ELI5 Higgs Boson - why is it called the God Particle?

What exactly is the Higgs boson and why is it often referred to as the 'God Particle'? What is the significance of its discovery? What is a Boson? How does the Higgs Boson relate to the Big Bang Theory and the formation of the universe? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: aschentei, nottherealslash, elskerelks, mazaru , dissentologist and trueeyes To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for all your feedback and comments. Send us an e-mail: [email protected]