Here is some interesting information on the history of Christmas traditions. Please click on a Christmas tradition listed below and read more about how that particular tradition came to be.
Santa Claus	A long time ago, a bishop named Nicholas lived in what is now the country of Turkey. No one knows much about him. There are stories that he often helped children in need. Many years after his death, Nicholas was made a saint. In time, he became the patron saint of children. After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas dwindled, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolaas was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought brought this tradition with them to America in the 17th century and here the Anglican name of Santa Claus emerged.
Christmas Tree	In 16th-century Germany fir trees were decorated, both indoors and out, with apples, roses, gilded candies, and colored paper. In the Middle Ages, a popular religous play depicted the story of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden.The Christmas Tree was brought to England by Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert from his native Germany. The famous Illustrated News etching in 1848, featuring the Royal Family of Victoria, Albert and their children gathered around a Christmas tree in Windsor Castle, popularized the tree throughout Victorian England. It was brought to America by the Pennsylvania Germans.
Mistletoe	Mistletoe was used by Druid priests 200 years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations. They revered the plant since it had no roots yet remained green during the cold months of winter. The ancient Celtics believed mistletoe to have magical healing powers and used it as an antidote for poison, infertility, and to ward of evil spirits. The plant was also seen as a symbol of peace, and it is said that among Romans, enemies who met under mistletoe would lay down their weapons and embrace.Scandanavians associated the plant with Frigga, their goddess of love, and it may be from this that we derive the custom of kissing under the mistletoe. Those who kissed under the mistletoe had the promise of happiness and good luck in the following year.
Holly, Ivy and Greenery	In Northern Europe Christmas occurred during the middle of winter, when ghosts and demons could be heard howling in the winter winds. Boughs of holly, believed to have magical powers since they remained green through the harsh winter, were often placed over the doors of homes to drive evil away. Greenery was also brought indoors to freshen the air and brighten the mood during the long, dreary winter. Legend also has it that holly sprang from the footsteps of Christ as he walked the earth. The pointed leaves were said to represent the crown of thorns Christ wore while on the cross and the red berries symbolized the blood he shed.
Poinsettias	A native Mexican plant, poinsettias were named after Joel R. Poinsett, U.S. ambassador to Mexico who brought the plant to America in 1828. Poinsettias were likely used by Mexican Franciscans in their 17th century Christmas celebrations. One legend has it that a young Mexican boy, on his way to visit the village Nativity scene, realized he had no gift for the Christ child. He gathered pretty green branches from along the road and brought them to the church. Though the other children mocked him, when the leaves were laid at the manger, a beautiful star-shaped flower appeared on each branch. The bright red petals, often mistaken for flowers, are actually the upper leaves of the plant.
Candy Cane	It was not long after Europeans began using Christmas trees that special decorations were used to adorn them. Food items, such as candies and cookies, were used predominately and straight white candy sticks were one of the confections used as ornamentation. Legend has it that during the 17th century, craftsmen created the white sticks of candy in the shape of shephreds’ crooks at the suggestion of the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The candy treats were given to children to keep them quiet during ceremonies at the living creche, or Nativity scene, and the custom of passing out the candy crooks at such ceremonies soon spread throughout Europe. According to the National Confectioner’s Association, in 1847 German immigrant August Imgard used the candy cane to decorate a Christmas tree in Wooster, Ohio. More than 50 years later, Bob McCormack of Albany, Georgia supposedly made candy canes as treats for family, friends and local shopkeepers. McCormack’s brother-in-law, Catholic priest Gregory Keller, invented a machine in the 1950s that automated the production of candy canes, thus eliminating the usual laborious process of creating the treats and the popularity of the candy cane grew. More recent explanations of the candy cane’s symbolism hold that the color white represents Christ’s purity, the red the blood he shed, and the presence of three red stripes the Holy Trinity. While factual evidence for these notions does not exist, they have become increasingly common and at times are even represented as fact. Regardless, the candy cane remains a favorite holiday treat and decoration.
Christmas Cards	A form of Christmas card began in England first when young boys practiced their writing skills by creating Christmas greetings for their parents, but it is Sir Henry Cole who is credited with creating the first real Christmas card. The first director of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Sir Henry found himself too busy in the Christmas season of 1843 to compose individual Christmas greetings for his friends. He commissioned artist John Calcott Horsley for the illustration. The card featured three panels, with the center panel depicting a family enjoying Christmas festivities and the card was inscribed with the message A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.
Christmas Stockings	According to legend, a kindly nobleman grew despondent over the death of his beloved wife and foolishly squandered his fortune. This left his three young daughters without dowries and thus facing a life of spinsterhood. The generous St. Nicholas, hearing of the girls’ plight, set forth to help. Wishing to remain anonymous, he rode his white horse by the nobleman’s house and threw three small pouches of gold coins down the chimney where they were fortuitously captured by the stockings the young women had hung by the fireplace to dry.
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer	The Chicago-based Montgomery Ward company, department store operators, had been purchasing and distributing children's coloring books as Christmas gifts for their customers for several years. In 1939, Montgomery Ward tapped one of their own employees to create a book for them, thus saving money. 34-year old copywriter Robert L. May wrote the story of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer in 1939, and 2.4 million copies were handed out that year. Despite the wartime paper shortage, over 6 million copies had been distributed by 1946. May drew in part on the story The Ugly Duckling and in part from his own experiences as an often taunted, small, frail youth to create the story of the misfit reindeer. Though Rollo and Reginald were considered, May settled on Rudolph as his reindeer's name. Writing in verse as a series of rhyming couplets, May tested the story as he went along on his 4-year old daughter Barbara, who loved the story.  Sadly, Robert Mays wife died around the time he was creating Rudolph, leaving Mays deeply in debt due to medical bills. However, he was able to persuade Sewell Avery, Montgomery Ward's corporate president, to turn the copyright over to him in January 1947, thus ensuring May's financial security.  May's story Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was printed commercially in 1947 and in 1948 a nine-minute cartoon of the story was shown in theaters. When May's brother-in-law, songwriter Johnny Marks, wrote the lyrics and melody for the song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the Rudolph phenomenon was born. Turned down by many musical artists afraid to contend with the legend of Santa Claus, the song was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949 at the urging of Autry's wife. The song sold two million copies that year, going on to become one of the best-selling songs of all time, second only to Bing Crosby's White Christmas. The 1964 television special about Rudolph, narrated by Burl Ives, remains a holiday favorite to this day and Rudolph himself has become a much-loved Christmas icon.
Hannukah	Commencing on the 25th day of the Hebrew month Kislev, Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the Syrians. In 168 BC, members of the Jewish family Maccabee led a revolt against the Greek Syrians due to the policies of Syrian King Antiochus IV which were aimed at nullifying the Jewish faith. Part of this strategem included changing the Beit HaMikdash - the Holy Temple in Jerusalem - to a Greek temple complete with idolatry. Led by Judah Maccabee, the Jews won victory over the Syrians in 165 BC and reclaimed their temple. After cleansing the temple and preparing for its rededication, it was found there was not enough oil to light the N'er Tamid, an oil lamp present in Jewish houses of worship which represents eternal light. Once lit, the lamp should never be extinguished. A search of the temple produced a small vial of undefiled oil -- enough for only one day. Miraculously, the Temple lights burned for eight days until a new supply of oil was brought. In remembrance of this miracle, one candle of the Menorah - an eight branched candelabra - is lit each of the eight days of Hanukkah. Hanukkah, which means dedication, is a Hebrew word when translated is commonly spelled Hanukah, Chanukah, and Hannukah due to different translations and customs. The tradition of receiving gifts on each of the eight days of Hanukkah is relatively new and due in part to the celebration's proximity to the Christmas season.
Kwanzaa	Doctor Maulana Karenga, a Professor at California State University in Long Beach, California, created Kwanzaa in 1966. It is a holiday celebrated by millions of African-Americans around the world, encouraging them to remember their African heritage and consider their current place in America today. Kwanzaa is celebrated fom December 26 to January 1 and involves seven principles called Nguzo Saba: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith). In the Kwanzaa ritual, seven candles called Mishumaa Saba are placed in a Kinara, or candleholder, which is then set upon the Mikeka, a mat usually made of straw. Three green candles are placed on the left, three red candles on the right and a black candle in the center, each candle representing one of the seven principles of the celebration. One candle is lit each day of the Kwanzaa celebration, beginning from left to right The colors of Kwanzaa ~ black, red and green ~ also have a special significance. Black symbolizes the faces of the African people, Red symbolizes the blood they have shed, and Green represents hope and the color of the motherland. The name itself - Kwanzaa - is a Swahili word meaning fruits of the harvest.
The Nutcracker	It’s one of the newer Christmas traditions, but it’s still had time to become near and dear to many hearts. Each holiday season, many families attend the only piece of ballet or live theater they’ll see all year: The Nutcracker.  But how did The Nutcracker become such a popular tradition? And where, exactly, did it come from? The Nutcracker Of The Past - The story itself is quite old, and the one we see onstage isn’t even the original but a popular adaptation by the French author Alexandre Dumas, best known for writing The Three Musketeers. Once the story made the leap from page to stage, though, history was in the making. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed The Nutcracker as his final and least satisfying ballet, taking on the project with a marked lack of enthusiasm. So it is ironic that it would become one of the most beloved Christmas traditions of the 20th century. The ballet premiered in Russia in 1892 but The Nutcracker didn’t exactly make an instantaneous leap to the annals of American Christmas traditions. In fact, it wasn’t until 1944 that an American ballet company decided to perform the entire ballet. That year, the San Francisco Ballet took on the task, performing the ballet as an annual tradition. It was George Balanchine who really sent The Nutcracker on to popular fame. In 1954 he choreographed the ballet for a New York company and not a year has passed since when the ballet hasn’t been performed in New York City. Balanchine was the first to have the roll of Clara danced by a child, necessitating a much simpler choreography. By the late 1960s, other ballet companies across North America had jumped on the bandwagon, enthusiastically performing The Nutcracker to a receptive annual audience. The Nutcracker Now - Today, many cities have a production of The Nutcracker. It has even become a tradition on TV. Ovation, the only channel devoted to art and contemporary culture, hosts an annual Battle of the Nutcrackers programming event every December. For a week, the network runs various productions of the ballet-both traditional and modern interpretations-and asks viewers to vote online for their favorite. The ballet with the most votes is revealed on Christmas Eve and a marathon of all the ballets is featured all day on Christmas Day. No matter if you go to the theater or enjoy the performance from the comfort of your own home, The Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition your entire family can enjoy.
Fruitcake	Fruitcake is for many families the giving and receiving of a favorite, though often ridiculed, traditional food. Fruitcake is considered to be a part of many families' Christmas traditions just as important as having a Christmas tree.  Like many Christmas traditions, the idea of giving fruitcakes as gifts is thought to have originated in ancient times.  No one ever recorded who took the first cake and added fruit, honey, nuts, and alcohol to make an edible gift for their family, but records indicate that this tradition was occurring in Rome prior to the birth of Jesus (B.C.).  One of the main reasons fruitcakes were given as gifts in early times is that the ingredients combined in such a way as to greatly reduce the spoiling of this food.  This was a huge advantage when the average family had very little control over their food supply, and allowed people to travel longer distances since they could carry a food supply with them that would not spoil. The fruitcake as we know it today evolved from plum cake recipes in England.  It became a natural food to have for holiday celebrations, since it could be made in advance (sometimes many months in advance) and then families could be prepared to give their visitors a treat.  After trying to eat a piece of fruitcake, I have joined the list of people who believe that fruitcakes are never consumed, just created and given as gifts to others.  One day, our planet will be overwhelmed with fruitcakes and they will all need to be dumped into an ocean, possibly creating the new continent of fruitcakia.  Or, maybe they will just be used as bricks in the building of skyscrapers.
Advent	Advent was originally a Latin word that translated into the coming.  Advent was developed as the four-week period before Christmas Eve to encourage Christians to reflect on the meaning of Christmas and prepare themselves spiritually for the coming New Year.  The Advent Wreath, candle, and calendar are all tools to help Christians do this.  Advent Wreaths are formed into circles symbolizing the circle of life, rebirth with the upcoming New Year, and Gods unending love for his followers.  They are made of Evergreen branches (from Christmas tree firs, with all the symbolism associated with Christmas trees) and the green color is to remind followers of the renewal that will come with spring.  Advent candles often come in groups of four candles, with two different colors.  The three purple candles stand for sorrow, penance, and expectation of eternal life.  Purple was also the historic color of royalty and this color is to remind followers that God is the ultimate royalty and is to be obeyed above all men.  The last candle is normally red or white in color and symbolizes joy and hope.  Candles are lit every day during the four weeks of Advent. The Advent calendar was created to also help followers focus on the meaning of the Christmas season and is often seen with closed doors for each day of the Advent season.  One the first day of Advent, the first set of doors are opened and there will be a message (and often a picture) to reflect upon for that day.  The next day the second set of doors is opened, etc. providing a new message of hope and reflection every day up to Christmas Eve.   This was a very good visual way for children to see and understand the passing of the days and be ready when Christmas had finally arrived.  It is believed that the Advent calendar evolved from a German tradition of hanging up 24 small bags containing a treat or gift, which the children in the family got to open each day from December 1st to December 24th – Christmas Eve.
Christmas Carols	Christmas carols and caroling in the old world was a mix of singing and dancing and was practiced for all festivals throughout the year.  When Christmas  was firmly established to be celebrated on December 25th, many of the exiting carols (or songs) were sung on that day and new ones written to celebrate Christmas. St. Francis of Assisi was instrumental in making the Christmas celebration one for the people instead of just for the clergy.  He created large nativity scenes outside of his church and translated many of the Christmas carols from Latin into languages spoken by the average person and encouraged them to sing these songs to express their joy during the Christmas season. This practice of singing Christmas songs outside of the Church near the nativity scenes spread throughout Europe and it was a natural next step for these Christmas Carolers to start walking through the neighborhoods around the churches sharing their festive songs.  Caroling started to decline in popularity as people were able to hear and play the same songs on the radio and eventually on their own record players, however, carolers can still be seen during the holiday season walking through neighborhoods and sharing the Christmas message much as they have done for the past 1000 years.
Gift Giving	Gift giving is probably the most well known of all Christmas traditions in both Eastern and Western cultures. Moms and Dads have the opportunity to share with their children important truths about giving during their family’s Christmas celebration. While a good deal of focus will be placed upon purchasing safe, fun, and educational children’s toys, parents may also take this time to let children experience the joy of giving to others. Several months after Jesus Christ was born, wise men came and presented gifts to Him. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh (Matthew 2:1-2, 11).  Just as the wise men gave costly gifts to the Holy Child without hope of anything in return, parents can lead sons and daughters to purchase gifts for elderly loved-ones and neighbors who may be less fortunate. These gifts need not be costly, but they should be given with thought, care, and love. Children who receive a lot of gifts might be encouraged to give a few of them to children in homeless shelters or children’s hospitals. This is the true spirit of Christmas gift giving.  The custom of giving to the needy was one of the legendary traditions of Boxing Day which is celebrated the first weekday after Christmas in many countries. On Boxing Day, employers gave their servants boxes of food and other necessities and public workers such as mailmen were remembered by the people they served. Some traditions hold that money was taken from church collection boxes and distributed to the disadvantaged. The giving of gifts is a wonderful expression of the love and good will that surrounds the Christmas season. Ultimately, gift giving at Christmas should be done in remembrance of the greatest gift of all -- Jesus Christ the Son, the gift of the Father. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Christmas Lights	The appeal of the Christmas light is often likened to the starts in the sky, or the glisten of freshly fallen snow in the moonlight. Early Christmas lights were not quite as safe as today's light strings. Candles were used in trees inside the home, and lit in windows. Hot flames and live trees were not the safest mix, but the temptation to add lights to Christmas decorating was too strong to curb. Many factors have contributed to the widespread use of Christmas lights, including lighting contests promoted by manufacturers, war propaganda using holidays as an opportunity to bond the nation, and local celebrations across the country to try and start traditions of hope and peace. Light strings are now found in all shapes, sizes, and colors, as well as in cool-to-the-touch LEDs.
Yule Log	The word yule meant infant in the language of the Chaldeans, who lived in the Middle East. The Germanic tribes of Northern Europe, including the Anglo Saxons, celebrated Yule-day or Child's Day.  The custom of the Yule log has been noted in France and Italy as far back as the 1200s. It later spread throughout Europe. On Christmas Eve an enormous log would be cut and placed in the hearth. The log would be sprinkled with salt, oil, and mulled wine, and prayers said to protect the house from the Devil and lightning.  In some regions, the daughters of the family lit the log with splinters of the previous year's log. In other regions, the lady of the house had the honor of lighting the log.  As iron stoves replaced giant hearths in the 1800s, Yule logs became decorative, often being used as Christmas centerpieces and decorated with evergreens and candles. Cooks began creating pastry Yule logs, rolled cakes covered in chocolate or coffee and decorated with sugared holly and roses.
Christmas Tree Decorating	Christmas tree decorating is symbolic of the Christmas season to people in North America, Germany and parts of Europe. The modern practice stems from Germany; the first historical mention of this practice comes from Strasburg, Germany, in 1605. Germans decorated their trees with dolls, sweets, apples and wafers, gold foil, and paper roses. The first wave of German immigrants in the 1700s brought the custom of the Christmas tree to America; they decorated their trees with animal cookies, apples, strings of popcorn and brightly colored paper. Hessians, the German mercenaries of the American Revolutionary War, decorated Christmas trees. Some German sects, such as the Moravians, put lighted candles in the branches of their trees (and later in their windows) as early as 1752. Christmas trees appeared in Cambridge, Philadelphia, Rochester, Richmond, Wooster, and Cleveland between 1832 and 1851. From America the custom spread to England; by 1841 Prince Albert used a tree at Windsor, decorated with candles, sweets, fruit and gingerbread, as an official symbol of the season. By the 1890’s manufacturers were producing ornaments in Germany for American and European trees. By the early part of the twentieth century, after the invention of the electric bulb, community trees appeared all over North America illuminated for days on end.  The custom of Christmas trees may find its origins in paganism. Pagans used evergreens and tree decoration during the winter. The Vikings of northern Europe saw evergreens as the symbol of hope that Spring would return after the cold, dark winter; Druids (England, France) decorated oak trees with fruit and candles to honor their gods of harvest and light. Romans decorated trees with trinkets and candles during Saturnalia, the midwinter harvest festival and revelry of Mithras, the Persian god of light and truth. Legends surround the Christmas-tree custom. One legend says that St. Boniface, an English monk who organized Germany’s and France’s Churches, stopped a pagan human sacrifice by slamming his fist into the sacrificial sacred oak tree and felling it with that blow; in its place grew a tiny fir, which he said was the Tree of Life representing eternal life in Christ. Another says that Martin Luther, founder of the Reformation, was walking through the woods one clear and cold Christmas Eve when the starlight glimmering through the trees awed him so much that he wanted to recreate the sight for his family: so he cut down a small tree, took it home and put candles in its branches to imitate the forest. A third, more fanciful tale concerns a poor woodsman who encountered a lost and hungry child in the woods one Christmas Eve. He gave the child food and shelter for the night; in the morning he found a beautiful glittering tree outside his door as a reward from the disguised Christ Child for his kindness.  Christmas trees may also be dated to the Medieval Ages when decorated trees were used in plays with Biblical themes that were performed all over Europe. In the Paradise Play, performed on December 24th, an apple tree was a necessary prop in the fall of man, but winter apple trees were bare so evergreen trees were hung with apples instead.
Wassail	Wassail refers to a drink of warm ale or spiced cider, which contained sugar eggs, nutmeg, cloves and ginger, and roasted apples. The concoction was also called lamb’s wool and old man’s beard because of its smoothness and softness. It was the beverage imbibed on the Twelfth Night of Christmas. Wassailing was to drink to the health of someone. Custom called for a bowl of wassail to be kept steaming throughout the Christmas season; someone would offer a toast of the drink saying, Wassail (be whole) and another would reply,“Drinkhail (your health). In some parts of England wassailing came to refer to a party at which carols were sung and wassail was drunk, or to the practice of traveling from house to house with a bowl of wassail decorated with ribbons, garlands (and sometimes a golden apple), caroling, giving blessings and a drink of wassail in exchange for some small gift of money or food. The following is an except from a famous carol.
Bell Ringing	Traditionally, late on Christmas Eve church bells are rung to announce the call to Christmas Mass, a practice which is fading. However, the custom can be traced to antiquity when loud noises were habitually used to frighten away evil spirits. Interestingly, in medieval Ireland, Scotland and England, during the hour prior to midnight on Christmas Eve a continuous mournful tolling of bells marked the devil’s funeral, (for it was thought that he died when Christ was born); at midnight the bells rang a joyous clamor to mark the birth of the One who broke the power of Satan and death, Jesus Christ.