Christmas Day!

Hello again everyone! As it is Christmas Day I wish you all a Merry Christmas!!!

 

However, as it is Christmas day I thought I’d do a post about different historical events that took place on this day other than Jesus being born!

 

So best way to start would be in chronological order haha!

  

Firstly, in 1066; the Duke, William II of Normandy, also known as William the Conqueror/ William I of England was crowned king of England after winning at the Battle of Hastings (14^th October 1066.) Becoming the first king of The House of Normandy on the English throne.

William the Conqueror

The next event I’ve chosen is in 1223; when St Francis of Assisi assembles the 1st Nativity scene in Greccio, Italy.  While St Francis was living in this small village, He wanted to have a midnight mass for the villagers, but the chapel was too small. So to help the people who couldn’t understand Latin, he created the nativity scene so the people could imagine what Bethlehem looked like when Jesus was born. 

 “The scene, which was set up in a cave just outside Greccio, featured a wax figure of the infant Jesus, costumed people playing the roles of Mary and Joseph, and the live donkey and ox that John had loaned to Francis. Local shepherds watched over their sheep in nearby fields, just as shepherds in Bethlehem had watched over sheep on the first Christmas, when the sky suddenly filled with angels who announced Christ’s birth to them.”

The Nativity or Crèche as St Francis Depicted it!

For More information follow the link below!

 (http://angels.about.com/od/MiracleBasics/f/How-Did-Francis-Of-Assisi-Begin-The-Christmas-Nativity-Scene-Tradition.htm)

This to me is quite a fascinating piece of history to finally know where the idea and creation of the nativity started!

The next event took place nearly 400 years later, which again has always fascinated me.

 In 1643; Christmas Island was founded and named by Captain William Mynors of the East India Ship Company vessel, the Royal Mary. This island is a part of the Australian territory, located in the Indian Ocean. The island was given this name because of the day it was founded.  The culture of this Island is very diverse as it resided by Chinese, Europeans and Malays.  It also has many different religious beliefs such as; Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, and Christianity.

 

 

The Last event I have chosen is probably now more famous than Jesus being born. You guessed it!

THE CHRISTMAS DAY TRUCE!         

 

To me this day event should always be remembered as during the rest of the war, this never happened again. The soldiers from both sides on Christmas Eve were sat singing Christmas songs in their trenches.  Upon Christmas morning the German Soldiers shouted over to the Allies trenches “frohe weihnachten!” (I’m sure you can take a guess what it translates too!)

 However the Allied Soldiers thought it was a trick to begin with before they called the truce and both sides came out of the trenches and shook hands. Some soldiers played in infamous game of Football and they exchanged presents in the form of cigarettes and parcels their loved ones had sent to them. 

 

British and German Soldiers Shaking hands!

 The soldiers from both sides also used this cease fire as an opportunity to bury their dead that had fallen in No Man’s Land and give them a proper burial that they deserved. It showed that even after five months into the war that Christmas spirit wouldn’t be dampened even in a foreign land.

 

Soldiers playing Football.

 

Unfortunately, the following morning the war began again and more bloodshed continued.

 

 Looking at all these past events has made me thankful for the World we live in today and even more thankful to the Soldiers who died for us to be living in the here and now!

Once again, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL! I hope each and every one of you has a lovely day!