Christmas has long been a time for gluttony
Christmas is approaching; people are giving themselves over to wild excess, while misanthropes moan. They wail that Christmas has become a festival of excess, an orgy of licentiousness, a celebration of gluttony.
Anyone with a passing knowledge of the history of the midwinter festival now known as Christmas will know that, ever since humans became capable of sharing a common culture, they have let their hair down and partied at the time of year when the days are shortest.
Christmas is a lot older than Jesus Christ. In fact, Christians only decided to co-opt 25 December about 1,500 years ago. Before that, the days around midwinter were a time of rest, banqueting, excess and gift giving.
Read entire article at BBC History Magazine
Anyone with a passing knowledge of the history of the midwinter festival now known as Christmas will know that, ever since humans became capable of sharing a common culture, they have let their hair down and partied at the time of year when the days are shortest.
Christmas is a lot older than Jesus Christ. In fact, Christians only decided to co-opt 25 December about 1,500 years ago. Before that, the days around midwinter were a time of rest, banqueting, excess and gift giving.