The Science of Christmas
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Starting Point. How much do you know about the history of Christmas?
- How and when did Christmas begin?
- Why do we decorate our houses?
- Who is Santa Claus?
- Who is Rudolph?
Answers
- The first recorded incidence of Christmas being celebrated actually dates all the way back to the Roman Empire in 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine – so technically the Romans invented it, although there’s no specific person who is credited with having done so.
- As part of the solstice celebrations, the pagan cultures decorated their homes with greens in anticipation of the spring to come. Evergreen trees remained green during the coldest and darkest days, so they were thought to hold special powers. The Romans also decorated their temples with fir trees during Saturnalia and decorated them with bits of metal. There are even records of the Greeks decorating trees in honour of their gods. Interestingly, the first trees brought into the pagan homes were hung from the ceiling, upside down.The tree tradition we are accustomed to today hails from Northern Europe, where Germanic pagan tribes decorated evergreen trees in worship of the god Woden with candles and dried fruit. The tradition was incorporated into the Christian faith in Germany during the 1500’s. They decorated trees in their homes with sweets, lights, and toys.
- The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back to a monk named St. Nicholas who was born in Turkey around 280 A.D.. St. Nicholas gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick, becoming known as the protector of children and sailors.
- Rudolph, “the most famous reindeer of all,” was the product of Robert L. May’s imagination in 1939. The copywriter wrote a poem about the reindeer to help lure customers into the Montgomery Ward department store.
Focus on Vocabulary. Match the words with the correct meaning.
Focus on Comprehension. Answer the questions below about the video.
Focus on Listening. Watch the video. Read the transcript below if necessary.
Focus on Speaking.
Is Christmas still relevant in today’s world?
Should we call it ‘Holidays’ so that we can include people of all faiths and denominations in the celebrations?
And finally, a link to the real science of Christmas: https://www.labroots.com/trending/chemistry-and-physics/16405/science-christmas-infogarphic
