Christmas as we know it today is a Victorian invention of
the 1860s. Probably the most celebrated holiday in the world, our modern
Christmas is a product of hundreds of years of both secular and religious
traditions from around the globe. Discover the origins of Christmas traditions
from around the world, like the Yule log, caroling and how Christmas is
celebrated “Down Under.”
SWEDEN: ‘GOD JUL!’
Most people in Scandinavian countries honor St. Lucia (also
known as St. Lucy) each year on December 13. The celebration of St. Lucia Day
began in Sweden, but had spread to Denmark and Finland by the mid-19th century.
Did You Know?
Poinsettia plants are named after Joel R. Poinsett, an
American minister to Mexico, who brought the red-and-green plant from Mexico to
America in 1828.
In these countries, the holiday is considered the beginning
of the Christmas season
and, as such, is sometimes referred to as “little Yule.” Traditionally, the
oldest daughter in each family rises early and wakes each of her family
members, dressed in a long, white gown with a red sash, and wearing a crown
made of twigs with nine lighted candles. For the day, she is called “Lussi” or
“Lussibruden (Lucy bride).” The family then eats breakfast in a room lighted
with candles.
Any shooting or fishing done on St. Lucia Day was done by
torchlight, and people brightly illuminated their homes. At night, men, women,
and children would carry torches in a parade. The night would end when everyone
threw their torches onto a large pile of straw, creating a huge bonfire. In
Finland today, one girl is chosen to serve as the national Lucia and she is
honored in a parade in which she is surrounded by torchbearers.
Light is a main theme of St. Lucia Day, as her name, which
is derived from the Latin word lux, means light. Her feast day is
celebrated near the shortest day of the year, when the sun’s light again begins
to strengthen. Lucia lived in Syracuse during the fourth century when
persecution of Christians was common. Unfortunately, most of her story has been
lost over the years. According to one common legend, Lucia lost her eyes while
being tortured by a Diocletian for her Christian beliefs. Others say she may
have plucked her own eyes out to protest the poor treatment of Christians.
Lucia is the patron saint of the blind.
FINLAND: ‘HYVÄÄ JOULUA!’
Many Finns visit the sauna on Christmas Eve. Families gather
and listen to the national “Peace of Christmas” radio broadcast. It is
customary to visit the gravesites of departed family members.
NORWAY: ‘GLEDELIG JUL!’
Norway is the birthplace of the Yule log. The ancient Norse
used the Yule log in their celebration of the return of the sun at winter
solstice. “Yule” came from the Norse word hweol, meaning wheel. The Norse
believed that the sun was a great wheel of fire that rolled towards and then
away from the earth. Ever wonder why the family fireplace is such a central
part of the typical Christmas scene? This tradition dates back to the Norse
Yule log. It is probably also responsible for the popularity of log-shaped
cheese, cakes, and desserts during the holidays.
GERMANY: ‘FROEHLICHE WEIHNACHTEN!’
Decorating evergreen trees had always been a part of the
German winter solstice tradition. The first “Christmas trees” explicitly
decorated and named after the Christian holiday, appeared in Strasbourg, in
Alsace in the beginning of the 17th century. After 1750, Christmas trees began
showing up in other parts of Germany, and even more so after 1771, when Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe visited Strasbourg and promptly included a Christmas tree
is his novel, The Suffering of Young Werther. In the 1820s, the first
German immigrants decorated Christmas trees in Pennsylvania.
After Germany’s Prince Albert married Queen Victoria,
he introduced the Christmas tree tradition to England. In 1848, the first
American newspaper carried a picture of a Christmas tree and the custom spread
to nearly every home in just a few years.
MEXICO: ‘FELIZ NAVIDAD!’
In 1828, the American minister to Mexico, Joel R. Poinsett,
brought a red-and-green plant from Mexico to America. As its coloring seemed
perfect for the new holiday, the plants, which were called poinsettias after
Poinsett, began appearing in greenhouses as early as 1830. In 1870, New York stores
began to sell them at Christmas. By 1900, they were a universal symbol of the
holiday.
In Mexico, paper mache sculptures called pinatas are filled
with candy and coins and hung from the ceiling. Children then take turns
hitting the pinata until it breaks, sending a shower of treats to the floor.
Children race to gather as much of of the loot as they can.
ENGLAND: ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS!’
An Englishman named John Calcott Horsley helped to
popularize the tradition of sending Christmas greeting cards when he began
producing small cards featuring festive scenes and a pre-written holiday
greeting in the late 1830s. Newly efficient post offices in England and the
United States made the cards nearly overnight sensations. At about the same
time, similar cards were being made by R.H. Pease, the first American card
maker, in Albany, New York, and Louis Prang, a German who immigrated to America
in 1850.
Celtic and Teutonic peoples had long considered mistletoe to
have magic powers. It was said to have the ability to heal wounds and increase
fertility. Celts hung mistletoe in their homes in order to bring themselves
good luck and ward off evil spirits. During holidays in the Victorian era, the
English would hang sprigs of mistletoe from ceilings and in doorways. If
someone was found standing under the mistletoe, they would be kissed by someone
else in the room, behavior not usually demonstrated in Victorian society.
Plum pudding is an English dish dating back to the Middle Ages. Suet, flour,
sugar, raisins, nuts, and spices are tied loosely in cloth and boiled until the
ingredients are “plum,” meaning they have enlarged enough to fill the cloth. It
is then unwrapped, sliced like cake, and topped with cream.
Caroling also began in England. Wandering musicians would
travel from town to town visiting castles and homes of the rich. In return for
their performance, the musicians hoped to receive a hot meal or money.
In the United States and England, children hang stockings on
their bedpost or near a fireplace on Christmas Eve, hoping that it will be
filled with treats while they sleep. In Scandinavia, similar-minded children
leave their shoes on the hearth. This tradition can be traced to legends about
Saint Nicholas. One legend tells of three poor sisters who could not marry
because they had no money for a dowry. To save them from being sold by their
father, St. Nick left each of the three sisters gifts of gold coins. One went
down the chimney and landed in a pair of shoes that had been left on the
hearth. Another went into a window and into a pair of stockings left hanging by
the fire to dry.
FRANCE: ‘JOYEUX NOËL!’
In France, Christmas is called Noel. This comes from the
French phrase les bonnes nouvelles, which means “the good news” and refers
to the gospel.
In southern France, some people burn a log in their homes
from Christmas Eve until New Year’s Day. This stems from an ancient tradition
in which farmers would use part of the log to ensure good luck for the next
year’s harvest.
ITALY: ‘BUON NATALE!’
Italians call Chrismas Il Natale, meaning “the
birthday.”
AUSTRALIA
In Australia, the holiday comes in the middle of summer and
it’s not unusual for some parts of Australia to hit 100 degrees Farenheit on
Christmas day.
During the warm and sunny Australian Christmas season, beach
time and outdoor barbecues are common. Traditional Christmas day celebrations
include family gatherings, exchanging gifts and either a hot meal with ham,
turkey, pork or seafood or barbeques.
UKRAINE: ‘SROZHDESTVOM KRISTOVYM!’
Ukrainians prepare a traditional twelve-course meal. A
family’s youngest child watches through the window for the evening star to
appear, a signal that the feast can begin.
CANADA
Most Canadian Christmas traditions are very similar to those
practiced in the United States. In the far north of the country, the Eskimos
celebrate a winter festival called sinck tuck, which features parties with
dancing and the exchanging of gifts.
GREECE: ‘KALA CHRISTOUYENNA!’
In Greece, many people believe in kallikantzeri,
goblins that appear to cause mischief during the 12 days of Christmas. Gifts
are usually exchanged on January 1, St. Basil’s Day.
CENTRAL AMERICA
A manger scene is the primary decoration in most southern
European, Central American, and South American nations. St. Francis of Assisi
created the first living nativity in 1224 to help explain the birth of Jesus to
his followers.
JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA
According to reports by Captain John Smith, the first
eggnog made in the United States was consumed in his 1607 Jamestown settlement.
Nog comes from the word grog, which refers to any drink made with rum.
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