Christmas Traditions

We’ve established that there is a reason behind so many of the things that we do at this most special time of year. We know what the meaning behind it is, but what we may not realize is that many of the traditions stem from something deeper than we realize.

Have you ever looked upon your heritage or culture to draw cues for your own Christmas celebration? Have you ever stopped to consider why we perform certain rituals or what the true meaning behind them is?

There are so many different reasons for why we do the things we do, and what this results in through our traditions.

Let’s take a look at some of the fundamental aspects of Christmas and why we do the things we do. Here are just a few examples of traditions carried through the years.

• The Gifts: This all started as a symbol of the gifts that the Three Wisemen brought to Jesus. As these symbolic gifts were a gesture towards the birth of Jesus, this tradition has been carried out through giving gifts to others. Though the act of gift giving can get a bit of hand in modern times, this is the reason behind this well known and celebrated tradition.
  
  
• The Christmas Tree: This dates back to Victorian days where the symbolism of the tree was celebrated by Queen Victoria’s husband. He took this tradition into Britain and the rest is history. This is the reason why we buy Christmas trees and why we use them as a symbol of the season in our homes, it goes back to roots this deep.
  
  
• Christmas Cards: This dates back to the “penny post” which allowed people to send out their mail for a penny a piece. This lead into sending out Christmas cards each year and it was further fueled when the postage was brought down to only a half penny per piece. Through this very innocent tradition was born the sending of Christmas cards, and years later we’ve all gotten into the habit of sending our loved ones this symbolic piece of mail.
  
  
• Santa Clause: This all started with jolly old St. Nicholas and it evolved into a character all its own. The story of St. Nicholas started with the Dutch to convey how this saint gave to others. Though it is based on an actual figure, the story and the mystique of Santa Clause has only grown stronger through time for this iconic Christmas symbol.
  
  
• Christmas Carols: This began back in Tudor times and the meaning was the same-a song with a little dance. Though its roots are rather historic, this traditional song and dance quickly evolved into a way of singing traditional Christmas songs. This is all how “caroling” was born and the tradition of singing for others is still carried strong today.
  
  
• Christmas Stockings: This all started with a family who had no money for presents, and a father who hung the children’s stockings near the fireplace to dry one night. St. Nicholas knew of the family’s financial troubles and climbed to the roof and threw gold into the stockings. So the tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace each Christmas Eve came to be, and this is certainly one to carry out in every family.
  
  
• Christmas Lights: The old German religious leader, Martin Luther, felt that decorating a Christmas tree with lights was a celebration of nature. Therefore he decorated his tree with candles, and this caught on and turned into a tradition. Now the lights that families hang on their trees and throughout their homes are one of the most magical and beautiful parts of the holiday. 

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