By Daily Press staff
Every year, Christians celebrate Christmas but most of us have no earthly idea why we do the things we do — except that it’s tradition. Here are the origins of some of our most popular traditions: ■ Holly: Early Christians of Northern Europe decorated their homes and churches with this easily grown evergreen and was called “Holy Tree” and later “Holly,” because the pointed green leaves reminded them of the crown of thorns and the red berries of the drops of blood at Jesus’ crucifixion. ■ Kris Kringle: German for “Christ’s Child” or “Christkindlein.” A name for an early German gift-bringing infant Jesus or angelic being, who was thought of as Christ’s helper and gave gifts to poor and needy children. As cultures merged, visits from the similar St. Nicholas, Pere Noel, Pelznickel and Christkindlein all became overshadowed or mutated into Santa Claus. ■ Lights: The lighting of candles and decorating with candles has always been popular, but also one of biggest sources of danger during the Christmas holidays. In 1895 a New England telephone employee, Ralph Morris, while looking at the newly installed strings of lights made for the telephone switchboard, decided to take some home to decorate his tree with. It also may be attributed to Thomas Edison’s partner, Edward Johnson, for inventing of the first string of lights around the same time. In 1923, President Calvin Coolridge started the annual tradition of the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the White House lawn. ■ “Merry Christmas:” When the phrase was coined, merry meant blessed and peaceful, “or blessed and peaceful Christmas.” The phrase “God bless ye merry gentlemen” when written, meant “blessed peaceful” gentlemen. ■ Mistletoe: Ancient Celtic priests calls “Druids” around the new year would collect mistletoe from their holy oak tree and offer some as a sacrifice to the gods. Some would be hung up during a ceremony which people would stand under it and kiss, showing an end to their old grievances with each other. This later practice never actually died out. ■ Nativity Scene (creche): St. Francis of Assisi is responsible for popularizing the nativity scene, but most probably existed earlier. In 1223 or 1224, St. Francis wanted to add hope and joy of God's love to his message by constructing a life-size manger scene with live animals, with the gospel sung around the scene. This became very popular. ■ North Pole: In 1882 Thomas Nast drew a cartoon showing Santa sitting on a box addressed “Christmas Box 1882, St. Nicholas, North Pole.” Nast just figured it was a good place for Santa to live. ■ Ornaments: Early Christmas trees had real fruit, flowers and candles as decorations. It looked good but was very heavy on the branches. German glass blowers began producing glass balls to replace the heavy decorations. These became known as bulbs. ■ Poinsettia: Early Mexican Christians called it the “Flower of Holy Night” and legend has it that a small boy was upset on Christmas Eve because he had nothing to offer the Christ Child on his birthday. While the boy was praying at his village church altar, a flower sprang up with its brilliant red and green. ■ History of gift giving: An early Dec. 17 Roman festival of Saturnalia and a Jan. 1 Roman New Year holiday, gifts were given as good luck emblems and houses were decorated with greenery. The early Christians frowned on this pagan ritual and wouldn’t have any part of it. For many years, many of the converts would-n’t part with the practice of giving gifts and related it to St. Nicholas’ gift giving. Gift giving became widely accepted by the middle ages.
One of the most popular gift requests of the 19th and early 20th century was fruit, nuts and candy. Many of the early letters to Santa printed in newspapers would include this. Many churches to this day make up sacks of fruit, nuts and candy to pass out to everyone on the Sunday before Christmas.
Beginning in early 1900’s teddy bears became the most requested gift by boys and girls and still is the most popular stuffed toy of all time.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 25, 2004. Read the original PDF.