Christmas festivities have their roots in pagan beliefs and transmissions.
Some history
Indeed, the date of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, has always been of particular interest to people. It symbolized the beginning of a new cycle with the return of the sun for future crops. Thus, December 25th was the celebration date of the rebirth of the Unconquered Sun and the Roman Saturnalia.
Furthermore, the Saturnalia lasted several days, people wore garlands around their necks and exchanged Christmas gifts... even then! This origin can be seen in the very name of Noel, synonymous with "nativity" in many languages.
In numerous cultures, this day is also associated with multiple beliefs related to motherhood, fertility, reproduction, and even astronomy.
The pagan festival
It was not until the 4th century that this pagan festival was officially incorporated by Christians and became the commemorative date of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Biblical references have captured the symbol of the new solar cycle, metaphorically calling Christ the "new sun" shining in the world. Thus, around December 25th, the Nativity celebrations are linked to the Easter cycle.
The latter includes a preparatory phase, Advent, which lasts 2 to 4 weeks, and a phase that commemorates the presentation of Jesus in the Temple, which ends on February 2nd, at Candlemas. Midnight mass emerged during the Middle Ages, while the development of the nativity scene was established during the Renaissance.
The chocolate log
The famous chocolate log also has an origin linked to the winter solstice, dating back to the Middle Ages. The day when the sun is at its lowest point on the horizon is a sign of the harsh winter season. Therefore, every fireplace burns large logs to heat the houses, creating a fire around which the whole family gathers.
From the 12th century, the Catholic Church also began this tradition anew, introducing various rituals like the sprinkling of holy water, salt, mulled wine, or oil. It had to be used for three days, under penalty of bad omens.
During the 19th century, heating appliances like cast iron stoves replaced fireplaces. Wooden logs became decorative before some pastry chefs had the idea to turn them into pastry logs.
The chocolate icing resembles the bark of the natural log that was used before. Note that chocolate is present in Christmas traditions all around the world, like in El Salvador, where the turkey has a chocolate layer on top, or in Italy, where children receive pieces of chocolate from the witch Befana.
More about chocolate
Typically, cacao is grown in one part of the world while chocolate is manufactured and consumed in another. If you live in Central America, it's likely that the chocolate you're eating is made from cacao beans in Africa or South America, even if it was produced in Switzerland or Mexico.
Although rare, there are exceptions to this situation. In El Salvador, for example, chocolate shops make chocolate bars, truffles, and hot cocoa drinks from cacao grown in El Salvador. Sometimes, the business owner also grows the cacao.
This makes Salvadoran cacao ideal for theirs. It is a very popular flavor overall and is used in many sweets and confections. As a drink, it is made with an infusion of hibiscus flowers, like a tea, and then sweetened. The color is a beautiful deep purplish red, and the taste is tart, like that of cranberry. Sometimes the tea is evaporated and dried into crystals and looks like colored sugar. These blends certainly complement the rich cacao and floral notes of Salvadoran chocolate.
