Well yes: even in Middle Ages the festive period ran from the evening of December 24th to January 6th. In fact, it will surprise you to know that many modern traditions can also be found in that period, such as the conviviality and sumptuous mealswhich however were mainly the prerogative of the richest.
In this article, we take a dive into history, to find out how the Christmas in the Middle Ages and what were the most popular customs in our country.
Christmas in the Middle Ages: between pagan holidays and Christianity
Before delving into the discovery of the customs in vogue, it is useful to have a little historical contextbecause during the Middle Ages, the Christmas holidays brought together pagan and Christian traditions.
In fact, in the month of December, between the 17th and the 23rd, the ancient Romans used to celebrate the Saturnaliaone of the most popular and important festivals of ancient Rome, celebrated in honor of Saturnthe god of agriculture and fertility. In the same period (according to some testimonies, on December 25th) there was also the feast of Sol Invictuswhich corresponded to the winter solstice and celebrated the rebirth of the Sun.
The Church he superimposed Christmas on these celebrationsto facilitate their cultural transition. It was in fact Pope Leo I, in 5th centuryto regulate the Christmas celebrations, as a celebration of the birth of Christ and to counter heresies.
It must be said, to conclude this premise, that Christmas therefore has a double meaning: while i theologians they connected Christmas to the figure of Christ, the people celebrated with more concrete rites, linked to end of agricultural work and to thearrival of winter.
Who celebrated Christmas and what were the customs
In the Middle Ages, holidays marked the rhythm of people’s lives, and usually represented a period of suspension from work activities. Christmas was no exception, which coincided with a moment of break from agricultural activities, with the onset of the harsh winter. This moment of celebration, however, was preceded by the period ofAdventwhich during the Middle Ages was a period of spiritual deprivation and purificationduring which, at least in theory, a period of sexual abstinence and fasting.
Usually, the celebrations took place mainly in the local churchwhich was the heart of community life and celebrations. But houses and dwellings also came festively decorated: the tree was not yet in common use, but the mistletoetraditional symbol of life and hope, and other evergreen plants.
The creche instead it has origins during the Middle Ages: it dates back to Christmas Eve on the 1st223the first sacred representation of the birth of Christ, staged by Saint Francis in the country of Greccioin the province of Rieti. Starting from Fourteenth century then, the first plastic representations spread, which recalled the sacred event.
But what about the gifts Instead? It was already a custom of the ancient Romans to exchange gifts on the occasion of the Saturnalia. Even during the Middle Ages the tradition continued, with gifts given in particular to children, to celebrate the moment of Jesus’ birth.
In general, the atmosphere during the Christmas period was festive and joyful: they could be organised float paradesthe consumption of beer, wine and cider was abundant.
The rich Christmas banquet
Once the Advent fasting period was over, Christmas marked the end of the fast and the beginning of the holidays, which lasted until January 5th. Although there were substantial differences based on social classone thing is certain: even in the Middle Ages, at Christmas, yes he ate a lot.
In fact, the month of December represented the end of the harvest period, in which food supplies were at their maximum and there was plenty of food.
THE nobles they celebrated with sumptuous banquets in their castles. It is difficult to establish what exactly the menu included: the rich were used to eating a lot of meat, but it seems that on the occasion of Christmas they indulged in the finest cuts and the most unusual and refined dishes, such as roast peacock and wine and beer in large quantities. The following could also be invited to these banquets vassals and members of the clergy minor. As for the serfs instead, these could remain outside the castles, waiting for food scraps to be given to them, or they were invited by the Lords, to whom they had to bring chickens and food as gifts.
THE free workers they received gifts, food, drinks and firewood from their master. This practice then led, in Anglo-Saxon countries, to the Boxing Day holiday, precisely because the less well-off received gifts from their Lords in boxes.
As for the peasants and the poorest classes instead, they celebrated with simpler foods, accompanied by beer or cider.
The feast of fools and the Holy Innocents
The Christmas period also corresponded to other celebrationsof origin pagan. Inspired by the Saturnalia of Roman origin, it was the Feast of Fools, which was celebrated on 26-27-28 December in honor of Santo Stefano. The peculiarity of this holiday was thereversal of social roles: the minor clergy wore clothes backwards and organized bizarre processions, usually with a donkey in tow, in honor of the donkey that carried Jesus during his entry into Jerusalem.
Always on the same days, December 28th was celebrated Day of the Holy Innocents, to commemorate the massacre of the innocents ordered by Herod. In some regions, choir boys led masses in a symbolic reversal of ecclesiastical hierarchies.
