History of Christmas: from the solstice to Christmas carols

Winter as the beginning of everything

December 21, the winter solstice, marks the shortest day of the year, and with it comes a promise: the light will gradually return.

Imagine living in a time without clocks, without calendars , without science to explain the movement of the cosmos. Each passing day, bringing a little less light, was a cause for concern. What if the sun didn't return? What if darkness swallowed everything? That was the deepest fear: that life, as they knew it, would disappear with the sun. But after the solstice, something changed. The sun suddenly stopped setting earlier and began to linger a little longer in the sky. A silent but meaningful victory: the promise that light would return, that there would be spring, harvests, and hope.

There was so much to celebrate! Life went on, we were together, alive, and a future was possible with the sun shining ever brighter in the sky. Long before anyone spoke of Christmas, ancient peoples celebrated these dates with rituals that combined fire, food, and community. In Northern Europe, the Celts lit bonfires to call upon the Sun. In Rome, the "Sol Invictus" was celebrated with banquets and gifts. And in Persia, the birth of Mithras, god of light, was celebrated around December 25th.

Winter celebrations in Ancient Rome

Before Christianity took shape, the Romans already held festivals around this time of year that, although pagan, shared a spirit of joy, community, and renewal. The Saturnalia were the most famous: celebrated in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture, between December 17th and 23rd. During these days, social hierarchies were suspended, slaves were served by their masters, and everything was filled with lights, banquets, and gifts. It was a time of rest, permissiveness, and a kind of temporary equality.

They also celebrated the birth of "Sol Invictus" on December 25th, as a symbol of the sun's rebirth. It's no wonder that, centuries later, that same date was chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ. The transition between these celebrations wasn't abrupt, but rather a blending of ancient rites with new beliefs. Christmas, as we know it, owes much to this Roman heritage.

From pagan ritual to Christian festival

The date of December 25th

Although the Bible doesn't mention the exact date of Jesus' birth, it was in the 4th century that the Church decided to establish December 25th as Christmas Day. This was no coincidence: in a shrewd move, Christian celebrations were superimposed on the pagan solstice festivities to facilitate the cultural transition.

[You might also be interested in > All Saints' Day: a celebration to honor life, memory, and the flavor of our culture ]

In a way, Christmas inherited that spirit of light in the darkness, of hope in the midst of winter. Over time, the celebrations became Christianized: the Nativity scene was introduced, carols as a form of praise, and Midnight Mass, which united the faithful in a common song, was celebrated.

The Nativity scene, the Three Kings and the shepherds

Traditions that became our own

Saint Francis of Assisi popularized the first living Nativity scene in 13th-century Italy. From there, the custom spread throughout Europe and took particular root in Spain and Latin America. Today, setting up a Nativity scene remains an act of remembrance, almost a family ritual.

And what about the Three Wise Men? While in Northern Europe Santa Claus delivers the gifts, here we eagerly await the arrival of Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar, who come laden with stories, magic, and toys wrapped with excitement on the night of January 5th.

[You might also be interested in > “Better a little of good than a lot of bad”: the philosophy behind artisan products ]

Shepherds, Christmas carols, the Christmas Eve drum rolls... it's all part of a shared universe that connects us with our childhood, with our grandparents, with those dinners that smelled of roast lamb and marzipan.

Christmas in the last century

From the post-war period to supermarkets

In the last hundred years, Christmas has changed as much as the world has. In post-war Spain, Christmas Eve was celebrated with what little they had: roasted chestnuts, hot broth, and a Christmas carol on the radio. The family gathered because that's all they had. Not for consumption, but for human warmth.

In the 1960s and 70s, with the arrival of economic development, the first mass-produced nougats, endearing advertisements, and Christmas lights began to appear in the streets. In the 1980s and 90s, company Christmas dinners, the Three Kings' Day lottery, and the custom of giving gifts, sometimes even more than necessary, became established.

And so, little by little, Christmas became filled with objects, but also with new meanings. Today is also a time for memories, for pausing, for returning home. An opportunity to slow down and connect with what is essential.

Christmas traditions that endure

The Nativity scene and the stew

There are some things that, thankfully, never change. The crinkling of the figurines as they're taken out of the cardboard box where they live all year. The argument about whether the tree goes before or after the bridge. The long dinners, the awkward toasts, the warmth of the kitchen, the coats piled on Grandma's bed.

[You might also be interested in > What to give for Christmas: original ideas with a story ]

We continue wrapping gifts with the same enthusiasm, writing handwritten cards, preparing trays of convent sweets, shortbread , egg yolk sweets , and candied almonds . We continue watching TV specials, visiting markets, and feeling that flutter in our hearts when the first chords of "Campana sobre campana" ring out.

The origin of the Christmas tree

One of the most endearing images of this time of year is undoubtedly the Christmas tree —that fir or conifer we put up at home, decorate with lights, baubles, and stars, and around which we gather with family and friends. Where does this custom, which seems so inseparable from modern Christmas, come from?

The roots of the Christmas tree are ancient and linked to both winter solstice celebrations and later Christian traditions. The use of evergreen vegetation in the heart of winter symbolized hope, eternal life, and the return of light during the shortest days of the year —a theme that aligns with the Christmas celebration of Jesus' birth when darkness seemed endless.

The custom of decorating trees specifically at Christmas became established in Central Europe (Germany and Baltic areas) in the 16th and 17th centuries , when Christians began to bring home evergreen trees decorated with apples, sweets, candles and other ornaments during the winter.

In addition to this festive use, there are (albeit legendary) accounts that connect the tree with stories such as that of the evangelist Saint Boniface , who, according to some versions, replaced an oak tree consecrated to pagan gods with a fir tree that symbolized eternal life and the light of Christ , adorning it with apples and candles.

The tradition continued to evolve: in the 19th century, the Christmas tree custom became even more popular thanks to the influence of the British royal family , especially after the publication of illustrations of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert next to a decorated tree, which helped to spread the practice throughout Europe and America.

Today, the Christmas tree is a universal symbol of these holidays: a meeting point, a shared light and a source of hope that reminds us that, even in the darkest days, there are reasons to celebrate life and what lies ahead.

A celebration that speaks of us

The story of Christmas is, at its core, the story of how we relate to light, to family, and to the passage of time. It is a blend of the sacred and the profane, the old and the new, tradition and adaptation.

And although everyone experiences it in their own way, there is something profoundly human about this time of year that unites us: the desire to share, to remember, to give thanks. Christmas is not just a date: it's a state of mind. One that we can hopefully hold onto, at least a little, throughout the year.

Rethinking Christmas consumption

Today, more than ever, we need to recapture the original spirit of these holidays: the celebration of light, togetherness, and gratitude. And that also involves rethinking how we consume.

Christmas shouldn't be an excuse to buy for the sake of buying, to fill bags with things that only last as long as they're wrapped. We can choose consciously, give gifts with heart. We can support local, handcrafted items, things with a story.

A good gift isn't the most expensive, but the one that carries a message, a choice, a thoughtful gesture. It's not about having more, but about living better. It's not the wrapping that matters, but the thought behind it.

At Real Fábrica, we believe that consumption is also a form of self-expression. And we choose to do so meaningfully, supporting those who produce with their hands, their hearts, and with responsibility. Because that, too, is celebrating Christmas.

_________________________