The Christmas Tree

At Christmas, families all over the world will celebrate the holidays with the fragrance and beauty of a real Christmas tree.
The tree, used as a symbol of life, is a tradition older than Christianity and not exclusive to any one religion.
It's a part of our holiday customs that engages not only our senses of sight, touch, and smell, but also our sense of tradition, hope and good will.

Long before there was a Christmas, Egyptians brought green palm branches into their homes on the shortest day of the year in December as a symbol of life's triumph over death.

Romans adorned their homes with evergreens during Saturnalia, a winter festival in honor of Saturnus, their god of agriculture. Druid priests decorated oak trees with golden apples for their winter solstice festivities.

In the middle ages, the Paradise tree, an evergreen hung with red apples, was the symbol of the feast of Adam and Eve held on December 24th.

The first recorded reference to the Christmas tree dates back to the 16th century. In Strasbourg, Germany (now part of France), families both rich and poor decorated fir trees with colored paper, fruits and sweets. The retail Christmas tree lot also dates back that far - in those times, older women would sell trees harvested from nearby forests.

Martin Luther is credited with the introduction of the Christmas tree to the holiday celebration. It is believed that he was walking on Christmas Eve and was so moved by the starlit sky he took a fir tree home and attached candles to its branches to remind children of the heavens.

Through the generations Christmas trees have helped relieve the tedium and drabness of long winters with their color and festiveness.
Whatever its origin, the Christmas tree was popularized by the Germans. They considered it an integral part of Christmas and believed it symbolized eternal life.

In Victorian times the Germans decorated their Christmas trees with sweetmeats and fruits which couldn't be eaten until the tree was taken down after Twelfth Night- a joyful climax to the season for children.

The Christmas tree is now one of the most enduring traditions of Christmas celebrations throughout the world.

The tradition spread through Europe and was brought to the North America by German settlers and by Hessian mercenaries paid to fight in the Revolutionary War. In 1804 U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Dearborn (now Chicago) hauled trees from surrounding woods to their barracks at Christmas.
The popularity of the Christmas tree then proliferated. Charles Minnegrode introduced the custom of decorating trees in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1842. In 1851, Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds loaded with trees from the Catskills to the streets of New York and opened the first retail lot in the United States.

Christmas Cards

The custom of sending Christmas cards started in Britain in 1840 when the first 'Penny Post' public postal deliveries began. (Helped by the new railway system, the public postal service was the 19th century's communication revolution, just as email is for us today.) As printing methods improved, Christmas cards were produced in large numbers from about 1860. They became even more popular in Britain when a card could be posted in an unsealed envelope for one half-penny - half the price of an ordinary letter.

Traditionally, Christmas cards showed religious pictures - Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, or other parts of the Christmas story. Today, pictures are ften jokes, winter pictures, Father Christmas, or romantic scenes of life in past times.

Hanging A Stocking

The idea of hanging stockings out on Christmas Eve is believed to have come from Amsterdam, where children leave out their shoes on St. Nicholas's Eve in hopes that he will fill them with goodies.

But where did the people of Amsterdam get the idea? Perhaps from St. Nicholas himself. One of the most popular stories surrounding the saint concerns his generosity to the three daughters of a poor family. It seems the daughters were of marriageable age, but could not marry because they had no dowry. Nicholas heard of their plight and set out to help them. In the middle of the night, Nicholas threw bags of gold coins down the girls' chimney. The bags landed in the girls' stockings, which they had hung out to dry.

Boxing Day

In English-speaking countries, the day following Christmas Day is called 'Boxing Day'. This word comes from the custom which started in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago: churches would open their 'alms boxe' (boxes in which people had placed gifts of money) and distribute the contents to poor people in the neighbourhood on the day after Christmas. The tradition continues today - small gifts are often given to delivery workers such as postal staff and children who deliver newspapers.

Santa Claus

'Father Christmas' (or 'Santa Claus') has become the human face of Christmas. Pictures will be seen everywhere of the old man with long white beard, red coat, and bag of toys. Children are taught that he brings them presents the night before Christmas (or in some countries on December 6th - St. Nicholas' Day), and many children up to the age of 7 or 8 really believe this is true.

In most countries, it is said that he lives near the North Pole, and arrives through the sky on a sledge (snow-cart) pulled by reindeer. He comes into houses down the chimney at midnight and places presents for the children in socks or bags by their beds or in front of the family Christmas tree. In shops or at children's parties, someone will dress up as Father Christmas and give small presents to children, or ask them what gifts they want for Christmas. Christmas can be a time of magic and excitement for children.

Who was he? Father Christmas is based on a real person, St. Nicholas, which explains his other name 'Santa Claus' which comes from the Dutch 'Sinterklaas'. Nicholas was a Christian leader from Myra (in modern-day Turkey) in the 4th century AD. He was very shy, and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire! This may explain the belief that Father Christmas comes down the chimney and places gifts in children's stockings.

Merry Christmas In Other Languages

Argentina - Felices Pasquas!
Brazil - Boas Festas!
China (Mandarin) - Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan!
Croatia - Sretan Bozic!
Denmark - Glćdelig Jul!
Esperanto - Gajan Kristnaskon!
Finland - Hyvää Joulua!
France - Joyeux Noël!
Germany - Froehliche Weihnachten!
Greece - Kala Christouyenna!
Hawaii - Mele Kalikimaka!
Iceland - Gledileg Jol!
India - Shub Naya Baras!
Indonesia /Malaysia - Selamat Hari Natal!
Iraq - Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah!
Ireland - Nollaig Shona Dhuit!
Italy - Buone Feste Natalizie!
Japan - Shinnen omedeto!
Korea - Sung Tan Chuk Ha!
Lapland - Buorrit Juovllat!
Native America (Navajo) - Merry Keshmish!
Netherlands - Vrolijk Kerstfeest!
New Zealand (Maori) - Meri Kirihimete!
Poland - Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia!
Portugal - Boas Festas!
Russia - Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom!
Serbia - Hristos se rodi!
Spain - Feliz Navidad!
Sri Lanka - Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal!
Sweden + Norway - God Jul!
Thailand - Sawadee Pee Mai!
Vietnam - Chung Mung Giang Sinh!
Yugoslavia - Cestitamo Bozic!