Today in History: Christmas
Today in History–December 25–the Library of Congress features Christmas. Although the exact origins of this holiday are uncertain, the Christian church in Rome observed the Feast of the Nativity on this date in the year 336. Today, Christmas celebrations include both religious and secular traditions. Discover more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access primary sources related to Christmas.
Featured Sources
- Christmas Children’s Section
- Christmas News
- Christmas Toys
- El Paso Herald 1915 Christmas Page
- Princeton Union Christmas Eve Dec. 24, 1914
Christmas songs (1900-1939 audio recordings)
TR calls on neighbors at Christmas (1917 film)
Grandma and the bad boys (1900 film)
Christmas: select historical newspaper articles
Front-page news pages: December 24-25, 1914
Christmas Truce: select historic newspaper articles (1914-1915)
All about “Mistletoe” The San Francisco Call. (San Francisco [Calif.]), 17 Dec. 1911
Santa Claus / St. Nick primary sources
Coptic Church Chants: For the Nativity; At the Kiss of Peace; Hymn for the Patriarch ca. 1930s
Nativity-related books & texts
Nativity and liturgy song and audio recordings
Story of Christ silent film between 1905-1907
Guided primary source analysis activities
Library blog posts
- An 1848 Christmas Story: The Gift of Freedom Library of Congress blog December 17, 2018
- An Armenian “Three Magi” Library of Congress blog December 23, 2015
- Capitol Christmas Tree – Pic of the Week December 20, 2013
- Christmas Greetings from Robert Frost From the Catbird Seat December 24, 2014
- Christmas Movies and the Law In Custodia Legis December 18, 2013
- Christmas “Shipping” Picture This December 15, 2016
- Christmas, Soviet Style In Custodia Legis January 15, 2016
- The Christmas Star Inside Adams
- Christmas with the Presidents Headlines and Heroes December 24, 2019
- Christmastime in England: Prohibitions and Permissions In Custodia Legis December 21, 2017
- Double Take: Christmas Tradition Picture This December 7, 2016
- Ethiopian Christmas and the Ethiopian Calendar System Folklife Today February 22, 2016
- Highlighting the Holidays: Under the Mistletoe Library of Congress blog December 19, 2016
- Holiday Greetings Picture This December 23, 2015
- Is it “Four Calling Birds” or “Four Colly Birds”? A “Twelve Days of Christmas” Debate From the Catbird Seat December 21, 2016
- Last Minute Shopping Picture This December 24, 2012
- Oh Christmas Tree! Library of Congress Pic of the Week December 25, 2015
- Ready. Set. Mail! The Christmas Rush is On! Inside Adams
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s First Starring Film Role Now See Hear! December 16, 2014
- Scrooge’s Prize Turkey: Victorian Christmas Foodways in Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” Folklife Today December 17, 2021
- Songs for Christmas and the New Year Collected by Alan Lomax Folklife Today December 17, 2015
- Start now, Shop Early for Christmas! (1918 edition) Inside Adams
- A State Mandated Christmas Bonus In Custodia Legis December 29, 2011
- A Tale of Two Publishings Library of Congress blog December 17, 2015
- ‘Twas the Day After Christmas . . . In Custodia Legis December 23, 2010
- A White Christmas Library of Congress blog November 26, 2014
- Who Invented Electric Christmas Lights? Library of Congress Blog December 19, 2017
- Window Shopping Picture This December 24, 2014
- A World War I Christmas In The Muse December 18, 2015