Rather than attempting to suppress every tradition owned by pagans, Pope Gregory I allowed Christian missionaries to allow the innocuous ones as a means to make things already familiar ready aids to reeducation through such props for illustrating new understandings of things long before them but ignorantly perceived, giving a rich Christian significance to things that stood to bear the reflection of pagan cultures.
The give and take between religious and governmental authorities and celebrators of Christmas continued through the years. Places where conservative Christian theocracies flourished, as in Cromwellian England and in the early New England colonies, were among those where celebrations were suppressed.
After the Russian Revolution, Christmas celebrations were banned in the Soviet Union for the next 75 years. A few newer religions, notably the Jehovah’s Witnesses, some Puritan groups, and some ultraconservative fundamentalist denominations, view Christmas as a pagan holiday not sanctioned by the Bible, and do not celebrate it (although they are coming at it from a view detached from the historic Church).
Entertainment & Christmas Socials
In many countries, businesses, schools, and communities have Christmas parties and dances during the several weeks before Christmas Day. Christmas pageants, common in Latin America, may include a retelling of the story of the birth of Christ. Groups may go caroling, visiting neighborhood homes to sing Christmas songs. Others are reminded by the holiday of man’s fellowship with man, and do volunteer work, or hold fundraising drives for charities.
On Christmas Day or on Christmas Eve, a special meal of Christmas dishes is usually served, for which there are traditional menus in each country. In some regions, particularly in Eastern Europe, these family feasts are preceded by a period of fasting. Candy and treats are also part of the Christmas celebration in many countries.
Decorating
 
Decorating a Christmas tree with lights and ornaments, and the decoration of the interior of the home with garlands and evergreen foliage, particularly holly and mistletoe, are common traditions. In North and South America and to a lesser extent Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights, and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures.
Since the 19th century, the traditional Christmas flower is the winter-blooming poinsettia. Other popular holiday plants are holly, mistletoe, red amaryllis and Christmas cactus.
Municipalities often sponsor decorations as well, hanging Christmas banners from street lights or placing Christmas trees in the town square. In the United States, decorations once commonly included religious themes. This practice has led to much adjudication, as Jews insist that it amounts to the government endorsing one particular religious faith. In 1984 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (Lynch v. Donnelly) that a city-owned Christmas display including a Christian nativity scene was depicting the historical origins of Christmas, and was not in violation of the First Amendment (“establishment of religion”). ”
The Christmas Tree
It is safe to say that the Christmas tree is one of the most recognized symbols of Christmas, yet the origins of the Christmas tree are not clear. There is a legend that Saint Boniface started the custom of the Christmas tree in Germany around the eighth century. It is said that Saint Boniface found a group of pagan worshipping an oak tree and became angry; consequently, he proceeded to cut down the Oak tree. Immediately a small fir tree is said to sprout from the middle of the oak stump and reached to the sky. Thus Saint Boniface told the onlookers that this would be their holy tree because it was evergreen—a symbol of everlasting life.
Although many versions of this story exist, many authorities believe that the true origins come from ancient Egypt. Bill McLain writes, “On December 21st, the shortest day of the year, ancient Egyptians decorated their homes with green palm branches to symbolize life’s triumph over death.” Before Christianity, plants and trees that remained green through out the year were believed to have special meaning for people in winter. Bill McLain continues explaining, “Romans used evergreens to decorate their homes during the winter festival of Saturnalia, which honored Saturn, the god of farming.”
In addition, Ancient Druids, a member of an order of priests in ancient Gaul and Britain who appear in Welsh and Irish legend as prophets and sorcerers, were known to place evergreen branches over doors to frighten away evil spirits.
The Christmas tree is often explained as a Christianization of the ancient pagan idea that the evergreen tree represents a celebration of the renewal of life. In Roman mosaics from what is today Tunisia, showing the mythic triumphant return from India of the Greek god of wine and male fertility, Dionysus (dubbed by some modern scholars as a life-death-rebirth deity), the god carries a tapering coniferous tree. Medieval legends, nevertheless, tended to concentrate more on the miraculous “flowering” of trees at Christmastime. A branch of flowering Glastonbury thorn is still sent annually for the Queen’s Christmas table in the United Kingdom.
Taiwanese aboriginals, tutored by Christian missionaries, celebrate with trees.
Among early Germanic tribes the Yule tradition was celebrated by sacrificing male animals, and slaves, by suspending them on the branches of trees. According to Adam of Bremen, in Scandinavia the pagan kings sacrificed nine males of each species at the sacred groves every ninth year. According to one legend, Saint Boniface attempted to introduce the idea of trinity to the pagan tribes using the cone-shaped evergreen trees because of their triangular appearance.
 German Christmas Tree
The modern custom, however, cannot be proved to be descended from pagan tradition directly. It can be traced to 16th century Germany: Ingeborg Weber-Keller (Marburg professor of European ethnology) identified as the earliest reference a Bremen guild chronicle of 1570 which reports how a small fir was decorated with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers, and erected in the guild-house, for the benefit of the guild members’ children, who collected the dainties on Christmas day. Another early reference is from Basel, where the taylor apprentices carried around town a tree decorated with apples and cheese in 1597. During the 17th century, the custom entered family homes. One Strasbourg priest, Johann Konrad Dannerhauer, complains about the custom as distracting from the word of God. By the early 18th century, the custom had become common in towns of the upper Rhineland, but it had not yet spread to rural areas. Wax candles are attested from the late 18th century. The Christmas tree remained confined to the upper Rhineland for a relatively long time. It was regarded as a Protestant custom by the Catholic majority along the lower Rhine, and was spread there only by Prussian officials who were moved there in the wake of the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In the early 19th century, the custom became popular among the nobility and spread to royal courts as far as Russia. Princess Henrietta von Nassau-Weilburg introduced the Christmas tree to Vienna in 1816, and the custom spread across Austria in the following years. In France, the first Christmas tree was introduced in 1840 by the duchess of Orleans.
In Britain, the Christmas tree was introduced by King George III’s German Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, but did not spread much beyond the royal family until the royal family Christmas centered round Prince Albert at Osborne House was illustrated in English magazines, initially as a woodcut in the Illustrated London News of December 1848, and copied in the United States at Christmas 1850. Such patriotic prints of the British royal family at Christmas celebrations helped popularize the Christmas tree in Britain and among the anglophile American upper class.
There are several cities in the United States which lay claim to that country’s first Christmas tree. Windsor Locks, Connecticut claims that a Hessian soldier put up a Christmas tree in 1777 while imprisoned at the Noden-Reed House, thus making it the home of the first Christmas tree in New England. “First Christmas Tree in America” is also claimed by Easton, Pennsylvania, where German settlers purportedly erected a Christmas tree in 1816.
Traditionally, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until Christmas Eve (24 December), and then removed the day after twelfth night (January 6th); to have a tree up before or after these dates was even considered bad luck.
Modern commercialization of Christmas has however resulted in trees being put up much earlier; in shops often as early as late October. The most common tradition in U.S. homes is to put the tree up right after Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November) and to take it down right after the New Year. In more northern climates and into Canada, the tree (if not too dry) and other decorations are left up well into January. In Europe, private Christmas trees are not usually put up until at least the middle of December and are usually taken down by the 6th of January.
Many cities, towns, and department stores put up public Christmas trees outdoors for everyone to enjoy, such as the Rich’s Great Tree in Atlanta, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City and many others. In some cases the trees represent special commemorative gifts, such as in Trafalgar Square in London where the City of Oslo presents a tree to the people of London as token appreciation for the British support of Norwegian resistance during the Second World War and in Newcastle upon Tyne, where the 20 m tall main civic Christmas tree is an annual gift from the city of Bergen, Norway in thanks for the part played by soldiers from Newcastle in liberating Bergen from Nazi occupation.
The United States’ National Christmas Tree is lit each year south of the White House in Washington, D.C. Today, the lighting of the National Tree is part of what has become a major holiday event at the White House. President Jimmy Carter only lit the crowning star atop the Tree in 1979 in honor of the Americans being held hostage in Iran; in 1980, the tree was only fully lit for 417 seconds--one second for each day the hostages had been in captivity.
The term Charlie Brown Christmas tree can be used to described any sad-looking, malformed little tree. Some tree buyers intentionally adopt such trees, feeling sympathetic to their plights. The term comes from the appearance of Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree in the TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas.
New Controversy about Name
Recently, as secularism in United States increases during this holiday, the term holiday tree has been used by some in the United States, Canada and the UK to reflect the winter holiday season instead of any specific religious holiday. This has resulted in a backlash from some Christian groups and individuals.
Christmas Tree Legends
Saint Boniface
Many legends exist about the origin of the Christmas tree. One is the story of Saint Boniface, an English monk who organized the Christian Church in France and Germany. One day, as he traveled about, he came upon a group of pagans gathered around a great oak tree about to sacrifice a child to the god Thor. To stop the sacrifice and save the child’s life Boniface felled the tree with one mighty blow of his fist. In its place grew a small fir tree. The saint told the pagan worshipers that the tiny fir was the Tree of Life and stood the eternal life of Christ.
Luther
Another legend holds that Martin Luther, a founder of the Protestant faith, was walking through the forest one Christmas Eve. As he walked he was awed by the beauty of millions of stars glimmering through the branches of the evergreen trees. So taken was he by this beautiful sight that he cut a small tree and took it home to his family. To recreate that same starlight beauty he saw in the wood, he placed candles on all its branches.
Poor Woodsman
Yet another legend tells of a poor woodsman who long ago met a lost and hungry child on Christmas Eve. Though very poor himself, the woodsman gave the child food and shelter for the night. The woodsman woke the next morning to find a beautiful glittering tree outside his door. The hungry child was really the Christ Child in disguise. He created the tree to reward the good man for his charity.
Paradise Play
Others feel the origin of the Christmas tree may be the “Paradise Play.” In medieval times most people would not read and plays were used to teach the lessons of the bible all over Europe. The Paradise Play, which showed the creation of man and the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden was performed every year on December 24th. The play was performed in winter creating a slight problem. An apple tree was needed but apple trees do not bare fruit in winter so a substitution was made. Evergreens were hung with apples and used instead.
Tree Topper
A tree topper is a decorative star, angel or other item which is placed on the crown of a Christmas tree. If viewed in a religious context, the tree topper usually signifies the Christmas Star of Bethlehem or angelic hosts which proclaimed the news of the birth of Jesus to the world on the eve of his birth.
Christmas Ornaments
Christmas ornaments are decorations (usually made of glass, metal, wood or ceramics) that are used to festoon a Christmas tree.
Ornaments take many different forms, from a simple round ball to highly artistic designs. Ornaments are almost always reused year after year, rather than purchased annually, and family collections often contain a combination of commercially produced ornaments and decorations created by family members.
Santa Claus is a commonly used figure. Fruit, animal and snowflake imagery is also popular.
Lucretia P. Hale’s story “The Peterkins’ Christmas-Tree” offers a short catalog of the sorts of ornaments used in the 1870s: “There was every kind of gilt hanging-thing, from gilt pea-pods to butterflies on springs. There were shining flags and lanterns, and bird-cages, and nests with birds sitting on them, baskets of fruit, gilt apples, and bunches of grapes.”
The modern-day Christmas ornament was descended from the 18th century witch ball used to ward off evil spirits.
The Christmas Pickle
The Weihnachtsgurke (Christmas Pickle) is a tradition in which the family decorates a Christmas tree, placing a glass pickle ornament on the tree. On Christmas morning, the first child to find the pickle on the tree would get a special gift.
This tradition is said to come from Germany, but despite of some producers of Christmas decorations, this is probably apocryphal.
Greens
Evergreens
The plants that kept green during the winter months were seen as special plants. They were seen both in pagan times and in Christian times as signs of eternal life. They were used during the Christmas time to decorate. They were used in wreaths, in bunches, in and garland as decorations for indoors and out. Often times fruit, berries and pine cones were used as additional decorations to the evergreens.
Holly
The Druids believed that holly, with its shiny leaves and red berries stayed green to keep the earth beautiful when the sacred oak lost it leaves. They wore sprigs of holly in their hair when they went into the forest to watch their priests cut the sacred mistletoe.
Holly was the sacred plant of Saturn and was used at the Roman Saturnalia festival to honor him. Romans gave one another holly wreaths and carried them about decorating images of Saturn with it. Centuries later, in December, while other Romans continued their pagan worship, Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus . To avoid persecution, they decked their homes with Saturnalia holly. As Christian numbers increased and their customs prevailed, holly lost its pagan association and became a symbol of Christmas.
The plant has come to stand for peace and joy, people often settle arguments under a holly tree. Holly is believed to frighten off witches and protect the home from thunder and lightning.
In West England it is said sprigs of holly around a young girl’s bed on Christmas Eve are suppose to keep away mischievous little goblins.
In Germany, a piece that has been used in church decorations is regarded as a charm against lightning.
In England, British farmers put sprigs of holly on their beehives. On the first Christmas, they believed, the bees hummed in honor of the Christ Child. The English also mention the “he holly and the she holly” as being the determining factor in who will rule the household in the following year, the “she holly” having smooth leaves and the “he holly” having prickly ones. Other beliefs included putting a sprig of holly on the bedpost to bring sweet dreams and making a tonic from holly to cure a cough. All of these references give light to “decking the halls with boughs of holly.”
Ivy
Ivy has been a symbol of eternal life in the pagan world and then came to represent new promise and eternal life in the Christian world. Ivy is more of an English Christmas green than an American one. It is considered a feeble clinging plant, rather feminine in nature, not at all like the masculine sturdy holly leaf. It was the ancient symbol of Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry.
Laurel
Among the Romans who remained pagan, the laurel leaf was sacred to the sun god Apollo. In the Christian sect it came to symbolize the triumph of Humanity as represented by the Son Man. Bay is also a name used for laurel. As the bay tree, the true laurel of the Ancients, is scarce in England. Substitutions such the common cherry laurel, the Portugal laurel, the Aucuba and others are often used. A British Christmas carol about the three kings leans heavily on the word “laurel”. “We come walking with our staves, wreathed with laurel: We seek the King Jesus, Him that saves, To Bring Him laurel...”
Rosemary
Rosemary is yet another Christmas green. Though now it is used to mainly season foods, during the Middle Ages it was spread on the floor at Christmas. As people walked on it, the fragrant smell arose filling the house. The story associated with the shrub is that Mary laid the garments of the Christ Child on its branches and caused it to have such a wonderful aroma. It is also said that rosemary is extremely offensive to evil spirits, thus, being well suited to the advent of their Conqueror. The name rosemary is given, too, an association to the Virgin Mary’s name, making it all the more fitting for the Christmas season.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is an aerial parasite that has no roots of its own and lives off the tree that it attaches itself to. Without that tree it would die. Mistletoe was thought to be sacred by ancient Europeans. Druid priests employed it in their sacrifices to the gods while Celtic people felt it possessed miraculous healing powers. In fact, in the Celtic language mistletoe means “all-heal.” It not only cured diseases, but could also render poisons harmless, make humans and animals prolific, keep one safe from witchcraft, protect the house from ghosts and even make them speak. With all of this, it was thought to bring good luck to anyone privileged to have it.
Norsemen offer us a beautiful symbolic myth about mistletoe. The story goes that Mistletoe was the sacred plant of Frigga, goddess of love and the mother of Balder, the god of the summer sun. Balder had a dream of death, which greatly alarmed his mother, for should he die, all life on earth would end. In an attempt to keep this from happening, Frigga went at once to air, fire, water, earth, and every animal and plant seeking a promise that no harm would come to her son. Balder now could not be hurt by anything on earth or under the earth. But Balder had one enemy, Loki, god of evil and he knew of one plant that Frigga had overlooked in her quest to keep her son safe. It grew neither on the earth nor under the earth, but on apple and oak trees. It was lowly mistletoe. So Loki made an arrow tip of the mistletoe, gave to the blind god of winter, Hoder, who shot it, striking Balder dead. The sky paled and all things in earth and heaven wept for the sun god. For three days each element tried to bring Balder back to life. Frigga, the goddess and his mother finally restored him. It is said the tears she shed for her son turned into the pearly white berries on the mistletoe plant and in her joy Frigga kissed everyone who passed beneath the tree on which it grew. The story ends with a decree that who should ever stand under the humble mistletoe, no harm should befall them, only a kiss, a token of love.
What could be more natural than to translate the spirit of this old myth into a Christian way of thinking and accept the mistletoe as the emblem of that Love which conquers Death? Its medicinal properties, whether real or imaginary, make it a just emblematic of that Tree of Life, the leaves of which are for the healing of the nations thus paralleling it to the Virgin Birth of Christ.
Later, the eighteenth-century English credited mistletoe not with miraculous healing powers, but with a certain magical appeal called a kissing ball. At Christmas time a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, cannot refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she cannot expect not to marry the following year. Whether we believe it or not, it always makes for fun and frolic at Christmas celebrations.
Kissing Under the Mistletoe
Another aspect of Christmas that receives some criticism is its traditions.
Traditions such as kissing under mistletoe are very popular, but have no Biblical reference at all. Once more, this tradition has its roots entwined in pagan beliefs. Bill McLain wrote in his book, “There are many legends about mistletoe. One Scandinavian legend states that Loki, the god of mischief, killed Baldur, the god of peace, by shooting him with an arrow made from mistletoe. Other gods and goddesses were saddened by Baldur’s death and asked that his life be restored, which it was. In appreciation, his mother Frigga hung up the mistletoe and promised to kiss all who passed under it. Because of this, mistletoe became the symbol of both forgiveness and love.”
There are also few other beliefs of mistletoe from around the world. During the Middle Ages, people would hang mistletoe over doors and on their ceilings to scare off evil spirits and prevent witches from entering.
In addition, there is an old superstition that if you place a twig of mistletoe under your pillow you will not have any nightmares.
Flowers
The Poinsettia
A favorite flower in the United States is the poinsettia, with its beautiful, red, star-shape. It is called the “Flame Leaf” in Central America or “Flower of the Holy Night” and was brought here over a hundred years ago by Dr. Joel Poinsett, our first Ambassador to Mexico. Most of the poinsettias used now come from California.
The legend of the poinsettia comes from Mexico. It tells of a girl named Maria and her little brother Pablo. They were very poor but always looked forward to the Christmas festival. Each year a large manger scene was set up in the village church, and the days before Christmas were filled with parades and parties. The two children loved Christmas but were always saddened because they had no money to buy presents. They especially wished that they could give something to the church for the Baby Jesus. But they had nothing.
One Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo set out for church to attend the service. On their way they picked some weeds growing along the roadside and decided to take them as their gift to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene. Of course other children teased them when they arrived with their gift, but they said nothing for they knew they had given what they could. Maria and Pablo began placing the green plants around the manger and miraculously, the green top leaves turned into bright red petals, and soon the manger was surrounded by beautiful star-like flowers and so we see them today.
The Christmas Rose
A well known English plant, the Christmas rose, is a true Christmas flower. It is sometimes called the Snow or Winter Rose. It blooms in the depths of winter in the mountains of Central Europe. Legend links it with the birth of Christ and a little shepherdess named Madelon. As Madelon tented her sheep one cold and wintry night, wise men and other shepherds passed by the snow covered field where she was with their gifts for the Christ Child. The wise men carried the rich gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense and the shepherds, fruits, honey and doves. Poor Madelon began to weep at the thought of having nothing, not even a simple flower for the Newborn King. An angel, seeing her tears, brushed away the snow revealing a most beautiful white flower tipped with pink - the Christmas rose.
Also in central and northern Europe it is the custom to break off a branch of a cherry tree at the beginning of the Advent and keep it in water in a warm room; the flowers should burst into bloom at Christmas time.
Other Plants:
Cacti
Plants that bloom in the winter months such as the some cactus are often associated with the Christmas and commonly given the name Christmas Cactus.
Bulbs
Bulbs that normally grow in the spring after a rest in winter can be forced to bloom at anytime of the year. So bulbs, such as Amaryllis and paper whites, are often associated with the festive time of Christmas.
Christmas Cards
Christmas cards were developed, in part, as a way to maintain relationships with distant relatives and friends, and with business acquaintances. People wrote notes and letters sharing the joy of the season and sharing the wishes of the new year to come.
Commercial cards were designed to help people have shortcuts in a busy season. They are extremely popular in Canada, the United States, and Europe, Many families enclose an annual family photograph, or a family newsletter telling activities of family members during the preceding year.
Favorite or sentimental cards can be saved and displayed at future Christmas celebrations by hanging on the tree or displaying on a mantle.
Christmas Stockings
A Christmas stocking is an empty sock or sock-shaped bag that children in the United States and some other cultures hang on Christmas Eve so that Santa can fill it with small toys, candy, fruit, coins, or other small gifts when he arrives. These small items are often referred to as stocking stuffers or stocking fillers. Tradition says that a child who behaves badly during the year will receive only a piece of coal.
By tradition, the stocking is hung on the fireplace, but, since many modern homes do not have fireplaces, stockings may be hung in almost any location, under the assumption that Santa can find them wherever they are.
One traditonal practise is to reserve the stocking for five gifts that stimulate each of the five senses, for example:
1. Something to eat like fruit or candy
2. A toy or other item that makes a noise (this can even include nuts to crack)
3. An item that is visually pleasing in any way like jewelry, cuff-links or a coloring book.
4. Something that has tactile appeal such as modeling clay, a soft toy, lingerie or even a pair of novelty christmas socks!
5. Any item with a distinctive scent such as bubble-bath, cologne, perfume etc.
Originally, children simply used one of their everyday socks, but eventually special Christmas stockings were created for this purpose. Today, stores carry a tremendous variety of styles and sizes of Christmas stockings, from small and conservative, to long and stretchy, to gigantic.
Many families create their own Christmas stockings with each family member’s name applied to the stocking so that Santa (or the family members) aren’t confused about which stocking belongs to which family member.
Yule Log
The Yule log comes from the Yule festival, which gave rise to many other popular Christmas traditions. The yule log was a huge log (sometimes an entire tree) that was burned slowly throughout these days to herald the birth of this new sun. One end of the log would be placed in the fireplace with the rest sticking out into the room. The log was slowly fed into the fire over the course of several days until it was completely consumed.
In modern day and age of gas fireplaces, the tradition continues by turning on the gas fireplace at Christmas. DVDs bring the Christmas tradition of a burning yule logs to television in the United States for those without fireplaces.
Log-shaped Christmas cakes, also known as “chocolate logs” are made for dessert on Christmas to resemble the Yule Log burning on the fire.
Wassailing
Wassailing is the practice of going door-to-door singing Christmas carols and requesting in return wassail or some other form of refreshment. In modern times it is most commonly known through reference in various traditional Christmas carols (e.g., “Here we come a-wassailing / among the leaves so green”).
The practice however has its roots in the middle ages as a reciprocal exchange between the feudal lords and their peasants as a form of recipient initiated charitable giving, to be distinguished from begging. This point is made in the song “Here We Come A-Wassailing”, when the wassailers inform the lord of the house that
”we are not daily beggars that beg from door to door but we are friendly neighbors whom you have seen before.”
The lord of the manor would give food and drink to the peasants in exchange for their blessing and goodwill, i.e...
“Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too;
And God bless you and send you
a Happy New Year”
... which would be given in the form of the song being sung. Wassailing is the background practice against which a carol such as “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” can be made sense of.
The example of the exchange is seen in their demand for “figgy pudding” and “good cheer”, i.e., the wassail beverage, without which the wassailers in the song will not leave, “we won’t go until we get some.” The traditional practice of wassailing came to an end with the development of industrial capitalism and a wealthy and powerful bourgeois class with little interest in continuing this age old holiday tradition of symbolic exchange they saw as undermining mundane economic exchange in the market economy.
In cider-producing areas of England, such as Sussex, wassailing also referred to drinking (and singing) the health of trees in the hopes that they might better thrive.
An old rhyme goes: “Wassaile the trees, that they may beare / You many a Plum and many a Peare: / For more or lesse fruits they will bring, / As you do give them Wassailing.”
Santa Clause & Other bringers of Gifts
Gift-giving is a near-universal part of Christmas celebrations. The wise men brought gifts to the new born king. Gift giving has been a part of Christmas ever since. One of the many customs of gift timing is suggested by the song “Twelve Days of Christmas,” celebrating an old British tradition of gifts each day from Christmas to Epiphany. But in most of the world, Christmas gifts are given at night on Christmas Eve, or in the morning on Christmas Day.
Saint Nicholas
The concept of a folklore figure who brings gifts to children derives from Saint Nicholas, a good hearted bishop of 4th-century Asia Minor. The Dutch modeled a gift-giving Saint Nicholas around his death on December 6th. In North America, other colonists adopted the feast of Sinterklaas brought by the Dutch into their Christmas holiday, and Sinterklaas became Santa Claus, or Saint Nick. In some countries, children place their empty shoes out for Santa to fill on the night before Christmas, or for Saint Nicholas on December 6th. Gift giving is not restricted to these special gift-bringers, as family members and friends also bestow gifts on each other. In many countries, Saint Nicholas Day remains the principal day for gift giving.
In much of Germany, children put shoes out on window sills on the night of December 5th, and find them filled with candy and small gifts the next morning. In such places, including the Netherlands, Christmas day remains more a religious holiday.
In Poland, Santa Claus (in Polish: Święty Mikołaj) gives gifts at two occasions: on the night of 5th of December (so that children find them on the morning of the 6th of December), and on Christmas Eve, December 24th, (when children find gifts that same day).
Father Christmas
The Father Christmas name is used widely in the UK, though Santa Claus is just as commonly used, Father Christmas is also used in many West African countries. In the Anglo-American tradition, this jovial fellow arrives on Christmas Eve on a sleigh pulled by reindeer, and lands on the roofs of houses. He then climbs down the chimney, leaves gifts for the children, and eats the food they leave for him. He spends the rest of the year making toys and keeping lists on the behavior of the children.
One belief in the United Kingdom and United States which has been passed down the generations, is the idea of “good” and “bad” lists of children. Throughout the year, Santa would add names of children to either the good or bad list depending on their behaviour. When it got closer to Christmastime, parents would use the belief to encourage children to behave well. Those who were on the bad list and whose behaviour did not improve before Christmas were said to receive a booby prize of sorts, such as a piece of coal or a switch with which their parents would hit them, rather than presents.
Until the recent past, gifts were given in the UK to nonfamily members on Boxing Day, December 26th.
In some versions, elves in a toy workshop make the holiday toys, and in some he is married to Mrs. Claus. Many shopping malls in North America and the United Kingdom have a holiday mall Santa Claus whom children can visit to ask for presents.
Grandfather Frost
In Russia, Grandfather Frost brings presents on New Years Eve, and these are opened on the same night.
Père Noël
The French equivalent of Santa, Père Noël, evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa image Haddon Sundblom painted for a worldwide Coca-Cola advertising campaign in the 1930s. In some cultures Santa Claus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter.
In many countries, children leave empty containers for Santa to fill with small gifts such as toys, candy, or fruit. In both the United Kingdom and the United States, children hang a Christmas stocking by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, because Santa is said to come down the chimney the night before Christmas to fill them.
Three Kings
In many countries, gifts are given, not on Christmas, but on the feast of the Epiphany or the Day of the Three Kings. They bring gifts to children just as they did to the Christ child. In Spain and countries with Spanish origin, gifts are brought by the Magi at Epiphany on the 6th of January.
La Befana
The principal gift-bringer in some areas was a uniquely Italian folk character named La Befana who would distribute toys in honor of Epiphany, January 6th, when the season comes to its official end.
St. Lucia
In other areas (Venice and Mantova) St. Lucia distributed gifts and in some regions Gesu’ Bambino, ( Child Jesus), brought Christmas gifts. Due to modern communications, Santa Claus has made incursions into Italy’s traditions, and now he makes his rounds in various regions on Christmas Eve as Babbo Natale, Father Christmas.
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