Notable Events that Happened During the Christmas Season (Dec 1, 2024 - Part 1)
by Scott Sosebee
It has become something of a tradition—and what is a holiday season for, if not for continuing traditions—that the "Things Historical” columns at the end of the year delve into something related to the holiday season. In years past this space has looked at quirky Christmas traditions, forgotten Christmas practices, and certain unique celebrations that take place around the state of Texas. This year, I thought I would keep the Christmas practice in line with examining the past and kick off a multiple-part series that will explore historically notable events that have occurred during the Christmas season. First, some ground rules: Rule 1 is that the season is defined as between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so these events will mostly be limited to incidents that took place in December; Rule 2 is that we will do this in chronological order, if for no other reason that history is arranged that way. So, let’s start making our way!
The First Recorded Celebration of Christmas (336 CE):
I suppose this would be the most logical place to begin. Christianity began with the ministry of Jesus Christ in Palestine early during the first century CE, and it remained somewhat isolated in that region for its first two hundred years. However, it finally made its way to become an accepted and celebrated religious practice during the third century when Roman Emperor Constantine I converted to Christianity. Thus, it was he who ordered that the celebration of Christ’s birth would take place on December 25. Romans under pagan rule had held certain festivals in honor of their gods, and that date coincided with the Festival of Saturnalia, which began on the Winter Solstice. During the feats of Saturnalia, Romans refrained from working, lit candles, and exchanged gifts, all of which in some way migrated to become symbols of the Christian celebration. That is why we celebrate the birth of Christ in December even though most scholars agree that the actual birthdate was likely sometime in late spring or early summer.
Charlemagne is Crowned the First Holy Roman Emperor (800 CE):
When the Roman Empire fell in 476, various Barbarian tribes began to overrun the former Roman provinces, which made the European continent a teeming, warring mass of competing empires all vying for supremacy. That made Europe susceptible to outside invasion, which is what happened in 711 when Muslim armies began to cross the Mediterranean at Gibraltar and pierce the continent through what would become Spain. They may have overrun the entire continent if the Frankish ruler Charles Martel had not stopped their advance at the Battle of Tours in 732. Martel’s defeat of the Muslim invaders stopped their advance into Europe, but it did not solve the problem of competing tribes and military strongmen trying to dominate the continent. Stopping them and uniting Europe behind the strength and power of a leader and the Christian Church fell to Martel’s grandson, Charlemagne. Today, Charlemagne is known as the “Father of Europe” because he united the European Territories under one banner for the first time since the end of the Roman Empire. His accomplishments—which were achieved both militarily and religiously as he converted former Barbarian provinces to Christianity as he conquered—led Pope Leo III to crown Charlemagne as the first Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in 800. Charlemagne would rule for thirteen years and spark educational and legal reforms that would ultimately spur a Christian cultural revival and what we today recognize as an early medieval European identity.
William the Conqueror is Crowned the King of England (1066)
England had been one of the Roman provinces the farthest away from the center of the Empire, and when Rome fell the British Isles fell into the same warring tribal warfare the rest of the continent experienced. The chaotic situation in Britain led Norse invaders to raid England and begin setting up permanent Scandinavian settlements in the eighth century. Eventually, Danish interlopers took over governing England, which had once been promised to the rulers of Normandy. That led (and for brevity’s sake, I am leaving out a slew of various alliances, cutthroat deals, betrayals, and other machinations that would make “Game of Thrones” and “Yellowstone” seem tame) William, the Duke of Normandy, to invade England in 1066 after Edward II was crowned King. William believed himself to be the rightful heir, and to claim the throne he crossed the English Channel, defeated Harold II at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and then held his coronation as King of England at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day. He would rule for twenty-one years, and by bringing Norman customs to England and distributing lands among Norman lords, he would place a large stamp on the development of England that continues to resonate today.
King Henry I of England Dies on December 1st, 1135
William the Conqueror was followed as King of England by his sons, who continued to rule the nation in the manner of their father. William and his sons spoke French, not English, and thus, they conducted all state business in their native tongue and, for all practical purposes, made French the official language of England. The last of William’s sons to rule England was Henry. Henry had never expected to be King since he was the youngest of William’s offspring. But, William the Conqueror’s sons fell to squabbling with each other over who would rule and Henry allied himself with his brother William Rufus against their brother Robert Curthose. They prevailed and William Rufus took over the throne. Rufus, however, was killed in a hunting accident and Henry seized the throne. He defeated Robert once again when he tried to invade and take the throne, and Henry ruled England for more than thirty years. Henry was perhaps the best educated King of England up to that point and, most importantly, perhaps the first Norman king to speak English, and his use of the language began to reintroduce it to the Court of the nation. Henry died on December 1, 1135, after falling ill a week earlier. He was 66 years old.
We’ll continue next week with more historical events that occurred during the Christmas Season
The East Texas Historical Association provides this column as a public service. Scott Sosebee is a Professor of History at Stephen F. Austin State University and the Executive Director of the Association. He can be contacted at sosebeem@sfasu.edu or via www.easttexashistorical.org.