Christmas Traditions

Whether its decorating the tree or stealing a kiss under the mistletoe, Christmas is a time of great tradition. Much of how we celebrate the festive season has been introduced by many different nations, cultures and even religions. We decided to find out the true origins of some of our most cherished Christmas traditions.

Mistletoe:

This plant has always been thought to possess mystical qualities. The ancient druids of the 1st Century associated it with the legend of Freya, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. According to the legend, a man had to kiss any young girl who found herself accidentally under a sprig of mistletoe, in order to find the right wife.

Christmas trees:

The custom of decorating trees dates back to 16th Century Germany where apples, nut, dates and pretzels were tied to branches for the local children to enjoy. In Britain, it was Prince Albert, the German husband of Queen Victoria, who was the first to bring a Christmas tree to Windsor Castle.

Christmas crackers:

A confectioner by the name of Thomas Smith first came up with the idea of Christmas crackers during a visit to Paris in 1847. He was very impressed by the French bon-bon - a sweet wrapped in paper that was twisted at both ends. On his return to Britain, Smith developed the idea so that his sweets would also include romantic messages, trinkets and eventually a strip of saltpeter to make the cracking noise. They were very popular around Christmas.

Christmas cards:

In 1843, Henry Cole decided he was too busy to write personal greetings for Christmas so he hired an artist, John Calcott Horsley, to design a card that would convey all he wanted to say. The colourful and warm design of Horsley's card meant that the idea soon caught on and was made even more popular when the postal service decided they could be mailed for only a penny each.

The date of December 25th:

Nobody knows the real date that Jesus was born. It was Pope Julius I in 350 AD who first declared that the 25th December would be the official date of Christ's birth. It was chosen to replace the pagan Roman festivals, celebrating the passing of the winter solstice and the impending arrival of spring, that had been so popular around that time of year.

For us, it makes no difference whether Jesus was born at this particular time of the year or not. The miracle is that Jesus came down from Heaven and became a man in order to save us from sin. It is a fact to be praised and celebrated not just at Christmas but every day of the year.

By Darren Cadapen