Summary

The web content lists the top 5 most viewed articles on Bill Petro's blog in 2023, covering various historical aspects of Christmas and New Year's traditions.

Abstract

Bill Petro's blog has garnered significant attention this year, with the top 5 articles focusing on the historical contexts of Christmas and New Year's celebrations. These articles delve into topics such as the possibility of snow in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth, the nature of the Christmas Star, the story of Telemachus and the end of Roman gladiatorial games, common Christmas myths not found in biblical narratives, and the evolution of Santa Claus from saint to elf. The articles are widely distributed across various platforms, including the author's blog, newsletter, social media, and syndication partners, reflecting a broad interest in the historical underpinnings of popular holiday traditions.

Opinions

The author suggests that the Nativity could have occurred with snow in Bethlehem, challenging common perceptions of the climate at the time.
The Star of Bethlehem is presented as a subject of debate, with the article exploring both natural and supernatural explanations.
Telemachus' influence on ending the Roman gladiatorial games is highlighted as a significant historical event, with the story's enduring presence in literature and speeches cited as evidence of its impact.
The article on Christmas myths implies that many modern Christmas traditions are not directly based on biblical accounts, indicating a divergence from historical accuracy in contemporary celebrations.
The transformation of Saint Nicholas into the modern-day Santa Claus is portrayed as a fascinating evolution, with the article tracing the saint's various cultural depictions over time.
The author encourages readers to engage with the content by visiting the provided links and subscribing for future articles, indicating a desire to foster a community of interested readers and historians.

History Series: Top 5

My Top 5 Articles of 2023

Read em all

These are the Top 5 articles from my blog this year based on the number of reader views at billpetro.com.

I publish my articles not only on my blog, my email newsletter, Medium, and Substack…

Some of my readers find syndicate links to my articles on Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Mastodon, Tumblr, Bluesky, Threads, and Reddit.

1. History of Christmas: Nativity Season — Snow in Bethlehem?

The Journey to Bethlehem, Cleveland Museum of Art. Image: Wikipedia

Could Jesus have been born during the year’s close, perhaps even with snow on the ground? This article examines the weather in Bethlehem and the location of year-round flocks.

It links to an article on the discussion of the time of the Nativity.

2. History of the Christmas Star: Natural or Supernatural?

Was the Star of Bethlehem a natural occurrence or supernatural? This article examines some historical rationale from astronomy, ancient astrology, and a recent investigation into the writings of Jewish-Roman historian Flavius Josephus with a correlation of new astronomy software.

3. History of Telemachus: Ending the Roman Gladiatorial Games

This is the oft-told story of the monk who caused the Roman gladiatorial games to be ended upon his martyrdom on January 1, A.D. 404.

I say oft-told because stories have been told about him since the 8th and 9th centuries. It’s in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Alfred Lord Tennyson recounted it during Victorian times, and Ronald Reagan used it at the National Prayer Breakfast in 1984. The Feast of St. Telemachus is celebrated on New Year’s Day.

4. Five Christmas Myths, Not Found in the Nativity Story

This popular article discusses how many of our traditions and assumptions about how we celebrate Christmas are not actually found in the Nativity narratives of the Bible.

Was Jesus born in a stable? Were there farm animals at Jesus’ birth? Were there Three Kings of the Orient present? Did the angels sing to the shepherds? This last question features a graphic that has been shared on Facebook over 30,000 times.

5. History of Santa Claus: Saint or Elf?

St. Nicholas by Jaroslav Čermák. Image: Wikipedia

This article features the ancient history of Saint Nicholas and how his legends have morphed into a variety of traditions around the world. See how his depiction in European literature differs from that in America, and how he has come to be displayed as a red-suited character.

Please drop by and read ’em all.