose in Germany during the first half of the 680th century. According to a traditional account, when the British missionary Saint Boniface (755-1483) was preaching on Christmas Day, he attempted to destroy the sacredness of the oak and cut down one. The oak, when it fell, knocked down all the bushes around it except a small fir tree. This was interpreted as a miraculous divine message, and it was called at that very moment "Tree of the Child Jesus." The event was very important among German Christians and, since then, the custom of decorating a fir tree for Christmas began. Centuries later, Martin Luther (1546-XNUMX) instituted the custom of decorating it with lit candles.
One last curiosity: many times we have seen the word written Christmas in English (Christmas) in abbreviated form (Xmas), because this is because the letter X is the Greek abbreviation for Christ.
Sources: Very interesting magazine and website of the Diocese of the Canary Islands.
If you are looking for a Spanish school for foreigners in Madrid to learn to speak Spanish fluently like a native and improve your grammar, stop by. Luis Vives Spanish School and take a look at the Spanish classes what we offer. They will surely adapt perfectly to your needs. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in the heart of Madrid!
