by Cynthia M. (clariail)
I was sitting at my desk the other day and thinking where has this year gone!
Thanksgiving is over and Christmas around the corner. These two holidays to me seem to have more tradition associated with them than any other and it made me wonder how some of them got started. Like, why do we decorate Christmas trees, why do you kiss someone that happens to be under the mistletoe, etc. Things like that. I figured if I didn’t know, chances are some others didn’t either.
If you already know, just pretend that it is a very interesting story that your Uncle Charlie is telling for the umpteenth time around the holiday table and you are doing the polite listening thing while you sit and try not to doze off after the huge meal you just had.
How did decorating Christmas trees get started?
The Christmas tree is thought to have originated in a play often performed in the Middle Ages during the Advent season. Based on the story of Adam and Eve, the play featured a Paradise Tree in the Garden of Eden that was decorated with apples to symbolize Eve’s temptation. The tree used in the play was an evergreen tree, which symbolized fertility and a renewal of life.
Later, in 16th century Germany, people would hang apples, gilded candies, colored paper, and roses from tree branches. Martin Luther, inspired by the beauty of stars shining through the branches of a fir tree, is credited with
being the first person to add lighted candles to a tree.
Some believe that King George, a native of Germany, brought the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree to England. Others credit Queen Victoria with bringing the tradition to England from Germany where her husband, Prince Albert, was raised.
An etching of the British royal family gathered around a Christmas tree in Windsor Castle in 1848 prompted the spread of this favorite decoration throughout Victorian England. The custom was brought to the United States when German immigrants in Pennsylvania continued to decorate Christmas trees just as they had done in their homeland.
Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th?
There are many different theories as to how the date was chosen and I have listed two;
1) Early Christian tradition says that it was March 25th when Mary was told that she would have a child and nine months later would be Dec. 25th
2) December 25th might have also been chosen because the Winter Solstice and the ancient pagan Roman midwinter festivals called ‘Saturnalia’ and ‘Dies Natalis Solis Invicti’ took place in December around this date – so it was a time when people already celebrated things.
Why are you kissed if you stand under Mistletoe?
Mistletoe was said to be the sacred plant of Frigga, the goddess of love. When her son, Balder, dreamed of his death, Frigga rushed about seeking promises that her son would not die. Unfortunately, Balder’s enemy, Loki, tipped an 
arrow with Mistletoe and gave it to Hoder, the blind god of winter who killed Balder with it. He was brought back to life by his mother when she shed tears that turned into Mistletoe berries, so Frigga kissed everyone who passed under the tree on which it grew. From that time on, anyone who stood under the mistletoe would receive only a kiss; no harm could come to him.
Gift Giving
The first gifts given at Christmas were from the Magi (Wise Men) to Baby Jesus. Later, in Roman times, gift giving was popular during Saturnalia, a winter solstice celebration. The tradition as we know it today is derived from St. Nicholas, a bishop who was known for giving children presents..
What is the History of the Wreath?
Wreaths have a long history, dating back to ancient Druids who believed that holly, a perennial evergreen with lush, red berries, was a magical plant. Wreaths were first created when holly and other evergreens were arranged in a circular shape, a shape with no beginning or end, and therefore, synonymous with eternity.
What is the Origin of the Poinsettia?
In Mexico, a heart-warming story explains the origin of the poinsettia: On a Christmas Eve, long ago, a poor little boy went to church in great sadness because he had no gift to bring the Holy Child. He dared not enter the church, and, kneeling humbly on the ground outside the house of God, he prayed fervently and assured our Lord, with tears, how much he desired to offer him some lovely present –“But I am very poor and dread to approach you with empty hands.” When he finally rose from his knees, he saw springing up at his feet a green plant with gorgeous blooms of dazzling red.
What is the history of the Christmas Card?
The time-honored tradition of sending Christmas cards began more than 150 years ago in England. Sir Henry Cole, a renaissance man who wrote and published books on art and architecture, was too busy to write holiday greetings to friends and family, so he asked John Callcott Horsley, a well-known painter, to design a card with a single message that could be sent to everyone on his list.
Horsley created a lithographed, hand-colored sketch printed on cardboard. The illustration depicted a classic Victorian Christmas scene of a family merrily eating and drinking. The caption read, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.”
Why are Candy Canes Bent?
In 1670, a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, bent the ends to resemble a shepherd’s staff and handed them out to children during church services to keep them quiet. In the early 1900s, candy canes acquired their famous stripes. The first candy canes were straight, white sticks of sugar candy used as Christmas tree decorations.
I hope that you enjoyed reading about some of the history behind the traditions as I had fun looking them up. Now you are set to play a game of trivia if the occasion should arise.
To you and yours, I hope that you have a most Blessed and Merry Christmas!
The Legend of the Christmas Tree by Rick Osborne
The Whole Christmas Catalogue by Nancy Kalish, Naomi Black
The Solstice Evergreen: History Folklore and Origins of the Christmas Tree
by Sheryl Karas
The Everything Family Christmas Book by Yvonne Jeffrey
Tags: Book Suggestions
I am such a fan of articles that present collected trivia like this and, loving the holidays as I do, am a HUGE fan of this particular list! Awesome post Cynthia 🙂
Love it! My earliest (and still a favorite) of Christmas has to do with my love of fireworks. My family owned a lumberyard in Illinois (way before the big box stores). We would order lumber from the mills in the Pacific Northwest. The lumber would come by train in big box cars. At Christmas, box car would had “gifts” tucked in with the lumber….fresh mistletoe and Christmas trees. Dad would take one of the trees for our house. He’d tote it home and “plant” it in a big bucket of sand as the holder.
Mom and Dad would string the wire through the tree and then my Sister and I would screw in the bulbs. This was in the era before tiny tree lights. We had big light bulbs (even bigger than the kind you now put on the outside of your house). They were clear glass colored red, green, yellow, and blue. AND, they flashed independently!
Thank you for patiently waiting for the firework connection!
I would turn off all the room lights and lay on the floor watching the tree lights reflect off the ceiling. Yes, Christmas fireworks….with the accompaniment of Christmas music…..it was just perfect.
I miss those old lights!
That’s a great story Tinker! Thanks for sharing. 🙂