HS 313 - History of Christmas

(3.00 cr.)

Prerequisite: One HS 100-level course. Is Christmas the commemoration of Jesus' birth? Or is it a pagan winter festival hiding behind a thin but deceptive veil of Christian images and ideas? Students will discover that the holiday is both of these things and a good deal more to boot. Students examine the origins and many transformations of the holiday and how the holiday has both reflected and helped determine the course of history. Topics include the Christmas tree, gift giving, the suppression of Christmas, the Nativity accounts, pagan precedents and, of course, Santa. Same course as CL 313 . IC