Traditions and explanatory models
But why has the past of these traditions been fabricated? According to Chardonnens, much of our supposed “ancient” Christmas culture stems from the need to explain major natural events. “Christmas traditions are closely intertwined with natural cycles,” he says. Astronomically speaking, the solstice and equinox mark transitions between seasons, such as the beginning of winter. It is therefore obvious to link Christmas to this moment, so that Christmas has an explanation that is indicated in the heavens. In addition, Celts, Germanic peoples, Romans and Christians held celebrations around this period. We do not know exactly what these celebrations entailed, but over the years, anthropologists and historians have increasingly used stories like these to explain why we celebrate Christmas on 25 December. This has made the narrative grow ever larger.
Chardonnens explains that our lives are full of liminal moments: key moments in which we transition from one phase to another, such as seasonal changes, but also birth and death. “We have a natural need to give meaning to these moments. That is how traditions arise,” he explains. 'Yet traditions do not arise solely from this natural need. In the nineteenth century, people were busy with nation-building. States had to have their own unique identity, so academics invented stories about ancient traditions that shed light on their own identity. These invented traditions were then used as explanatory models. Historically, Christian and pagan festivals were merged during Christianisation because this provided a strategic advantage for conversion in the early Middle Ages, but the “ancient” roots of our Christmas traditions are much more recent.
Snowball effect
“Many traditions were invented in the nineteenth century and then projected back onto ancient or pagan customs,” says Chardonnens. 'The Christmas tree is a classic example. Putting a tree in your house is actually strange behaviour that needs to be legitimised. Because there is no reasonable or biblical basis for it, the tradition was attributed to Germanic or Celtic ancestors, who were considered to have a deeper connection with nature than we do. In this way, a relatively new custom suddenly acquired a venerable and logical past. Even the Christmas bauble turns out not to be a capitalist trinket, but is sometimes seen as a relic of the forbidden fruit on the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. As if our collective cultural memories really go back to the beginning of time.
Because all kinds of explanations and stories have been combined, Christmas traditions are like a snowball that keeps rolling and gathering more and more, including a sleigh, reindeer, and a vague post office box company at the North Pole. Chardonnens calls this tendency to keep making connections the “lumping” effect. “In science, there are two types of researchers: lumpers and splitters. Lumpers throw everything into one pile, splitters take everything apart. When looking for explanatory models for Christmas traditions, it is tempting to lump,” he explains. “Then you take every clue seriously, no matter how dubious, and the story expands further and further.”
Chardonnens doubts whether it is problematic that many Christmas traditions turn out to be less old than thought. “The beauty of it is that it makes us think about the key moments in our lives,” he says. “By performing and sharing traditions, you feel a sense of continuity. At Christmas, you are connected to the past, the present and the future. Traditions create a sense of connection: with each other and with time.”
