POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 25, 2012
~~<p>One of the fascinating aspects of the holiday season is how many cultures through history have celebrations in the winter months. When seeds of Christianity were being sown in Europe, the road toward acceptance of the new faith was smoothed: The new holy day honoring the birth of Christ was more readily embraced because it already was a time of celebrations such as Yule and other religious observances.</p>
One of the fascinating aspects of the holiday season is how many cultures through history have celebrations in the winter months. When seeds of Christianity were being sown in Europe, the road toward acceptance of the new faith was smoothed: The new holy day honoring the birth of Christ was more readily embraced because it already was a time of celebrations such as Yule and other religious observances.
In Hawaii as well, the year's end was Makahiki, a time of resting, feasting and — most importantly — no fighting. The celebration of "peace on Earth" was a perfect fit here, too. Login for more...