A History of Christmas Traditions
by Kimberly Emory
M
any Christmas traditions began long before the birth of Christ and Christianity. Various sights and events associated with the Christmas season began hundreds of years ago in ancient civilizations.
Christmas wreaths from fruit, nuts, and evergreens. Many across the country wanted the ‘Williamsburg look’ in their own homes at Christmastime, but this is not historically accurate to early American celebrations.
Winter solstice was celebrated by Celtic Druids in France, Britain and Ireland. This festival honored the sun on its shortest day in the sky, encouraging it to return for longer periods. In Persia, the god of light, Mithra, was born on December 25th and this time was accompanied by feasts and celebrations. The Roman god of agriculture symbolized by the sun, Saturn, was honored in a weeklong festival in Rome during this season, and in Scandinavia, yuletide was held as a 2 week-long festival for their god Thor. All of these festivals passed on holiday traditions through the years and as the world expanded. Immigrants traveling across Europe and eventually to America brought their traditions with them, which are still seen today.
In 1828 Dr. Poinsett returned from Mexico where he was ministering with the lovely red blooms on beautiful greenery we commonly see during the holidays today. This poinsettia flower was renamed for him. There is a Mexican legend about a girl who had nothing to give to the Christ child as a gift one Christmas eve. An angel appeared and told her to gather weeds and take them to the manger. While others laughed and scoffed at her gift, after she laid them down they miraculously bloomed the lovely red blossoms of the poinsettia plant!
Christmas Trees
Both the Romans and the Scandinavians used evergreens to decorate during their winter festivals. They felt that this plant was the most honorable because it stayed green through the winter when other plants did not. The Druids also believed that mistletoe was magical- that it brought love and good luck. They also wore holly in their hair during their celebrations.
Trees were first used during Saturnalia in Rome, when they decorated evergreen trees with candles and figures of Saturn. The Druids also decorated trees with candles and golden fruits to symbolize the sun during the winter solstice. Later, in the Middle Ages of Europe, plays about Adam and Eve travelled through northern Europe. One of the features of the play was called a paradise tree, often decorated with red fruits like apples. Since these plays were performed at Christmas time, the tree was linked with Christmas this way.
In colonial American times, decorations at Christmas were sparse, but holly was most often used, especially in churches. Later, during the restoration of Williamsburg, women created
Martin Luther is well known for having Christmas trees in Germany, where they hung cookies and candles on their boughs. Later, German professor Charles Minnigerode brought the
Greenery
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Family • November 2021
Christmas tree to America when he stayed with an American family while teaching at William & Mary in 1842. The early Americans decorated their trees with paper chains, candles, popcorn and cranberry garlands, and cornhusk figures.
Lights Since all of the ancient festivals had to do with the sun and light, candles were used frequently as decorations. After the arrival of Christianity, as Jesus declared himself the ‘light of the world’, candles and lights continued to be utilized during the Christmas season. In the Middle Ages candles were placed in windows as a symbol of welcome to the Christ child searching for lodging. Candles were also used to decorate Christmas trees, but as they were a very real fire hazard they were replaced with electric lights when available. Additionally, the Norsemen burned a Yule log on December 21st to encourage the return of light and heat on the darkest day of the year.
Food and Feasting All of the ancient winter festivals were a time of feasting. Often wild boar was eaten during winter festivals, which translates to modern day Christmas hams. The yule log of the Norsemen is often times now celebrated as a rolled ice cream or cake dessert instead of an actual log in a fireplace. In the Middle Ages pie and plum pudding was popular during the Christmas season. In colonial America, life was hard and there was much work to be done. However, at Christmas time the harvest
