1515 - Thomas Wolsey appointed English Lord Chancellor

1524 - Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorer/viceroy of Cochin India, dies at about 55

1584 - Basque whaler Joanes de Echaniz dictates his last will and testament at Carol's Cove, near Red Bay, Labrador; possibly the oldest surviving will in Canadian history

1781 - Friedrich, Baron von Riedesel 1738-1800 erects Canada's first Christmas tree for the garrison in Fort Sorel, Quebec

1814 - The Treaty of Peace and Amity between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America is signed by British and American representatives at Ghent, Belgium, ending the War of 1812

1818 - In St. Nicholas Church at Oberndorf, Austria, church organist Franz Gruber, 31, composed a melody on guitar for the poem, "Stille Nacht," written earlier by Pastor Joseph Mohr, 26. This evening the world heard "Silent Night" sung for the very first time

1866 - British North America delegates adopt the London Resolutions; choose name Dominion of Canada for new country

1870 - Giusseppi Verdi's "Aida" premieres at Cairo Opera, one year after the opening of the Suez Canal, for which it was commissioned

1888 - First smelter blown in at Copper Cliff, near Sudbury Ontario

1906 - Quebec physicist Reginald Aubrey Fessenden makes the world's first public radio broadcast and the first broadcast of music from his station near Boston on Christmas Eve; featured a female vocalist and Fessenden himself playing 'O Holy Night' on his violin to sailors on ships in the Atlantic and Caribbean

1922 - BBC transmits the first British radio play "Truth about Father Christmas"

1948 - Perry Como launches his long-running TV variety show; it grew to a half-hour, then a full hour in 1955 and ran until 1963

1950 - Pianist Glenn Gould makes his CBC broadcast debut on 'Sunday Morning Recital'

1953 - Dragnet becomes the first network series with a regular sponsor when Fatima cigarettes signs on to back the show

1956 - "I Love Lucy" Christmas show airs, never put in syndication

1966 - Tommy James & the Shondells record "I Think we're Alone Now"

1970 - Walt Disney's "The Aristocats" is released

1972 - Miami police cut the power to a noisy Manfred Mann concert, causing a two-hour riot

1989 - House of Commons approves North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after bitter two-week debate and closure

1997 - First time a Chanukah candle is officially lit in Vatican City

 

Birthdays

1491 - Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Guipúzcoa Spain - founded the Society of Jesus, the Order of the Jesuits
1809 - Christopher "Kit" Carson, Madison County Kentucky - Union Brigadier; frontiersman
1900 - Joseph Roberts 'Joey' Smallwood, Gambo Nfld - journalist, politician; in May 1949 won election as Newfoundland's first provincial Premier, a post he held until 1971
1905 - Howard Hughes, Houston, Texas - inventor; reclusive billionaire (Hughes Aircraft); built the “Spruce Goose�?- largest airplane ever constructed, wingspan of 97.50 m (319 ft 11 in)
1921 - Somer James, Toronto - sailor/numismatist: served in merchant navy in WWII; founded Regency Coin & Stamp Company
1922 - Ava Gardner, Smithfield North Carolina - actress: On the Beach, Night of the Iguana
1924 - [Irving] Lee Dorsey, New Orleans Louisiana - singer: Working in the Coal Mine
1927 - Mary Higgins Clark, Bronx NY - author: A Cry in the Night, Stillwatch
1940 - Bill Crothers, Toronto Ontario - runner; from 1961 -68 held all Canadian records from the 440 to the 1500 metres
1944 - Mike Curb, Savannah Georgia - singer: Mike Curb Congregation; Burning Bridges
1957 - Ian Burden, Sheffield England - musician: Human League-Only Human
1966 - Deidrich Bader, Washington DC - actor: Oswald - Drew Carey Show
1971 - Ricky Martin, San Juan Puerto Rico - singer: Menudo; Livin' La Vida Loca

 

 

The history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years. Many of our Christmas traditions were celebrated centuries before the Christ child was born. The 12 days of Christmas, the bright fires, the Yule log, the giving of gifts, carnivals(parades) with floats, carollers who sing while going from house to house, the holiday feasts, and the church processions can all be traced back to the early Mesopotamians.

 

Many of these traditions began with the Mesopotamian celebration of New Years. The Mesopotamians believed in many gods, and as their chief god - Marduk. Each year as winter arrived it was believed that Marduk would do battle with the monsters of chaos. To assist Marduk in his struggle the Mesopotamians held a festival for the New Year. This was Zagmuk, the New Year's festival that lasted for 12 days.

The Mesopotamian king would return to the temple of Marduk and swear his faithfulness to the god. The traditions called for the king to die at the end of the year and to return with Marduk to battle at his side.
To spare their king, the Mesopotamians used the idea of a "mock" king. A criminal was chosen and dressed in royal clothes. He was given all the respect and privileges of a real king. At the end of the celebration the "mock" king was stripped of the royal clothes and slain, sparing the life of the real king.

 

The Persians and the Babylonians celebrated a similar festival called the Sacaea. Part of that celebration included the exchanging of places, the slaves would become the masters and the masters were to obey.

 

Early Europeans believed in evil spirits, witches, ghosts and trolls. As the Winter Solstice approached, with its long cold nights and short days, many people feared the sun would not return. Special rituals and celebrations were held to welcome back the sun.

 

In Scandinavia during the winter months the sun would disappear for many days. After thirty-five days scouts would be sent to the mountain tops to look for the return of the sun. When the first light was seen the scouts would return with the good news. A great festival would be held, called the Yuletide, and a special feast would be served around a fire burning with the Yule log. Great bonfires would also be lit to celebrate the return of the sun. In some areas people would tie apples to branches of trees to remind themselves that spring and summer would return.

 

The ancient Greeks held a festival similar to that of the Zagmuk/Sacaea festivals to assist their god Kronos who would battle the god Zeus and his Titans.

 

The Roman's celebrated their god Saturn. Their festival was called Saturnalia which began the middle of December and ended January 1st. With cries of "Jo Saturnalia!" the celebration would include masquerades in the streets, big festive meals, visiting friends, and the exchange of good-luck gifts called Strenae (lucky fruits).

The Romans decked their halls with garlands of laurel and green trees lit with candles. Again the masters and slaves would exchange places.

"Jo Saturnalia!" was a fun and festive time for the Romans, but the Christians thought it an abomination to honour the pagan god. The early Christians wanted to keep the birthday of their Christ child a solemn and religious holiday, not one of cheer and merriment as was the pagan Saturnalia.

But as Christianity spread they were alarmed by the continuing celebration of pagan customs and Saturnalia among their converts. At first the Church forbid this kind of celebration. But it was to no avail. Eventually it was decided that the celebration would be tamed and made into a celebration fit for the Christian Son of God.

Some legends claim that the Christian "Christmas" celebration was invented to compete against the pagan celebrations of December.

 

The 25th was not only sacred to the Romans but also the Persians whose religion Mithraism was one of Christianity's main rivals at that time. The Church eventually was successful in taking the merriment, lights, and gifts from the Saturanilia festival and bringing them to the celebration of Christmas.

 

The exact day of the Christ child's birth has never been pinpointed. Traditions say that it has been celebrated since the year 98 AD. In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome ordered the birthday of the Christ Child celebrated as a solemn feast. In 350 AD another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, chose December 25th as the observance of Christmas.