How to Produce a Christmas Number One Hit

The worst thing about Christmas has to be listening to Top Of The Pops and the Christmas Number 1 – Girls Aloud, Robbie Williams, Westlife and Mr Blobby for goodness sake! Surely anyone can produce a better Christmas Hit than those. After all, a computer does all the work, doesn't it - all you do is press a few buttons and jiggle a few drum and bass lines around.

So what do you need? You need a PC with a reasonable amount of processing power under the hood - a Pentium III at least, preferably a P4 - in order to run the music software.

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Audio files are quite large - forget MP3s, we're talking the real thing here - and for each track of audio you record you'll need around 10.6Mb of hard disk space per minute. Every track won't be filled with audio so you won't need quite that much in a multi-track recording but for a four-minute 16-track song it would be wise to allocate around 500Mb of hard disk space.

Playing cards

You need a soundcard. All modern PCs have one of these but if you don't want your song to sound like it was recorded in a back bedroom - even it if was - get a decent card.

At Christmas-stocking prices are a range of SoundBlaster cards such as the Audigy 2 ZS (for under £70/$100) with a good set of built-in sounds. But more than that, they support SoundFonts. These are samples the card uses to produce realistic instrument sounds and better beefy bass lines than yer average sound card.

If you've a rich Mummy and Daddy they’ll be pleased to buy you a more expensive card such as E-Mu’s Emulator X (around £220/$380), a desktop sampling system that also supports SoundFonts. If you own a nightclub you'll be able to afford one of CreamWare's high-end systems with on-board synthesisers that can do everything but sober up the drummer - not that you need a drummer 'cause the cards have all the drum sounds you need.


Key move

You'll also need a MIDI keyboard to record your masterpiece. There’s a vast choice here from E-Mu’s XBoard 25, XBoard 49, and Swissonic’s CK490 (all running around £100/$150 give or take) to the Fatar range running from the TMK61 (£130/$225) up to the VMK 188 Plus (£599/$1000) with several models inbeween.

These keyboards don't have any on-board sounds like synthesisers but they're much cheaper than synths and there are sounds in the soundcard anyway. If you've seen an Elton John concert and can't face the thought of touching a keyboard, don't worry - you can use pre-recorded loops and samples and cleverly arrange them in stunning combinations without a keyboard.


Listen 'ere

A decent pair of speakers is essential. The ten quid jobbies that were bundled with your PC may be fine for playing MP3s but they simply won't do for mixing music.

The Big Boys use dedicated monitor speakers which can cost as much as a holiday in Barbados but if you leave the other half at home you could easily afford Behringer’s MS16s (£46/$79), or Edirol’s MA7A (£80/$135) or MA150 (£120/$200).

If your PC is near your hi fi you can run the audio through that but switch off any bass boost or EQ settings. The idea is to get a flat, uncoloured response so if it sounds good on those speakers it should sounds good on any speakers. So the theory goes.


Good arrangement

The Big Boys can fiddle with high-end music sequencers but the new and incredibly modestly-priced Cubase SE 3 (less than a ton/$170) lets you record and assemble audio and MIDI parts with almost as much aplomb. It shows both types of recording on the same arrange page making it easy to see how they fit together.

And finally, you need a CD recorder so you can burn your finished hit to CD and send it to lucky record companies. If you’ve a modern PC you’ll have one already. But do use a labeller and create a CD inlay, too, to give the CD a pro finish. In the music biz, looks, fashion and style are far more important than content so spend at least as much time on the outside as on the music. Put your contact details on the CD label as well as the inlay.


Hook and line

Now let's make a song. You need a hook. This is the bit everyone sings so it has to be catchy. It's usually the chorus but you can have a catchy bass line, drum line or even a vocal hook such as shout or a catch phrase like "Eh Oh". Well it worked for the Teletubbies – are you old enough to remember them with embarrassment?

Let's say you've come up with a stonking chorus. Build a verse around it. It doesn't have to be memorable; few verses are. You can meander around in a relatively tuneless way until it's time to unleash the chorus on the world.

When building a song, start with the rhythm section. Grab some groovy drum loops, string them together then add the bass line. You can play this on your new MIDI keyboard or drop in bass samples - jolly useful things, samples.

Next you'll want to add some keyboard parts which can be clever rhythmic figures or you can play pads by holding down some chords using a broad-texture sound such as strings.


Very vocal

Then add the vocals. If you can't sing - but remember that never stopped anyone making a record - you might like to nip down the pub and ask the winner of this week's karaoke contest to do the chanting for you. Play your cards right and they may even pay you for the privilege.

If you've too much musical nous to be in the same room as a karaoke singer, you can always fall back on your old friend, the sample.

The final step is the mixing. This is where you balance all the parts you recorded, add a dash of reverb and generally tart the thing up.

Then save the entire song as an audio file ready for burning to CD. This means recording the MIDI parts as audio tracks. You need to mix all the tracks into one stereo track so the final file will be 10.6Mb x the length in minutes.


Looks good

Now you have to interest the A&R men in your CD. It's all about image so if you're dull and ugly - name three ugly pop stars, apart from Madonna and Mick Hucknall - you may have to get one of your beautiful friends to pose for the publicity photos.

Write a one-page biog - they don't want to know that you have a GCSE in music, they want to know what gigs you've done and any Big Name bands you’ve supported. Drop a few names such as Bruce, Robbie and Tina. You don't have to mention surnames...
If you do catch the ear of an A&R person, be prepared to throw your ego out the window - you can't afford one at the moment and when you're rich and famous you can buy a much better one anyway.

You'll see the months of blood, sweat and Pils which you poured into your song pouring straight down the drain as the record company drafts in a 14-year-old DJ to remix your song using the latest Dance breakbeats and crap - sorry, rap - vocals.

But don't worry - you can laugh all the way to the bank when it reaches Number One!

Exclusive Interview With Santa Claus

Over the past two months I have been writing a Christmas story. It is about Santa Claus and the remarkable sequence of events that befell a young girl living on the edge of the rainforest in Palawan, a tropical island where I live.

Of course, for such an apparently far fetched story, it was important to check out the facts. That was easy to do here in Palawan, but how could I interview somebody quite so famous as Santa Claus, who lived far away in a land where I would freeze to death as soon as I got off the airplane?

Well, it turned out to be more easy than I thought, and we met, believe it or not, close to a big firework display in Southern England on November 5th 2005. How I got there and how he got there, I am not allowed to say. In fact, I cannot say, simply because I do not know for sure. I can only speculate. My passport shows I was here; my wife tells me I was here; I tell myself I was here. But I was there, and this is what I can report from the notes I took at the interview. There was much more, but I am sworn to secrecy, and Santa Claus has such amazing powers, I would not go against his wishes.

These are the 3 questions, and answers, I am allowed to reveal.

Q1 There is much speculation amongst historians about your origins. Can you tell us, to put this straight once and for all?

(Roars of laughter from Santa) “The last people you should ask are historians. They can only look backwards. What a dumb life they lead; they can never find the truth like that. Life is multi dimensional; time is multi dimensional. What do historians and scientists know about all that? The truth is like a sun with all it’s planets rotating round. If you just look backwards, you miss the whole spectrum, and you miss the sun itself.

“What are my origins? My good man, you’re just a simple soul, like everyone else on the planet, so I know you mean ‘when and where do I come from’. I do have a birthday; in fact, I have many birthdays, and they are all true. But for your narrow little world, I was born in 701 AD."

“But,” I said, “all the historians…….” his glare told me to be quiet about historians. That seemed like a good idea, given that they got it all totally wrong.

Santa was a tolerant and gentle man despite his massive powers. “And, young man” ( I had not been called that for a long time) he said. “You will not believe where I was born. It was not the North Pole, though I go there often. It was not Lapland, where I do now live. It was Central Africa."

I was dumbfounded; he just laughed at me. I moved on quickly.

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Q2 I have to ask, Santa, how do you get around the whole world like that, every Christmas, delivering gifts to so many millions of children? In less than 2 days. It’s just not..”

Before I could finish, he had put his hand firmly on my arm to stop me.

“Of course it’s possible. You think it’s not possible because your “scientists” say so, not because of the truth. Only the truth matters. And it is possible, because I do it every year. You say “not possible” because of the way you all look at things; narrow and blinkered. Even my blinkered reindeer know more than your silly scientists; so forget it’s not possible. I do it, and young man”, (I was really beginning to like this guy), he went on, “I just love every moment of it.”

“But……?” I was about to ask, but he stopped me again with a firm hand.

“Ok,” he said gently. “Let me just tell you about something. In the 8th century I was exploring brainwaves; your scientists don’t have an inkling yet about the brain, how it works, the brainwaves and what they mean and how you can use them. I was able to discover great things, things all the scientists have been too narrow minded in the past to seek out, understand and utilize.”

I was in his spell, listening intently to every word. He was about to reveal….

“Have you heard of Quantum Chimney Descent Theory? No, of course not. By 820 AD I had it all worked out; a year later I had discovered Time Corridors. You know time corridors? No, of course not, but I tell you young man, that was what did it, that was what enabled me to deliver gifts at Christmas all over the world.

“I then developed the Time Corridor Interweaving Theory. For the next 30 years I started to put them both into practice, and then bring them together. That my dear friend is how I get around the whole world like that and deliver gifts: by exploiting the Quantum Chimney Descent Theory in unison with Time Corridor Interweaving.

“Do you understand now?” he asked.

Well, who was I to argue, I might sound like a historian or scientist? So, that was it, I had the answers to the greatest Santa Claus question of all. I did not have a clue what he was talking about, but I am sure he anticipated that.

We went on to the final question as the firework display reached its climax.

Q3 What happens to all the mince pies and glasses of sherry that millions of children leave out for you?

Santa roared with laughter again, “oh, all the things people leave out for me; they are so sweet those children. “But you know, their parents should tell them the truth; they should not deceive. It is their parents who drink the sherry and other alcoholic drinks. It’s just their excuse. I don’t drink the stuff, never did.

“But the mince pies, yes I do love a good mince pie. The children are so considerate leaving them for me, and I eat as many as I can in Australia. But over a million? I have to tell you, those mince pies get spread around all sorts of places. The creatures of the oceans and the forests are very much experts on mince pies now. But the year before last.....”

Santa saw my expression change.

“Aaah, we can’t say what happened that year, can we? It’s in your story. We mustn't spoil your story."

A moment later I awoke in my bed many thousands of miles away near the Sulu Sea. My wife was next to me; and funnily enough, I was next to her. When I went to my computer room a while later, I found my notebook. And what you have read above is what was written in it.

I really did like Santa Claus; “young man” indeed.

This Christmas Santa Claus article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the Gifts For Xmas website.

Roy is also owner and author of the Xmas Ornament web site.

Relax for the festive season with Roy's new Christmas story for adults and children.

Christmas Trivia Questions - Who Are You Mr. Claus?

Just about everyone in the world knows that jolly toy-bearing Christmas figure from the North Pole, but how much do we really know about him?
Here are a few quick trivia questions about our beloved Santa brought to you by  www.247trivia.com.

Q: Where does the name Santa Claus come from?

A: The name Santa Claus was derived from Sinterklaas, the Dutch term for the ancient Christian figure of Saint Nicholas who was famous for his generosity to the poor (more about him later). The Dutch immigrants to America imported their gift-giving saint to New Amsterdam where he merged with his British counterpart, Father Christmas, to become America's own Santa Claus.

Q: everyone knows that Santa lives in the North Pole, but where is the real St. Nicholas from?

A: St. Nicholas who many consider to be the inspiration for modern Santa Claus was born in Patara around 275AD. Patara is located in present day Turkey, on the Southern Mediterranean coast in what is today an international tourist resort area where visitors spend hours basking in the warm Mediterranean sun. Certainly not a place you would want to be wearing fur coats in.

Q: If you really wanted to find St. Nicholas today, where would you go looking?

A: You may enjoy a trip to the North Pole, but if you really want to honor St. Nicholas, you would do better by heading towards Italy, where the remains of St. Nicholas are stored in the basilica of St. Nicola in the city of Bari. They have been there since the 11 century when they were, uh… borrowed… from their previous resting place in Myra in present day Turkey.

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Q: Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and his companions take Santa on his rounds completely airborne. How is it that reindeer can fly?

A: Many people believe that the tale of flying reindeers (as well as other parts of the Santa story), originates from Lapland in modern day Finland. Some say that in Lapland reindeer had a habit of seeking out the hallucinogenic amanita mushrooms which they ate and then would prance around while under their influence. As these mushrooms are quite toxic, it was regular practice for local shamans to drink the urine of tripping reindeer for a "safe high" and then "fly" together with them. This could also explain the general cheerful disposition (with the "ho ho ho" and all), and the flushed red cheeks of today's Santa.

Q: Where did Santa get his unique outfit?

A: While it's no secret that the marketing people of Coca Cola have a lot to do with the modern image of Santa, some say the roots go way back. The same North European Shamans that liked to consume those red and white mushrooms with their reindeers used to wear quite a similar outfit when they went out to collect their pickings – red and white fur trimmed coats with long black boots. As implied above, it's quite certain that St. Nicholas was no inspiration for this outfit, as he lived in sunny south Turkey.

Q: Who was the first to create Santa's modern image?

A: Coca Cola still uses the iconic images of Santa which were hugely successful in the 30s, and created for it by the gifted artist Haddon Sundblom, an American of Swedish origin (does Northern Europe ring any bells here?). However the modern image of Santa was only finally standardized in his works, but had actually been developing for years before. Coca Cola wasn't even the first beverage company to make commercial use of every child's jolly toy bearing hero – a company called White Rock beverages used him to sell ginger ale and mineral water as early as 1915. However earlier versions wore a wide variety of colors. Coca Cola's Santa is the one the finally set the record straight, and since then Santa has been wearing nothing but Red and White.

All About Santa Claus

It's only fitting that since Santa Claus has the magnificent capability to visit homes around the world in a single night that more than one place would claim to be his home. It's common belief that Santa hails from the wintry North Pole, but folks in Finland will also tell you that Santa calls that country his home. To prove it, the Finns will even invite you to visit Santa in his workshop before Christmas or during the year and talk with Santa Claus as he and his elves busy themselves for their end-of-year Christmas expedition around the globe.

    The popularity in America today of the images and legend of Santa Claus can be traced to the poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas,' that was written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822. In that poem, Moore described St. Nicholas as a jolly fellow who flew from house to house in a sleigh pulled by reindeers and waited for children to go to bed on Christmas Eve before he came down the chimney to deliver Christmas presents for them.

Following the distribution of that poem, the popular magazine Harper's Weekly published cartoons by Thomas Nast between 1863 and 1886 that depicted Santa as a cheerful fellow with a large round belly and long white beard who wore a bright red suit that was trimmed with white fur. In those cartoons, Santa also held a sack, which was filled with toys for boys and girls, over his shoulder. The
cartoons also showed Santa reading letters from good boys and girls, working in his workshop with his elves, checking his list to make sure he had all the required toys and even showed his wife, Mrs. Claus.

The tradition of Santa Claus was brought to America however by Dutch colonists who settled in New York City, which was called New Amsterdam at the time. The real St. Nicholas is said to be a minor saint from the 4th Century with a reputation for generosity and kindness that gave rise to legends of many miracles that he performed for the poor and unhappy. One of the stories about the legend of St. Nicholas is that he saved three poor girls who were sisters from being sold into a life of slavery or prostitution by their father. According to the legend, Santa Claus provided the girls with a dowry so that they could get married.

The legend of St. Nicholas led to hundreds of people being devoted to him and consequently thousands of European churches became dedicated to him. After the Reformation period however, widespread practice and worship of St. Nicholas disappeared in European countries that were Protestant, except in Holland where the legend of St. Nicholas continued. St. Nicholas was known as Sint Nikolaas but that was later corrupted to Sinter Klaas.

Dutch colonists took this tradition of Sinter Klaas to New York City where it was adopted using the Englist name of Santa Claus. Over time, the Dutch legend of the kindly saint was combined with old Nordic folktales about a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good ones with presents to give rise to the stories that now exist about Santa Claus.

The red and white-trimmed suit of Santa Claus is believed to be the colors that the original St. Nicholas worebecause red and white were the colors of the robes worn by traditional bishops. It is also believed that the Coca Cola Co. played a role in what is regarded as the popular look of Santa Claus today through paintings by artist Haddon Sundblom that were placed in some of the company's
advertisement between 1931 and 1964.

All About Rudolph and Santa's Other Reindeers

Maybe it's the undeniable alliterative appeal of Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeerthat makes him the most known or popular of all Santa's nine flying reindeers. It certainly doesn't seem as easy to come up with a similar catchy descriptionfor the others - Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen - as named in the song.

The story of Rudolph whose glowing red nose made him a standout, first appearedin 1939 when Montgomery Ward department stores distributed about 2.4 millionbooklets with the poem in the form of a story about "Rudolph the Red-NosedReindeer." It was written by Robert L. May, who worked in the store'sadvertisement or marketing department, to be used to attract more people intothe store. When the booklet was reissued in 1939, sales soared to more than 3.5million copies. But it wasn't until a decade later, in 1949, that the storyreally gained immense popularity when Gene Autry sang a musical version of thefable. As a Christmas song, it is second only in popularity to 'WhiteChristmas.'

Rudolph, the ninth reindeer whose lighted nose guides Santa's sleigh through thenight, is now known worldwide as the song has been translated into more than 20different languages and an animated television movie has also been based on thestory. Rudolph and his noticeable nose have also become the subject of jokes and sparked more interest in reindeers which has led to much research into Santa andthe flying reindeers who pull his sleigh through the sky.

Along with the catchy rhythm of the lyrics, Rudolph's story is also appealingbecause of the moral lessons it contains. As the story goes, Rudolph was ostracized by the other reindeers, which laughed and teased him about his shiny red nose. But on a foggy night, when Santa must have been concerned that he maynot be able to deliver his Christmas gifts around the world, Santa spotted himand kindly asked if he would step to the front as the leader to 'guide my sleigh tonight.' His shiny red nose would after all be very useful in lighting the way, Santa thought. From then on 'all of the other reindeers loved him," and rightly predicted that he 'would go down in history.'

Among the moral lessons the story can impart is that an attribute that is perceived as negative or as a liability can be used for a positive purpose, or, become an asset. It also makes the point that an individual should not let the negative behavior of others define him or her and limit expectations of what can be achieved. And it also illustrates how quickly opinions and attitudes about a person can change.

The question still lingers however of where Rudolph came from. He is commonly regarded as the son of Donner (or Donder), one of the original eight reindeers. But the Snopes.com site rejects this however, saying that he dwelled in a reindeer village elsewhere and it was there that he was seen by Santa who had already started on his Christmas Eve journey to deliver gifts. And in a more
modern evolution of the story according to Wikipedia.com, an animation by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) introduced a son, named Robbie, of Rudolph. That son has now become the tenth reindeer.

It's also interesting to note that the idea of Santa's sleigh being pulled by reindeers was originated in the poem, 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.' That poem tells the story of St. Nicholas, who is Santa, calling his eight tiny reindeers by their names, as previously mentioned, just before he came down the
chimney of a house to start filling the stockings from a sack full of toys he carried on his back.

Christmas in African Nations

Christmas celebrations in African nations is characterized by much outdoor activity because the season often occurs during a time when the weather is pleasant. Using palm trees and participating in
processions are also characteristic features of activities related to Christmas in many parts of Africa.

 In South Africa, activities that occur outside during Christmas
include the usual caroling, but also the unusual ones of swimming and
camping. The beach and mountains play an important role during
Christmas in South Africa because the season occurs during the hottest
time of the year - summer.

  Given the pleasant nature of the weather during Christmas, families also take advantage of it by often going sightseeing in the countryside on a relaxing drive in the late evening of Christmas Day. A
rich and sumptuous menu that includes a suckling pig or roast beef, turkey, mince pies, yellow rice, vegetables and puddings usually makes up the traditional South African Christmas dinner.

    To create a festive environment, decorated pine branches and fir, sparkling cotton wool and tinsel are used in homes and businesses as decorations.

    A similar decorative pattern of using evergreen, palm trees and lighted candles are also seen in countries such as Ghana and Liberia. While these are used in homes and businesses, they are also often carried in processions and during caroling activities.

    While South Africans gather at the beach during Christmas time to enjoy the warm summer waters, people in other African nations often gather outside at in town squares and in the streets to march, sing and enjoy an overall feeling of merriment.

    Despite the seemingly general similarity in activities, however, countries have their own individual style that makes Christmas celebrations unique.

    Of all the celebrations in African nations, Christmas activities in Ethiopia stand out for their difference in when they are celebrated and how it is done. One of the features that make Ethiopian Christmas different is that the main celebratory event occurs    on Jan. 7, around the time known as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day in North and South America.

    Given the general modest economic financial situations of a significant number of the population in many African countries, Christmas celebrations also tend to occur over a shorter period of time, compared to activities in more wealthier countries.

    Another difference in celebrations of Christmas in Ethiopia is the participation of various people who take part in a pilgrimage and converge on the capital city during Christmas Eve. These wanderers fill the night air with a din of praying and chanting and create a multi color spectacle when they gather on Christmas morning to have a religious service.

    But retaining a similarity with other African nations, Ethiopians enjoy a Christmas dinner that includes a meat stew. Stews, rice, root vegetables such as yams, breads and soups often are part of the menu of traditional Christmas day dinners in African nations.

    Christmas dinners are likely enjoyed by families outside, where everyone shares the meal while sitting in a circular pattern outside under the shade of a sprawling tree, instead of sitting in a formal
setting at a table.

    As is the practice in every household during Christmas, Africans also exchange gifts. Popular items that are exchanged as Christmas gifts include cotton cloth, soaps, sweets, pencils and books, all very practical items that can be readily used. Again, this may be related to the modest financial resources of up to half the population in many African countries, as well as to cultural norms. Individuals aren't able to afford extravagant gifts but they still want to surprise

3 Steps To Having An Old Fashioned Christmas Holiday

There are many Christmas traditions that are gradually being lost in today's high-tech, always-on-the-go world. But Christmas is the perfect time to slow things down and get back to basics to really enjoy the season. The following are three ways to have a traditional, old-fashioned Christmas.

1. Decorations

For many people, decorations are what make Christmas time special. The right decorations can set the mood for a traditional Christmas and let the whole family get involved in creating the Christmas spirit.

Start with an old-fashioned Christmas tree. Traditional decorations were all hand-made. Take a day early in December to get the whole family together to create the decorations such as stringed popcorn and chains made from colorful paper. Play Christmas music, serve eggnog and get everyone into the spirit.

Check your local thrift or antique shop for some old-fashioned decorations. Wax or blown-glass ornaments were commonplace in years past, and there are often some great examples to be found in thrift stores for next to nothing.

You can also look for antique tins with Christmas themes. These make great candy or fruit dishes.

2. Baking and Cooking

Baking and cooking come a close second to the Christmas tree for setting the mood for Christmas. Cookies, pies, and hot cider are all staples of an old-fashioned Christmas celebration.

The entire family can take part - even the non-bakers. They can help to decorate the sugar cookies or gingerbread men. Kids can help cut the cookie shapes before they're baked.

3. Christmas Day

There are plenty of Christmas day traditions that can help create old-fashioned fun. Find someone to play Santa Claus and deliver the presents for everyone in the family.

Make the gift exchange time special. Don't just tear into them en mass, give everyone a chance to open them separately. This gives everyone a better chance to show their appreciation, and people get to watch their reactions.

If you're lucky enough to have a white Christmas, take some time out of the day to go sledding or have a snowball fight. Top it off by serving hot cider or hot chocolate.

These family traditions can be passed on from generation to generation, with each one adding their own extras.

The Christmas Holiday - Many Holiday Traditions

Christmas is a yearly holiday when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus and many families exchange Christmas gifts. It is celebrated on December 25th.

There are many holiday traditions including Christmas dinner, sending Christmas cards, visiting Santa, baking Christmas cookies and making homemade Christmas candies. Homes are decorated inside and out with colorful lights and holiday decorations. People usually try to spread goodwill, compassion and peace during the Christmas holiday season.

Some countries celebrate on Christmas Eve, other on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day, while other countries celebrate Boxing Day on December 26th. One church, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas on January 6th. Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on January 7th. The date is just a tradition and is not considered to be Jesus’ actual birth date.

The word "Christmas" actually comes from two words: Christ's mass. Many of the seasons decorations lead back to Christ's birth such as Nativity managers, star ornaments and the giving of gifts.

Christmas day during the Middle ages was more of a festival. King William I of England chose Christmas Day to be crowned king in 800.

During the Reformation, Protestants condemned the celebration of Christmas as mere trappings, while Catholics promoted the festival as a religious event.

Colonial America saw the Puritans disapproving of the trappings of the Christmas celebration and it was outlawed in Boston in 1659 to 1681. However Christian residents of Virginia and New York celebrated the holiday.

Charles Dickens' book "A Christmas Carol", published in 1843 did much to revive the holiday that was to instill goodwill and compassion. Washington Irving also wrote short stories about Christmas and the "Twas the Night Before Christmas Poem by Clement Clarke.

There was great controversy in the 20th century over the nature of Christmas (was it a religious holiday or was it a secular holiday). The issue was brought to trial several times to decide because of the view that a federal holiday was a violation of separation of church and state. On December 6th, 1999, the verdict for Ganulin vs. United States declared that "the establishment of Christmas Day as "a legal public holiday does not violate the Establishment Clause because it has a secular purpose." This decision was later upheld on December 19, 2000 by the U.S. Supreme Court. Many christians believe the holiday has become too secular and it is common to hear cries of "getting back to the true meaning of Christmas" around the holidays.