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All Things Christmas |
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Biblical
Christmas |
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From the Old English 'Cristes
Mæsse' ~ meaning the 'mass of Christ' ~ the story of
Christmas begins with the birth of a babe in Bethlehem.
It is believed that Christ
was born on the 25th, although the exact month is unknown. December
was likely chosen so the Catholic Church could compete with rival
pagan rituals held at that time of year and because of its closeness
with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a traditional
time of celebration among many ancient cultures. |
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Biblical Christmas Luke,
Chapter Two |
And it came to pass in those days, that there
went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be
taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of
Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into
Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because
he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his
espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while
they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be
delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him
in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no
room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about
them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear
not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall
be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto
you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a
manger." 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, good will toward men." |
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Candy Canes |
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It was not long after Europeans
began using Christmas trees that special decorations were used to
adorn them. Food items, such as candies and cookies, were used
predominately and straight white candy sticks were one of the
confections used as ornamentation. Legend has it that during the
17th century, craftsmen created the white sticks of candy in the
shape of shepherds' crooks at the suggestion of the choirmaster at
the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.
The candy treats were given
to children to keep them quiet during ceremonies at the living
crèche, or Nativity scene, and the custom of passing out the candy
crooks at such ceremonies soon spread throughout Europe. |
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According to the National
Confectioner's Association, in 1847 German immigrant August Imgard
used the candy cane to decorate a Christmas tree in Wooster, Ohio.
More than 50 years later, Bob McCormack of Albany, Georgia
supposedly made candy canes as treats for family, friends and local
shopkeepers. McCormack's brother-in-law, Catholic priest Gregory
Keller, invented a machine in the 1950s that automated the
production of candy canes, thus eliminating the usual laborious
process of creating the treats and the popularity of the candy cane
grew.
More recent explanations of the candy cane's symbolism hold that the
color white represents Christ's purity, the red the blood he shed,
and the presence of three red stripes the Holy Trinity. While
factual evidence for these notions does not exist, they have become
increasingly common and at times are even represented as fact.
Regardless, the candy cane remains a favorite holiday treat and
decoration. |
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Cards |
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A form of Christmas card began
in England first when young boys practiced their writing skills by
creating Christmas greetings for their parents, but it is Sir Henry
Cole who is credited with creating the first real Christmas card.
The first director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, Sir Henry
found himself too busy in the Christmas season of 1843 to compose
individual Christmas greetings for his friends.
He commissioned artist John
Calcott Horsley for the illustration. The card featured three
panels, with the center panel depicting a family enjoying Christmas
festivities and the card was inscribed with the message "A Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year to You." Read more
about
Christmas Cards |
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Holly, Ivy
and Greenery |
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In Northern Europe Christmas
occurred during the middle of winter, when ghosts and demons could
be heard howling in the winter winds. Boughs of holly, believed to
have magical powers since they remained green through the harsh
winter, were often placed over the doors of homes to drive evil
away. Greenery was also brought indoors to freshen the air and
brighten the mood during the long, dreary winter.
Legend also has it that holly sprang from the footsteps of Christ as
he walked the earth. The pointed leaves were said to represent the
crown of thorns Christ wore while on the cross and the red berries
symbolized the blood he shed. |
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Mistletoe |
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Mistletoe was used by Druid priests
200 years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations.
They revered the plant since it had no roots yet remained green
during the cold months of winter.
The ancient Celtics believed mistletoe to have magical healing
powers and used it as an antidote for poison, infertility, and to
ward of evil spirits. The plant was also seen as a symbol of peace,
and it is said that among Romans, enemies who met under mistletoe
would lay down their weapons and embrace.
Scandinavians associated the plant with Frigga, their goddess of
love, and it may be from this that we derive the custom of kissing
under the mistletoe. Those who kissed under the mistletoe had the
promise of happiness and good luck in the following year.
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Poinsettias |
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A native Mexican plant,
poinsettias were named after Joel R. Poinsett, U.S. ambassador to
Mexico who brought the plant to America in 1828. Poinsettias were
likely used by Mexican Franciscans in their 17th century Christmas
celebrations. One legend has it that a young Mexican boy, on his way
to visit the village Nativity scene, realized he had no gift for the
Christ child. He gathered pretty green branches from along the road
and brought them to the church. Though the other children mocked
him, when the leaves were laid at the manger, a beautiful
star-shaped flower appeared on each branch. The bright red petals,
often mistaken for flowers, are actually the upper leaves of the
plant. |
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Rudolph the Red-nosed
Reindeer |
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The Chicago-based Montgomery
Ward company, department store operators, had been purchasing and
distributing children's coloring books as Christmas gifts for their
customers for several years. In 1939, Montgomery Ward tapped one of
their own employees to create a book for them, thus saving money.
34-year old copywriter Robert L. May wrote the story of Rudolph the
Red-nosed Reindeer in 1939, and 2.4 million copies were handed out
that year. Despite the wartime paper shortage, over 6 million copies
had been distributed by 1946.
May drew in part on the story "The Ugly Duckling" and in part from
his own experiences as an often taunted, small, frail youth to
create the story of the misfit reindeer. Though Rollo and Reginald
were considered, May settled on Rudolph as his reindeer's name. |
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Writing in verse as a series of rhyming
couplets, May tested the story as he went along on his 4-year old
daughter Barbara, who loved the story
Sadly, Robert Mays wife died around the time
he was creating Rudolph, leaving Mays deeply in debt due to medical
bills. However, he was able to persuade Sewell Avery, Montgomery
Ward's corporate president, to turn the copyright over to him in
January 1947, thus ensuring May's financial security.
May's story "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was printed
commercially in 1947 and in 1948 a nine-minute cartoon of the story
was shown in theaters. When May's brother-in-law, songwriter Johnny
Marks, wrote the lyrics and melody for the song "Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer", the Rudolph phenomenon was born. Turned down by
many musical artists afraid to contend with the legend of Santa
Claus, the song was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949 at the urging of
Autry's wife. The song sold two million copies that year, going on
to become one of the best-selling songs of all time, second only to
Bing Crosby's "White Christmas". The 1964 television special about
Rudolph, narrated by Burl Ives, remains a holiday favorite to this
day and Rudolph himself has become a much-loved Christmas icon. |
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Santa Claus |
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The origin of Santa Claus begins
in the 4th century with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in
present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man,
particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he
was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole
his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St.
Nicholas' popularity throughout Europe.
His kindness and reputation
for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles
and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint
of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard,
and bishop's mitre. |
In Greece, he is the patron saint of sailors,
in France he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium the patron of
children and travellers. Thousands of churches across Europe were
dedicated to him and some time around the 12th century an official
church holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas
was celebrated December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and
charity.
After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas dwindled,
but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of
his name Sint Nikolaas was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas.
Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and
Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their
shoes. Dutch colonists brought brought this tradition with them to
America in the 17th century and here the Anglican name of Santa
Claus emerged.
In 1822 Clement C. Moore composed the poem
A Visit From Saint Nicholas,
published as The Night Before Christmas as a gift for his children.
In it, he portrays Santa Claus:
He had a broad
face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly,
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
Other countries feature different
gift-bearers for the Christmas or Advent season: La Befana in Italy
~ The Three Kings in Spain, Puerto Rico, and Mexico ~ Christkindl or
the Christ Child in Switzerland and Austria ~ Father Christmas in
England ~ and Pere Noël, Father Christmas or the Christ Child in
France. Still, the figure of Santa Claus as a jolly, benevolent,
plump man in a red suit described in Moore's poem remains with us
today and is recognized by children and adults alike around the
world. Read even more about Christmas traditions and
Santa Claus |
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Stockings |
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According to legend,
a kindly nobleman grew despondent over the death of his beloved wife
and foolishly squandered his fortune. This left his three young
daughters without dowries and thus facing a life of spinsterhood.
The generous St. Nicholas, hearing of the girls' plight, set forth
to help. Wishing to remain anonymous, he rode his white horse by the
nobleman's house and threw three small pouches of gold coins down
the chimney where they were fortuitously captured by the stockings
the young women had hung by the fireplace to dry.
Read more about
Christmas stockings
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Traditions in the United
States |
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The variations of the Christmas traditions of
USA equal the number active cultures that have settled in the land.
These cultural contributions were given a new lease of life by
creative artists, authors, poets and songwriters, and it was melded
together by the power of secular and commercialized media in record
companies, radio stations, television, cinemas and now the internet.
The unwritten law of media is the presentation of a seemingly
uniform celebration of the Christmas traditions of USA. This is
responsible for the world wide acceptance of a universal Christmas
image which they get from the media. Nevertheless, the celebrations
are peculiar to each region. |
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Trees |
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In
16th-century Germany fir trees were decorated, both indoors
and out, with apples, roses, gilded candies, and colored paper. In
the Middle Ages, a popular religious play depicted the story of Adam
and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
A fir tree hung with apples was used to
symbolize the Garden of Eden and was called the Paradise Tree. The
play ended with the prophecy of a savior coming, and so was often
performed during the Advent season.
It is held that Protestant reformer Martin
Luther first adorned trees with light. While coming home one
December evening, the beauty of the stars shining through the
branches of a fir inspired him to recreate the effect by placing
candles on the branches of a small fir tree inside his home |
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The Christmas Tree was
brought to England by Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert from
his native Germany. The famous Illustrated News etching in 1848,
featuring the Royal Family of Victoria, Albert and their children
gathered around a Christmas tree in Windsor Castle, popularized the
tree throughout Victorian England. Brought to America by the
Pennsylvania Germans, the Christmas tree became by the late 19th
century. Read even more about
Christmas Trees
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