The Humble Beginnings of Christmas Traditions

Did you know that the word “Christmas” originates from the Old English words, Cristes maesse, meaning “Christ’s Mass” and was probably first celebrated back in AD 336 in Rome? Nowadays, we observe several practices which were handed down to us from our great grandparents. It is important however, to know the origins of these traditions for us to understand Christmas better.

Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree tradition started in Germany around AD 700, and later on spread widely throughout England and finally into America through Pennsylvanian German immigrants. People most probably started adorning Christmas trees in the 16th century after Martin Luther first placed candles on the Christmas tree.

Mistletoes

Mistletoes, sharply-pointed holly leaves, became a symbol of Christ’s crown of thorns and the red berries a symbol of drops of his blood has been utilized as a house ornament for thousands of years.

The word “Yule”

The word “Yule” came from the early Anglo Saxon festivities of prolonging daylight after the winter solstice. It is a term taken from the Middle English Yollen, which means to “cry aloud.”

Santa Claus

Santa Claus, which was originally based on Saint Nicholas, was a bishop of Myra in Lycia (Turkey) and attended the First Council of Nicaea back in 325. Mr. Nicholas had an astonishing reputation for his compassion and generosity especially for the poor. Legend has it that he performed miracles for the poor and unhappy people, which made people happy. The Christmas stocking tradition originated from a legend saying that Mr. Nicholas left gold coins inside the stockings of three poor girls who badly needed the money for their wedding plans and saved them from a life of prostitution.

The modern outlook of Santa Claus on his sleigh with reindeers strapped on to his sleigh, all those chimney stories and all else associated with him mostly comes from the poem “The Night before Christmas,” which was originally written for his family back in 1822. The poem was broadly published and reprinted in magazines and newspapers. The red suit Santa Claus wears came from Saint Nicholas’s traditional red bishop’s robes.

Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer

The well-known name “Rudolf” appeared when the Montgomery Ward Stores gave away 2.4 million copies of a booklet called: “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” in 1939. The booklet was originally written by Robert May from the company’s advertising department. The famous song, a musical version of the poem, is now second only to White Christmas in popularity.

The song “White Christmas”

It was Irving Berlin who wrote the song “White Christmas,” for the Holiday Inn film back in 1942. It was performed by Bing Crosby and had become a best-selling song of all time by the end of the Second World War.

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker which was created in 1892 was a beloved and popular ballet and later on introduced to North America in the early 20th century by Russian touring companies. It has been performed by the world’s most prominent dance companies, been seen on television and has been adapted across North America providing copious amounts of performances. The NYCB’s Nutcracker was seen across the continent when televised in the late 1950′s and has become a meaningful and popular ritual for many Americans.