Many of our Christmas traditions have a long and fascinating history.
Christmas cards, Christmas trees, Christmas carols and other traditions are still important parts of our festive celebrations.
The development of some of these traditions is traced in this article.
Christmas Trees
There are various theories about the origin of the Christmas Tree. One suggestion is that is it derived from the old English Yule tradition of decorating houses with tree branches. Another story from the 16th century is that German religious leader Martin Luther was walking one Christmas Eve under a sky full of stars. He took home a small tree from the forest and decorated it with candles to remind him of the stars in Heaven.
Christmas Cards
A London art dealer Henry Cole invented the first Christmas card in 1843 as a quick way to send greetings to friends. Cole tried to sell the cards to others, but they were not popular. However, as printing and postal systems soon developed, Christmas cards quickly became a tradition around the world.
Christmas Carols
The word carol comes from an old French word carolet, which means to dance in a ring. The first carols were written in Europe around 1200. Christmas carols became more popular with the writng of many well-known songs during the 19th century, including "Silent Night" (1817), "We Three Kings" (1857) and "Away in a Manger" (1877).
Stockings
European legend tells how St. Nicholas was concerned about the plight of three desperately poor sisters and so one night he dropped three gold coins down their chimney. The coins fell into the girls' stockings hung by the fire to dry. The hopeful have been hanging up their stockings ever since!
Wreaths
Christmas wreaths are often intertwined with red ribbons and decorations. The wreath's evergreen leaves represent the everlasting life that Christ's birth promised, while the circular shape recalls the crown of thorns placed on His head.
Holly
During the Middle Ages, the red berries from holly were believed to keep witches at bay and its evergreen leaves symbolised eternal life. The plant has also long been associated with Jesus Christ – the red berries representing drops of blood and the prickly leaves the crown of thorns.
Boxing Day
A common explanation for Boxing Day is that it originates from Ancient Rome where apprentices were given boxes of money on the day after Christmas. Similarly in 19th century England, the servants of large households would receive boxes of money from their employers. Churchgoers also donated money into a box in the church. The funds were then distributed to the poor of the parish on December 26.
Sources and Further Reading:
Encyclopedia Britannica, Origins and Development of Christmas (accessed November 11, 2010).
The History of Christmas website contains a comprehensive overview of traditions in various parts of the world.
The associated article on Christmas – History and Traditions Around the World looks at how the celebration of Christmas was established.
Geoff Williams - Geoff Williams has combined careers in journalism, writing, marketing and teaching. He is the author of several published books and ...
