Traditional Christmas Things

Christmas traditions are practiced in most Christian households during the holidays.

The story behind Christmas began in a stable in Bethlehem, Israel, more than 2,000 years ago. However, the celebration of this holiday was started by Christians in order to compete with a Roman pagan holiday. Popular American Christmas traditions have developed over the years and are practiced by most Christian households during the winter season.

Santa Claus

Many shopping malls have a costumed Santa Claus whom children can come and share their secret Christmas wishes.

This mythical man has many names throughout the world but in the United States we call him Santa Claus. The legend was derived from a Dutch myth from the 1600s about a man named Sinterklaas. The name Saint Nicholas was first heard in the United States when Washington Irving wrote Christmas stories about the holiday figure bringing presents to children. But in 1823 St. Nick was massively popularized through the poem of Clement Clark Moore who wrote "The Night Before Christmas" in which we derive much of the folklore about Santa today. Many children in the United States and other countries around the world believe that Santa Claus brings them gifts on Christmas Eve, sometimes coming through the chimney if there is one available. Children bake cookies for Santa the night before Christmas to give him sustenance on his night journey around the world.

Christmas Tree

Today, finding a Christmas tree is a family affair during the holidays.

Christmas trees today are decorated with expensive ornaments, shiny balls and sparkling garlands, but the first Christmas trees in 16th-century Germany were decorated with apples, roses, candles and colored paper. Historically, the Christmas tree was first seen in a religious play portraying the Paradise Tree in the Garden of Eden and was decorated with apples. The end of the play marked the return of the Saviour Jesus and was often peformed during advent season in the Middle Ages. Legend has it that Martin Luther was the first to add lights to the Christmas tree by placing candles on a fir tree in his home during December.

Mistletoe

Kissing underneath the mistletoe began with the Scandinavian goddess, Frigga.

Before it became a Christian tradition during the holidays, mistletoe was first used in pagan practices in Scandinavia to protect homes from evil spirits. The tradition of kissing under mistletoe began with a Scandinavian myth about the goddess of love, Frigga, who would give a kiss to anyone standing underneath the white-berried plant. The berries on the mistletoe were said to be the tears of Frigga whose own son was killed by a weapon formed from the leaves of the plant. Other pagan religions, such as the Druid religion, believed that mistletoe held the secret to happiness. The Christian religion later adopted it as a symbol of the healing power of Christ.

Christmas Stockings

Christmas stockings are filled with small items for families to enjoy.

This tradition first started from the legend of Saint Nicholas who came to the rescue of three young girls whose father had lost his fortune after the death of their mother. Because of the Father's irresponsibility, his daughters no longer had a dowry. But one evening, the three girls washed their socks and hung them to dry over the fireplace. Enter Saint Nicholas who filled each sock with three bags of gold. The tradition continues today as children place decorated Christmas stockings on a fireplace mantle (if they have one) or somewhere else in the home. The parents fill the stockings with small gifts such as candy or playing cards that are found on Christmas morning.

References

• Merry Christmas: Christmas Traditions
• All Things Christmas: Christmas Traditions
• Simple to Remember: The Real Story of Christmas