The tradition of gift giving around Christmas is becoming an ever more global celebration. That isn’t to say however there isn’t some quirky variations, quite the opposite in fact. Many countries hang on to their own alternatives to Santa. Here are three variations you might not have heard of…

Ded Moroz

Ded Moroz translates pretty much directly as ‘Grandfather Frost’ and you’ll find him doing his rounds in many of the former Russian states of Eastern Europe. He’s a lover of a jolly red costume and also has a large white beard, just like Santa but it is his history that’s interesting. He was once an evil sorcerer who has now reformed and gives gifts to children as a way of making up for all his evil deeds, which included kidnapping little ones and demanding presents as ransom.

Now however, he typically delivers his gifts over New Year’s, though it isn’t unusual for him to turn up at parties and hand out gifts in person. He also has a side kick to help him, his granddaughter who is referred to as ‘The Snow Maiden’.

La Benafa

La Benafa hails from Italy and while her modus operandi is very much in line with that of the Santa Claus we know, her appearance is quite different. For a start she’s a woman, and although her back story is variable, the most common version suggests that she offered shelter and food to the three wise kings as they travelled to see the infant Jesus.

Her appearance is actually more in line with that of a traditional Halloween witch, flying around with a bag of presents on a broomstick. She also enters houses via the chimney as a way of delivery and is more than happy to leave a lump of coal for a child that’s been naughty. Interestingly she is thought to be heck of a housekeeper and demonstrates this by sweeping the hearths as she leaves the way she came in.

Yule Lads

These guys are a group of thirteen tricky gnome-like little creatures that have taken on the gift giving duties in Iceland. There mischievous ways have led to them having some more negative incarnations throughout their history though now they tend to be seen as spirited and playful types, each with a preferred, often bizarre, speciality. For example the Yule Lad known as Stekkjastaur is said to hassle sheep while wandering about on wooden legs.

They do also give presents to kids, helped out by a yuletide cat, a grizzly creature who deals with the extra naughty. The Yule lads leave small gifts in the shoes of good children, whereas those less well behaved awake to find their footwear filled with potatoes.

These are just three of the weird and wonderful variations to Santa that as we speak are gearing up to their busiest time of the year… which means if you happen to be in Iceland, be good, unless you want a shoe full of root vegetable.

David James researches and writes about the weird and quirky for novelty Christmas gifts retailer Find Me A Gift.

Did you know that the history of Christmas tree is as colorful as its appearance? Its origin is rich with various legends and Biblical interpretations, Christian practices, love stories, miracles, and international customs.

Germany is attributed with beginning the tradition of Christmas trees; in the 16th century, devout Christians brought adorned trees into their homes. Traditionally, people decorated their evergreens with candle lights, ornaments, garlands, glitter, and candy canes. An alternative to the Christmas tree was called a Christmas pyramid, which was made of stacked wood in the shape of a tree, and decorated with evergreens and candles.

Historians believe that the 16^th-century Protestant reformer Martin Luther was behind the idea of incorporating candles to a tree. An anecdote about him says that on his way home one wintry Christmas Eve, Martin Luther was overwhelmed by the radiance of the stars, twinkling amidst evergreens. Inspired by what he saw, he shared the story to his children and brought back the view for his family, by putting up a tree in the living room. He incorporated lighted candles around it in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Myths and Legends

1. Saint Boniface and the Tree. In 722, Saint Boniface is said to have met some pagans who were about to sacrifice a child at the foot of a huge oak tree. To stop the sacrifice, he cut down the tree, where miraculously, on the same spot, a Fir tree instantly grew. The saint then enlightened everyone that the divine evergreen, with its branches pointing to heaven, was a sacred tree of the child Jesus Christ, which stands for the assurance of everlasting life.
2. Queen Victoria’s Romance and the Tree. Another unforgettable story from Germany is about Queen Victoria who used to regularly visit relatives in Germany. It was there that she fell in love with Prince Albert. Upon marriage, the couple settled in England to raise their family. Since then, Prince Albert decorated a Christmas tree as a family tradition. From that time, around 1830, the people of England imitated the custom of tree decorating as a symbol of their devotion for their Queen.
3. Middle Ages Germans and Scandinavians and the Tree.  History says that in Germany and Scandinavia during the Middle Ages, people used to place evergreen trees indoors or outdoors in anticipation of the coming spring.
4. Pagan Traditions and the Tree. It is believed that prior to the spread of Christianity, green trees had an exceptional significance during the winter season. Pagans hung evergreen boughs on their doors and windows as a symbol of hope for the spring. Traditionally, evergreens were used by many countries to drive away evil spirits, illnesses, and ghosts.
   The winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, where the shortest day and longest night of the year is experienced, usually falls on December 21st or December 22nd.  Correspondingly, those who worshipped a sun god believed that winter was the time when their sun god gets sick. Solstice was regarded by the worshippers as the moment when the sun god renewed his vigor; hence, they mark their celebration by displaying evergreen branches in their homes.
   Even the ancient Egyptians who worshipped the pagan god Ra used to fill their homes with green palms at the Solstice; they believed that, at Solstice, Ra began to recover from illness and regained strength. Analogously, early Romans celebrated the Solstice with a feast called Saturnalia in honor of the god of agriculture Saturn. The Romans decorated their homes and temples with green boughs as a sign of hope that soon the woods would be green and fruitful. Incidentally, the ferocious Vikings in Scandinavia believed that evergreens were the special plant of Balder, their sun god.  Similarly, the mysterious Druids in the northern Europe who were the priests of the ancient Celts, adorned their temples with evergreen boughs as a representation of everlasting life.
5. America and the Tree. When the Christmas tree was introduced in the United States in 19^th century, the idea was not readily accepted by most Americans, as they considered it as a pagan symbol. The first recorded Christmas tree display in the U.S. was in the 1830s, erected by some German pioneers in Pennsylvania. Shortly, in the early 20th century, Americans started adorning their trees primarily with homemade embellishments, while the German-Americans used apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies to decorate their trees. Then Christmas lights came in. Soon came our parents’ generation, when Christmas trees became a must-have in every American home.

Today, we continue the Christmas tree tradition and we create our own chapter of Christmas tree history. Irrespective of myths about its origin, may we redefine our Christmas trees and make it a symbol of life, joy, and love in our homes and in our hearts!

About Carrie Chen:

Carrie is the VP forMarketing at Treetopia, the ultimate Christmas store for fun and funky artificial Christmas trees.

by Mike Krumboltz for Stop The Presses!
Source: Yahoo

Christmas comes but once a year. Christmas carols, on the other hand… they can stay in your head for much longer.

Over the past several weeks, aspiring crooners have been searching for all manner of holiday tunes. Chestnuts roasting on open fires? Check. Reindeer with improbably red noses? Yup. Below we’ve written a list of the top searched-for Christmas carols. And, yes, we checked it twice.

Not surprisingly, it’s the 12 Days of Christmas in the top spot. We suspect most of these searches are from people wanting to know more about the story behind the lyrics. A partridge in a pear tree? Come on, who does that?

The song dates back to the 18th century, but didn’t come to the United States until the early 20th century when Emily Brown, a grade school teacher in Milwaukee, put on a play inspired by the classic carol. First Stage writes that Brown wrote several plays. Her version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” was so popular that the tune went on to “spread throughout the country.” And keep in mind, this was pre-Facebook.

The story behind “Silent Night” may be even more amazing. An Austrian priest named Joseph Mohr wrote the song in the 19th century. According to legend, it was Christmas Eve and Mohr discovered that his church organ wasn’t working. With little time to spare, Mohr pulled out a poem he had been working on, thinking that the church’s chorus could sing it without an organ to back them up. Needless to say, it worked. Silent Night is one of the all-time favorite Christmas carols. That may not be exactly how it all went down, but it sure makes for a good story.

The decidedly more modern “The Christmas Song” (aka “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”) comes in third. This classic tune was co-written by Mel Torme, and went on to be one of the “the most beloved seasonal standards after it was recorded by Nat (King) Cole in 1946.” According to his obituary in The New York Times, “Mr. Torme liked to recall that the song was written in just 40 minutes on a sweltering July afternoon in Los Angeles and that it had subsequently been recorded in 1,734 versions.”

Below, the rest of the top-searched Christmas carols…

1. 12 Days of Christmas

2. Silent Night

3. The Christmas Song

4. Jingle Bells

5. Baby it’s Cold Outside

6. Joy to the World

7. Last Christmas

8. O Holy Night

9. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

10. Feliz Navidad

by Stephanie Jolly
Source: Suite 101

If you’re like most holiday revelers, you’ve got a few parties to attend this season. Odds are that upon walking through the door, you’ll come face-to-face with a large bowl of murky liquid known as eggnog.

Your first reaction may be one of confusion, but try to keep it together. Although eggnog isn’t much to look at, it’s impossible to get away from. Around the holidays, sales of this gelatinous liquid skyrocket, and so do the Web searches.

Source: Christmas2010.net

Christmas is one of the most popular holidays and is celebrated around the world by Christians and non-Christians alike.

Although Christmas traditions vary from country to country, many are remarkably similar. For example, a beloved figure that gives out gifts appears in almost every single culture that celebrates Christmas. Sounds familiar, right? It turns out Santa Claus appears in many different guises, who knew! Impress your family this holiday with our Christmas trivia!

Who is Santa Claus?

The legend of St. Nicholas, otherwise known as Santa Claus, dates back centuries to the town of Myra (located in modern day Turkey), where Bishop Sinter Klaas was known for his generosity, especially towards children and the poor. According to Dutch legend, St. Nicholas would bring gifts at Christmastime by slipping in an open window or coming down the chimney. Thus, the tradition was born!

Unidentified flying…sleigh?

Every year at 5:00 a.m. MST on December 24th, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) watches their radar screen for one peculiar aircraft — Santa’s sleigh! Using a worldwide network of radar and satellites, NORAD is able to track Santa’s progress around the globe and report his current position via the Internet.

Come on…does Santa really exist?

Of course he does, in fact he lives in Rovaniemi, Finland! Don’t believe it? Visit Santa’s workshop for yourself and see the elves hard at work building toys for the holidays. Santa’s Village is located in the Finnish Lapland on the Article Circle, one of the coldest places on earth and certainly suitable for Santa’s North Pole address — brrrrr!

Santa, is that really you?

What do Three Kings, a Grandmother, a Gnome, a Camel, an Old Witch and a Jolly Old Man have in common? They all give out presents on Christmas! It’s true, Santa Claus is seen in many different guises; it all depends on the Christmas traditions of that particular culture. In France, children are visited by Père Noël, while in Holland they see St. Nicholas or Sinter Klaas. In England, Santa Claus is known as Father Christmas and in Latin America and Spain he is represented by the Three Kings. German children on the other hand will see Christkind, who is considered to be an angelic messenger of Jesus.

Meanwhile in Russia, gifts are handed out by the beloved Babouschka, a grandmotherly figure. If you grow up in Sweden, your presents will be delivered by a gnome in a sleigh while Syrian children receive their gifts from a camel belonging to the Three Wise Men. And if you live in Italy? Well, you’ll be getting a visit from a kind old witch named La Befana!

Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the world, and little wonder with its rich and intriguing history. Every culture that celebrates Christmas has their own unique spin on the traditions and the figure of the beloved gift giver Santa Claus. Whether he’s a camel, a gnome or just a kindly old man, we still love him. Merry Christmas!

by Tom Carrier
Source: Worthpoint

If you’re one of those folks who wears a sweatshirt in December that says “Let It Snow,” then you should be talking to Bob Eckstein. He has had such a fascination with the snowman that he not only has a unique collection of snowman memorabilia, he has written a book about them.

Eckstein first amassed a personal collection of about 1,200 antique paper and historical objects—probably the world’s largest known collection of snowmen. Many are advertising memorabilia, such as Snowman brand ‘Can’d Ice’ that “cools everything,” and magazine covers featuring the snowman for its winter editions. There are also postcards from the turn of the 20th century featuring the snowman to sell ice or to illustrate children at play in the winter. There are plastic snowmen on skis, Christmas ornaments, some made of paper mache, others used for holiday decorations.

“The book began about six years when I decided I wanted to solve a big mystery: Who made the first snowman,” Eckstein says. “I’ve talked to top professors and leading historians on the subject and I’ve learned that the snowman has this amazing history. I started initially that the snowman would originate at the turn of the century or with the movies or with TV.”

Instead, he says, he discovered that the snowman can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The colored images of early depictions of snowmen show them as part of the illuminated manuscripts of the era, drawn to illustrate an aphorism or to define a part of the written story. Over time, the snowman is depicted as benign or wicked in children stories, too.

However, by the early 20th century, the snowman, particularly in postcards, has been depicted as a drunkard or a womanizer, and used increasingly in advertising something cold, like beer. “This is known as the ‘Dean Martin Years,’” Eckstein says. A plastic snowman he has holds up a plastic bottle of Oertel’s Lager Beer, circa 1950, for example.

But with the environmental issue of global warming and the disappearance of ice from the world’s glaciers, the fate of the snowman may be meeting its inevitable end. All we will have left, like the life of dinosaurs, are books that show the evolution of a once common feature of everyday life, like “The History of the Snowman.” Perhaps, in time, there will be a museum of the snowman, too, right next to the museum of the tree. Not any time soon, I hope.

So, it’s true that whatever you collect, whether it is fine art, classic cars, or snowmen, it all has to start somewhere. Eckstein’s book “The History of the Snowman,” with its warm side as well as its cool side, makes me want to find snow and relive its ancient history by building a snowman, right next to the snow angel. And I’m cool with that.

By the way, the world’s largest snowman was created in Bethel, Maine, in 2008. Technically, it’s not a snowman, but a snowwoman, as “she” stood 122 feet, 1 inch tall and was named in honor of Olympia Snowe, the senior senator from Maine. Global warming isn’t winning yet.

By Barbara Crews

Some form of the Advent Calendar has been used for more than 150 years and becomes increasingly popular every year. From traditional calendar to calendars that feature popular collectibles and themes, there is a calendar for everyone.

The origin of the calendar, like so many of our Christmas traditions, started in Germany in the 19th century. Different methods of counting down the days to the celebration of Christmas were used.

Drawing a chalk line to mark off the days, later lighting a candle every night or putting up small religious pictures marked each day until Christmas. The first printed calendar was produced by Gerhard Lang in Germany. When he was a child, his mother attached little candies to a piece of cardboard and each day Gerhard would take one off. His first (printed) calendar consisted of miniature colored pictures that would be attached to a piece of cardboard each day in December. Later Advent calendars were made with little doors to open on each day. The child might find a small piece of candy, a Christmas picture, a religious picture or a bible verse.

The German calendars were sold until World War II, at which time production was stopped due to the war shortages. After the war, the production of calendars resumed in 1946 by Richard Selmer. Selmer credits President Eisenhower with helping the tradition grow in the United States during his term of office. A newspaper article at the time showed the Eisenhower grandchildren with The Little Town Advent calendar. His company still produces calendars today and can be ordered online. Check out the online museum to see some of their early designs.

The first Advent calendars were based on 24 days with Christmas Eve as the last night to either put up a picture or take a candy. Today, the traditional German calendars still show 24 days, but in the United States, it’s not uncommon to also find ones with 25 days — the last opening to occur on Christmas Day.

Advent Calendars can be found everywhere Christmas is celebrated and have been made with many different themes. There are permanent ones with little drawers that are opened every day, felt pieces to decorate a tree, religious icons behind the different doors and lots of pop-culture/character Advent calendars. The traditional ones are still a paper/cardboard piece with a small treasure behind the doors. The treasures can range from a beautiful miniature religious picture, perhaps a little wooden toy or even a piece of candy (sure to cause problems when there is more than one child in the household).

In our family we have a tradition that dates back to 1969, when I found a wooden tree Advent Calendar. There are painted wooden ornaments and each day another ornament is chosen to be added to the tree. On Christmas day, the star tree topper is finally added. The tree has grown a little shabby and the ornaments are getting tattered, but it’s still a tradition looked forward to every December.

It’s not too late to start a tradition like this for your family, one that will become a real treasure in the years to come.

Source: History.com

The Legend of St. Nicholas

The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 A.D. in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. One of the best known of the St. Nicholas stories is that he saved three poor sisters from being sold into slavery or prostitution by their father by providing them with a dowry so that they could be married. Over the course of many years, Nicholas’s popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and sailors. His feast day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, December 6. This was traditionally considered a lucky day to make large purchases or to get married. By the Renaissance, St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe. Even after the Protestant Reformation, when the veneration of saints began to be discouraged, St. Nicholas maintained a positive reputation, especially in Holland.

Sinter Klass Comes to New York

St. Nicholas made his first inroads into American popular culture towards the end of the 18th century. In December 1773, and again in 1774, a New York newspaper reported that groups of Dutch families had gathered to honor the anniversary of his death.

The name Santa Claus evolved from Nick’s Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas (Dutch for Saint Nicholas). In 1804, John Pintard, a member of the New York Historical Society, distributed woodcuts of St. Nicholas at the society’s annual meeting. The background of the engraving contains now-familiar Santa images including stockings filled with toys and fruit hung over a fireplace. In 1809, Washington Irving helped to popularize the Sinter Klaas stories when he referred to St. Nicholas as the patron saint of New York in his book, The History of New York. As his prominence grew, Sinter Klaas was described as everything from a “rascal” with a blue three-cornered hat, red waistcoat, and yellow stockings to a man wearing a broad-brimmed hat and a “huge pair of Flemish trunk hose.”

Shopping Mall Santas

Gift-giving, mainly centered around children, has been an important part of the Christmas celebration since the holiday’s rejuvenation in the early 19th century. Stores began to advertise Christmas shopping in 1820, and by the 1840s, newspapers were creating separate sections for holiday advertisements, which often featured images of the newly-popular Santa Claus. In 1841, thousands of children visited a Philadelphia shop to see a life-size Santa Claus model. It was only a matter of time before stores began to attract children, and their parents, with the lure of a peek at a “live” Santa Claus. In the early 1890s, the Salvation Army needed money to pay for the free Christmas meals they provided to needy families. They began dressing up unemployed men in Santa Claus suits and sending them into the streets of New York to solicit donations. Those familiar Salvation Army Santas have been ringing bells on the street corners of American cities ever since.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore, an Episcopal minister, wrote a long Christmas poem for his three daughters entitled “An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas.” Moore’s poem, which he was initially hesitant to publish due to the frivolous nature of its subject, is largely responsible for our modern image of Santa Claus as a “right jolly old elf” with a portly figure and the supernatural ability to ascend a chimney with a mere nod of his head! Although some of Moore’s imagery was probably borrowed from other sources, his poem helped popularize the now-familiar image of a Santa Claus who flew from house to house on Christmas Eve–in “a miniature sleigh” led by eight flying reindeer–leaving presents for deserving children. “An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas” created a new and immediately popular American icon. In 1881, political cartoonist Thomas Nast drew on Moore’s poem to create the first likeness that matches our modern image of Santa Claus. His cartoon, which appeared in Harper’s Weekly, depicted Santa as a rotund, cheerful man with a full, white beard, holding a sack laden with toys for lucky children. It is Nast who gave Santa his bright red suit trimmed with white fur, North Pole workshop, elves, and his wife, Mrs. Claus.

A Santa by Any Other Name

18th-century America’s Santa Claus was not the only St. Nicholas-inspired gift-giver to make an appearance at Christmastime. Similar figures were popular all over the world. Christkind or Kris Kringle was believed to deliver presents to well-behaved Swiss and German children. Meaning “Christ child,” Christkind is an angel-like figure often accompanied by St. Nicholas on his holiday missions. In Scandinavia, a jolly elf named Jultomten was thought to deliver gifts in a sleigh drawn by goats. English legend explains that Father Christmas visits each home on Christmas Eve to fill children’s stockings with holiday treats. Pere Noel is responsible for filling the shoes of French children. In Russia, it is believed that an elderly woman named Babouschka purposely gave the wise men wrong directions to Bethlehem so that they couldn’t find Jesus. Later, she felt remorseful, but could not find the men to undo the damage. To this day, on January 5, Babouschka visits Russian children leaving gifts at their bedsides in the hope that one of them is the baby Jesus and she will be forgiven. In Italy, a similar story exists about a woman called La Befana, a kindly witch who rides a broomstick down the chimneys of Italian homes to deliver toys into the stockings of lucky children.

The Ninth Reindeer

Rudolph, “the most famous reindeer of all,” was born over a hundred years after his eight flying counterparts. The red-nosed wonder was the creation of Robert L. May, a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department store.

In 1939, May wrote a Christmas-themed story-poem to help bring holiday traffic into his store. Using a similar rhyme pattern to Moore’s “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” May told the story of Rudolph, a young reindeer who was teased by the other deer because of his large, glowing, red nose. But, When Christmas Eve turned foggy and Santa worried that he wouldn’t be able to deliver gifts that night, the former outcast saved Christmas by leading the sleigh by the light of his red nose. Rudolph’s message—that given the opportunity, a liability can be turned into an asset—proved popular. Montgomery Ward sold almost two and a half million copies of the story in 1939. When it was reissued in 1946, the book sold over three and half million copies. Several years later, one of May’s friends, Johnny Marks, wrote a short song based on Rudolph’s story (1949). It was recorded by Gene Autry and sold over two million copies. Since then, the story has been translated into 25 languages and been made into a television movie, narrated by Burl Ives, which has charmed audiences every year since 1964.

Source: History.com

An Outlaw Christmas

In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday.

The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident.

After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under America’s new constitution. Christmas wasn’t declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.

Irving Reinvents Christmas

It wasn’t until the 19th century that Americans began to embrace Christmas. Americans re-invented Christmas, and changed it from a raucous carnival holiday into a family-centered day of peace and nostalgia. But what about the 1800s peaked American interest in the holiday?

The early 19th century was a period of class conflict and turmoil. During this time, unemployment was high and gang rioting by the disenchanted classes often occurred during the Christmas season. In 1828, the New York city council instituted the city’s first police force in response to a Christmas riot. This catalyzed certain members of the upper classes to begin to change the way Christmas was celebrated in America.

In 1819, best-selling author Washington Irving wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, gent., a series of stories about the celebration of Christmas in an English manor house. The sketches feature a squire who invited the peasants into his home for the holiday. In contrast to the problems faced in American society, the two groups mingled effortlessly. In Irving’s mind, Christmas should be a peaceful, warm-hearted holiday bringing groups together across lines of wealth or social status. Irving’s fictitious celebrants enjoyed “ancient customs,” including the crowning of a Lord of Misrule. Irving’s book, however, was not based on any holiday celebration he had attended – in fact, many historians say that Irving’s account actually “invented” tradition by implying that it described the true customs of the season.

A Christmas Carol

Also around this time, English author Charles Dickens created the classic holiday tale, A Christmas Carol. The story’s message-the importance of charity and good will towards all humankind-struck a powerful chord in the United States and England and showed members of Victorian society the benefits of celebrating the holiday.

The family was also becoming less disciplined and more sensitive to the emotional needs of children during the early 1800s. Christmas provided families with a day when they could lavish attention-and gifts-on their children without appearing to “spoil” them.

As Americans began to embrace Christmas as a perfect family holiday, old customs were unearthed. People looked toward recent immigrants and Catholic and Episcopalian churches to see how the day should be celebrated. In the next 100 years, Americans built a Christmas tradition all their own that included pieces of many other customs, including decorating trees, sending holiday cards, and gift-giving.

Although most families quickly bought into the idea that they were celebrating Christmas how it had been done for centuries, Americans had really re-invented a holiday to fill the cultural needs of a growing nation.

Source: History.com

Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

An Ancient Holiday

The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.

In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.

The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.

In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.

Saturnalia

In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters. Peasants were in command of the city. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could join in the fun.

Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra’s birthday was the most sacred day of the year.

In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century. By the end of the eighth century, the celebration of Christmas had spread all the way to Scandinavia. Today, in the Greek and Russian orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.

By holding Christmas at the same time as traditional winter solstice festivals, church leaders increased the chances that Christmas would be popularly embraced, but gave up the ability to dictate how it was celebrated. By the Middle Ages, Christianity had, for the most part, replaced pagan religion. On Christmas, believers attended church, then celebrated raucously in a drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today’s Mardi Gras. Each year, a beggar or student would be crowned the “lord of misrule” and eager celebrants played the part of his subjects. The poor would go to the houses of the rich and demand their best food and drink. If owners failed to comply, their visitors would most likely terrorize them with mischief. Christmas became the time of year when the upper classes could repay their real or imagined “debt” to society by entertaining less fortunate citizens.