Christmas Traditions
1) Why is Christmas on December 25th?
The world has many religions and people with many gods. In 336 AD, the Christian leaders set the date of Christmas to be December 25. This was about the same day as a popular Roman holiday that celebrated the winter solstice. The exact day of Christ’s birth is not known. Christmas is not an American holiday or a Western holiday. While Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, many families just enjoy the ‘holiday spirit’, the good food, and exchange of gifts.
2) Why do people give gifts?
In The book of Matthew in the Bible, the wise men (the Magi) brought gifts to Jesus. "On coming to the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh." It is also said that God gave the best present to Man – The Gift of Eternal Life. When someone gives you a gift, you often have a desire to give something in return. There is also another proverb that says: “it is better to give than to receive”.
3) Why is there a small evergreen tree in your house?
This may be a German tradition, started as early as 700 A.D. In the 1800s the tradition of a Christmas tree was widespread in Germany. It then moved to England and then to America through Pennsylvanian German immigrants. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge ceremoniously lit the first outdoor tree at the White House, starting that long tradition.
4) Why do people use holly and mistletoe?
The church forbade the use of mistletoe in any form. (Legend says that it has magical sexual powers). As a substitute, it suggested holly. The sharply pointed leaves were to symbolize the thorns in Christ's crown and the red berries drops of his blood. Holly became a nativity tradition. The Christian ban on mistletoe was in effect throughout the Middle Ages. Surprisingly, as late as the 20th century, there were churches in England that forbade the wearing of mistletoe sprigs and corsages during services.
5) What is the Nativity scene? The star, the manger, the shepherds, the angels, and the wise men all come from the books Matthew and Luke in the Bible. (The wise men did not really come until two years after Jesus was born).
6) What is the Yuletide?
"Yuletide" is another word for "Christmas time". It comes from the tradition of the yule log. This was a big log used in the holiday fires. "Yule" can be traced back to the Middle English "Yollen" (cry aloud) and is thought to date from early Anglo-Saxon celebration of the discovery (after the winter solstice) that nights were becoming shorter.
7) Why are fruitcakes part of the holiday tradition? According to "The Joy of Cooking," by Irma Rombauer and Marion Becker, "Many people feel that these cakes improve greatly with age. When they are well saturated with alcoholic liquors, which raise the spirits and keep down mold, and are buried in powdered sugar in tightly closed tins, they have been enjoyed as long as 25 years after baking." There is a big joke about giving Fruitcakes but very few people really eat them.
8) Why do people hang up socks or stockings?
According to a very old tradition, the original Saint Nicholas left his very first gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor girls who needed the money for their wedding dowries. The girls had hung their stockings by the fire to dry. It was traditional to receive small items like fruit, nuts and candy in your stocking. Another story parents tell their children is that if they are not good, Santa will only leave a lump of coal.
9) Why do people send Christmas cards?
Christmas cards started in London in 1843 and in America in 1846. Lots of people send out holiday greeting cards to friends and family at Christmas time. Today, about two billion Christmas cards are exchanged every year in the United States. Sending Cards is a good way for families to share events of the year.
10) Who is Santa Claus?
Why is Santa characterized as a short, fat and jolly pipe smoker?
Why does Santa wear such outlandish clothes? Why does he ride around in a sleigh? What are flying reindeer that land on rooftops? Why does he climb down the chimney with a big sack full of toys which he leaves under the tree for good girls and boys? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Santa Claus started with a real person, Saint Nicholas. It is amazing but true that the common, popular view of Santa that we all have today, along with all the crazy things around Santa like the sleigh, the reindeer and the chimney, all came largely from two publishing events that occurred in the 1800s and one advertising campaign in this century. Clement Moore wrote "The Night Before Christmas" in 1822 for his family. It was picked up by a newspaper and reprinted in magazines. It was very popular and it spread quickly.
Moore admitted authorship in 1838. If you read the poem you will find that he names the reindeer, invents the sleigh, comes up with the chimney and the bag of toys, etc. Nearly everyone in America has been able to recognize or recite this poem since the 1830s.
Then, between 1863 and 1886, Harper's Weekly (a popular magazine of the time) ran a series of engravings by Thomas Nast. From these images come the concepts of Santa's workshop, Santa reading letters, Santa checking his list and so on. Coca-Cola also played a role in the Santa image by running a set of paintings by Haddon Sundblom in its ads between 1931 to 1964.
The red and white suit came, actually, from the original Saint Nicholas. Those colors were the colors of the traditional bishop's robes in the church.
See also A Brief History of Santa for a good set of Santa pictures
The Candy Cane The white color of the Christmas candy symbolizes the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus. The hardness of the candy symbolizes the solid rock, the foundation of churches and the firmness of the promises made by God. The candies are made in a “J” shape to represent the name of Jesus and the shape of the staff of the “Good Shepherd”. And the three red stripes on the candy represent the Trinity and the blood shed by Christ to let us have the promise of the eternal life.
Caroling Caroling is an old Christmas tradition. It dates back to ancient Greece, and originates in the word choraulien, meaning "to dance to a flute." By the Middle Ages, it meant "to sing and dance together". Over time, caroling became associated with Christmas songs. Because many people could not read or write, music was used to remember and tell the stories, traditions and history.
Bells
Bells have often been used in churches or towns to call the people to worship or signal important information. The birth of Jesus, the savior, was an event worthy of ‘ringing the bell’.
Angels
Angels are an important symbol for Christmas. An angel is a messenger from God. Gabriel is the Angle who came to Mary and told her she was going to have God’s son, the savior of the word. The angels also came to the Shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem and told them where they would find Jesus.
Wreaths The holiday wreath is made of fresh evergreens and is hung on the door. A circle has not beginning or end to remind us of eternal life. A wreath is also a symbol of victory. Christ gave man a victory over death.
Poinsettia This plant was brought to America in 1828 by Dr. Joel Poinsett in 1828. The story is that a small boy had no gift for Jesus and when he prayed, the beautiful plant appeared. This read leaves and growth in the winter is another reminder of the gift of eternal life that Jesus Christ gave to man when he died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin. The leaves also are a reminder of the Star that was in the sky.
The STAR The star appeared in the sky as a sign that a new King had been born. The Bible says that the wise men (or Kings) knew they needed to see this King. While many pictures show the wise men in the manger when Jesus was born, they really did not arrive until two years later. The Star-of-David is another symbol used by the Jews.
Wise Men Still Seek Him
Christmas Traditions
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