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Christmas Traditions
Ask any child what their favorite holiday is and you’ll undoubtedly
get the same answer, “CHRISTMAS!” Yes, even Christmas’ today, which
are totally geared toward shopping and who has the biggest Christmas
tree with the most presents underneath, are still the number one
holiday of the year. And yes, it IS a fun and wonderful holiday for
children in many ways, but the problem is: It should be a
celebration of the One True Child’s birthday we honor on that day,
Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, not all the festivities and how
many gifts we receive.
Now, don’t roll your eyes and fret that this writing is going to be
just another chance to preach at you about how far away from
Christianity and the bible America has come—we still have over 80
percent of the population claiming to be Christians. That’s a fact,
and it personally gives me hope of the future!
Memory Lane: A walk down memory
lane at Christmastime most often brings to mind; Snowflakes gently
falling on a farmhouse surrounded by towering oaks in a huge yard, a
snow-covered red barn, fenced fields, and pine trees in the distance
covered in white. And inside—a warm crackling fire, the home and
Christmas tree beautifully decorated and glowing with lights inside
and out, smells of pies, cakes, and candies baking while stacks of
presents wait under the tree to be opened. A Christmas filled with
fairytales, Santa Claus, a world at peace, cards and letters from
friends and family, and cheery greetings from everyone you meet on
the streets of your town. It’s church choirs and people caroling
down wintry lanes. And it’s silver bells, eggnog, and apple cider
with cinnamon sticks, happy faces on pink-cheeked children anxious
and delighted with all the excitement and wonder of the holiday. Who
wouldn’t love Christmas?
Traditions: Yes, I’m at that
stage in life where remembering and comparing the ‘Good Ol’ Days’ to
today just seem always to be better, and this most definitely
includes Christmas holidays and how we celebrated them way back
when. I also hear from both parents, (still surviving in their
mid-eighties) that it was even more wonderful and heartfelt in their
day. I do so miss the family closeness and traditions of earlier
times; how being without much money jingling in your pocket made
very little difference in the excitement of Christmas and the ways
families celebrated it. Traditions were a great part of the
celebrations then, and it makes me sad to see some of these glorious
experiences fading away because of commercialism and political
correctness.
But let’s reminisce a while starting with how some of these early
traditions of Christmas were started, what immigrants brought to
this country in the way of celebrating Christmas in their birth
countries, and how the Christmas tree became the center of activity
and decoration for the American family.
Immigrants:
one hundred years ago didn’t bring only their children,
clothing, and personal effects with them when coming to a new nation
such as America, Canada, or other lands far from the shores of their
homeland. They also brought their heritage and part of their culture
into many of the holidays they celebrated. Christmas being the most
common holiday throughout the world is the very reason we see so
many different family traditions portrayed across the land during
this season.
Food is an obvious tradition according to what our ancestors
maintained as tradition during the Christmas holiday in their home
countries. Sweets, nuts, and fruits, along with the family dinner at
Christmas are traditions separating ethnic groups to this very day.
If you are Scandinavian, for instance, try visiting an Italian
family at Christmastime. You will be amazed at the difference in
foods that are eaten only at this special time of year, totally
alien to what your family serves. And guess what—Germans are
responsible for the original Christmas cookies, decorated with all
the designs of the holiday. Hurrah for Germany!
Advent calendars: were popular
with immigrant families. They usually are comprised of little
windows or houses with flaps to be opened each day of the month of
December up to, and including, Christmas day. Behind these flaps was
a poem, scripture, fortune, or piece of chocolate candy. Each day
this would be a ritual to open the little door for that particular
date and receive a reward or verse. Children relished this wonderful
tradition, and families still celebrate the twenty-five days leading
to Christmas with advent calendars to this very day.
Christmas cards:
This long held
tradition started in Great Britain and was expanded greatly by one
Lois Prang, a German immigrant to the United States. Early Christmas
cards were mostly made up of religious scenes and verses but as time
progressed, they became more of Santa Claus, snowmen, animals, and
reminiscent scenery of days past, (such as Currier & Ives cards
regularly depicted.) Christmas cards used to flood post offices
throughout the nation at Christmastime, and cause mailmen to work
many overtime hours distributing them. But purchasing and mailing
Christmas cards to friends, family, and fellow employees has become
a dying art with the high cost of the cards and postage, and also
common use of sending cards and letters by computer internet-system
in these modern times.
St. Nicholas: The old man with a
sack refers to ‘Father Christmas,’ (or in western civilization—Santa
Claus, the Americanized version from the Dutch word, Sinterklaas) An
elderly man with long white beard, dressed in red, and carrying a
bag full of toys was always his description passed down through the
ages. But did you know, a REAL person was behind the image that
began the tradition of exchanging gifts and giving to the poor at
Christmastime? His name was St. Nicholas…This man was a true
Christian living in Myra, now known as Turkey. Though shy, he wanted
to give anonymously to poor and underprivileged children of his
time, (the 4th century AD.) He did so with money and gifts sometimes
left in Children’s stockings drying by a crackling fire on the
hearth. December 6th is still recognized as St. Nicholas Day in some
countries, whereas in America, Santa leaves gifts on Christmas Eve,
(December 24th) as he makes his run with flying reindeer and a
sleigh full of toys on that Holy Night.
Nativity Scenes: (more commonly
called manger scenes.) Italians immigrating to America because of
poverty and social unrest in their land brought with them this
tradition in the 1700 and 1800’s. While it is a pivotal religious
symbol at Christmastime throughout the world, the Italians were the
originators. It seems St. Francis of Assisi commissioned a Nativity
Scene to be built and displayed in front of the catholic cathedral
in Italy where he was priest. During that Christmas holiday these
centuries ago, this scene was to represent the birth of Christ
throughout the season and for several days after.
Today it would take more than a week and over an hour each to visit
and tour all the Nativity Scenes in Naples and Rome alone.
Nativity Scenes being used as a religious symbol on public property
in America today is being argued and ridiculed in our congress as
having no place in modern day history. My opinion on that is: Bunk!
Christmas colors and flower:
Now what could be more American than red and green Christmas colors or
the poinsettia flower? Or what inspired these two to become the
traditional colors and flower of this great Christian holiday? Well
folks, they both originated in Mexico. Now that I have your
attention, the story goes that our Ambassador to Mexico in 1825
through 1829, Dr, Joel Pointsett, loved botany (the study of plant
life for those of you who don’t know what that is,) and he brought
back to his home state of North Songina, the “Flower of the Holy
Night” from this barren land due south of the United States. The
Pointsettia flourished in the Songinas and was named for the
ambassador, becoming the traditional Christmas flower and colors of
Christmas ever after.
The Christmas Tree: I have so
much to tell you about the tradition of Christmas trees, you’ll just
have to check out that page on this same website…It’s real
simple—Look under Christmas trees. Now, don’t miss it!
And this Christmas when you bite into that sugar cookie or carve
that ham, turkey, or roast at the family holiday dinner surrounded
by decorations and poinsettia flowers, think about the people who
brought these traditions to this great nation from many, many
countries all over the world, centuries ago—our ancestors.
Merry Christmas Traditions
& A Prosperous New Year!
Written by Granny Tam
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My vote is to have Christmas traditions all year round. You see at
Christmas time most people at least the ones I have met, always change just a
little for the better around Christmas. I do not know whether or not it is the
great yuletide Christmas carols, the festive atmosphere every where you go, or just some
hidden part in all of us that screams out,