Tradi
tions! Traditions! Below are the origins of some well-known Christmas traditions.
Christmas Tree, Holly, Ivy and Greenery. Displaying decorated fir trees at Christmas time dates back to the 1500s in Germany. While decorating homes, at winter time, with boughs and greenery started long ago in Europe.
Legend has it that the holly sprouted from Christ’s footsteps when he walked on earth. The leaves, being pointed, represented the crown of thorns that Christ wore on the cross. And the red berries suggested the blood that he shed.
Santa Claus. The story of Santa originates in the 4th century with St. Nicholas, a Bishop in Myra (Turkey). He was a very generous man who devoted himself to children. His generosity and extreme kindness gave rise to claims that St. Nicholas performed miracles.
As such, in the 11th century Italian soldiers supposedly exhumed him and brought his remains to Bari, Italy. This vastly spread St. Nicholas fame throughout Europe. In Russia, St. Nicholas became a patron saint, known by his bishop’s mitre (hat), red cape, and flowing glistening white beard. He was the patron of lawyers in France, the patron of sailors in Greece, and the patron of children and travelers in Belgium.
By the 12th century, thousands of churches in Europe were dedicated to St. Nicholas that a church holiday (December 6th) was officially declared. This day was commemorated by the giving of gifts and charity.
In time, his followers dwindled, but after the Reformation, the Dutch kept the legend alive and changed the his name, Sint Nikolaas, to Sinterklass. Wooden shoes were left by the fireplace by children, and Sinterklass would reward good children with treats in their shoes. Dutch immigrants brought this tradition to America.
By the 17th century, Sinterklass was given an Anglican name, Santa Claus.
Christmas Stockings. The story is that a despondent nobleman squandered his wealth, after his beloved wife died, leaving himself and his three daughters destitute. The kind man regretted what he has done. But without any money to pay for the dowries of his daughters, he was beside himself–knowing their destiny of growing old alone in impoverishment.
One evening the three daughters hung their stockings to dry near the fireplace of their humble home. Santa making his rounds, was moved, and put three bags of gold in each of the pair of stockings that hung by the chimney.
Mistletoe. Druid priests used Mistletoes years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations. The ancient Celtics used it to ward off evil spirits and as an antidote for infertility and poison. The plant was used by the Romans as a symbol of peace, in that enemies who met under a Mistletoe would lay down their weapons and embrace.
In Scandinavia, it was associated with the goddess of love, Frigga. Legend has it that this is where the custom of kissing under a Mistletoe originated. It was believed that those who kissed under a Mistletoe were to have the promise of much luck and happiness in the coming new year.
Christmas Card. In the 1800s, Sir Henry Cole commissioned John Calcott Horsley, an artist, to create Christmas greetings for his friends. The artist depicted a family enjoying Christmas festivities and inscribed “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You” on each card.
Although Sir Henry Cole is given credit with creating the first Christmas card, young English boys were the ones that started the tradition. These boys generated Christmas greetings to their parents, as a way to practice and hone their writing skills.
Candy Cane. Shortly after Europeans began putting up Christmas trees, food items i.e. cookies and candies were used for decoration. It is believed that confectioners created white sticks of candy in the form of shepherds’ crooks, as a suggestion by the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in German circa 17th century.
To keep the children quiet during the reenactment of the Nativity scene, children were given candy crooks. This custom of passing out these candies, especially during such ceremonies, spread throughout Europe.
Immigration brought the custom to America. In recent years, the symbolism of colors of the candy cane are explained as, white depicts Christ’s purity, red for the blood that he shed, and the three red stripes for the Holy Trinity.
Poinsettias. The plant is a native to Mexico. It is believed that in the 17th century, Mexican Franciscans used Poinsettias in their Christmas celebration. However, legend has it that a young Mexican boy, on his way to visit the village Nativity scene, realized he had no gift to give the Christ child. And so he gathered green branches along the road. The boy brought the branches that he had gathered to the church, only to be mocked by the other children. When the branches were laid on the manger, star-shaped flowers sprang on each branch. (It is often mistaken that the red petals are flowers but they are the upper leaves of the plant.)
In the 1800s, a U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel R. Poinsett, brought the plan to America and was officially named after it.
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. For years, as Christmas gifts for their customers, Montgomery Ward (a department store that is sadly no more) has been distributing children’s coloring books. In an effort to cut cost, in 1939, the department store commissioned one of its employees, Robert L. May (a copywriter), to create a book for them. Hence the story of Rudolph was born and 2.4 million copies were given out that year. By 1946, in spite of paper shortage from the war, over 6 million copies had been distributed.
The author created Rudolph (“The Ugly Duckling”) from his childhood experience (being bullied and made fun of because of his small and frail stature). Initially Mr. May wrote the story verse as series of rhyming couplets and tested his writings on his 4 year old daughter, Barbara. The toddler loved the story.
Due to his wife passing, Robert May was heavily in debt from medical bills. In 1947, out of desperation, he triumphed in persuading Montgomery Ward’s then president (Sewell Avery) to turn the copyright over to him. This gave the author the funds that he needed to pay off the medical bills and much more.
Also, this resulted in the story going commercial. By 1948, a nine-minute cartoon of the story was in theatres. Mr. May’s songwriter brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, wrote the lyrics and melody to the song that launched Rudolph’s fame. Initially, the song was turned down by many musical artists. In 1949, by the urging of his wife, Gene Autry recorded the song. The song sold two million copies that year. Rudolphh the Red-nosed Reindeer has become one of the best-selling of all time, second only to “White Christmas”.
Traditions are great. Decorated Christmas trees, the lights, the glitz, the songs, and even good ol Santa with his overly padded belly are enjoyable at this time of the year. But the origin of Christmas must be told, as found in Luke 2:8-16.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manager.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
Attempts to snuff out Christ out of Christmas and to trivialize it continues, but God’s message will prevail–”For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” And so, God awaits those with willing hears to believe and accept Him as their God, Lord and Savior.
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