Christmas
Traditions
Christmas
celebrates the birth of Christ, who was believed to be the savior
of mankind. Christmas has always been one of the favorite times of
the year for everyone through out the world. The magical events of
Christmas are believed to hold each and everyone’s heart with joy
and freshness. These magical events have been recreated in the
many traditions followed during Christmas. The Christmas tree, the
star, Santa Claus and the ginger bread man are some traditions
that all combine to form the spirit of Christmas.
The traditions of
Christmas have been aggregated from over half a dozen cultures and
accumulated over the centuries. An in-depth look in into its
tradition, and one is moved with all the sentiments, symbols and
meaning associated with Christmas. All of which combine to give a
touch of liveliness and harmony to the season of celebrations.
However, no matter which part of the world you are in, the
tradition of Christmas blossoms with fun and celebration and
carries along with it faith, hope and love.
The
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree
is one of the most dominant symbols of the Christmas season all
over the world. The decorated and fully lighted Christmas tree has
an aura in itself. It fills the air with warmth, love and
happiness that are symbolic of the holiday season.
Though Martin
Luther, the German monk and church reformer, first started the
modern concept of indoor tree decorations, the tree has been
associated with celebrations since yore. In the Middle Ages, the
Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their
homes or just outside their doors to show their hope for the
forthcoming spring. The modern Christmas tree evolved from these
evergreen trees that were regarded as a symbol of life. The
tradition then spread to other parts of Europe and the entire
world.
According to a
legend, the Christmas tree is associated with the birth of Jesus
Christ. It is believed that on the night of the birth of Christ,
all kinds of living creatures came to Bethlehem with gifts. The
olive tree came along with its fruit and the palm with its date
but the fir had nothing to gift the newborn king. So an angel,
taking pity on the fir, commanded a cluster of stars to shine on
its beautiful boughs. Baby Jesus smiled on seeing the lighted
tree, and blessed it. Consequently, the fir tree is always lighted
with many decorations on it, to please little children during
Christmas.
Another belief is
that the triangular shape of the tree symbolizes the Trinity and
points upwards towards the God. While the light, gift and
decorations on the Christmas tree mean heaven; love and charity
respectively.
Even the
decorations on the Christmas trees draw their root in traditional
values. The crystal balls symbolizes the fruit of redemption, the
electric light or the candles are ancient symbols that stand for
the triumph of spring over the darkness of winter. The light also
symbolizes the light that Jesus Christ cast upon the lives of the
people. The Holy, when it flies down to earth, is believed to take
the shape of a dove. The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit, while
the bell symbolizes the joys of life.
THE STAR
The star symbolizes
the star that appeared quite miraculously in the eastern sky on
the birth of Jesus Christ. The star is believed to have guided the
magi, who were the three wise men from the East to find the
newborn king.
One wonders whether
the star that shined that fateful night is any different from
those of today. Astronomers continue to be at loss to explain the
star that shone on the night of the birth of Jesus. It could not
have been a meteor, for it lasted for only a few seconds, nor was
it a comet because astronomers fond out that there were no comets
visible to humans around the time of Christ’s birth.
The magi from the
east were also astrologers of their time. They had studied the
Jewish rabbis and were well aware of the triangle shape that had
already appeared before the birth of Moses. This was perhaps the
reason why it was interpreted that a great man was to be born on
the Jewish land. The star was indeed a strange star and people
continue to believe that a miracle had occurred around the time of
the birth of Christ.
The Christmas star
continues to adorn the churches and houses as part of the
traditional Christmas celebrations. The star stands for high hopes
and ideals, a hope for a good fortune and to reach above oneself.
Santa
Claus
Christmas is surely
incomplete without Santa. His roaring laughter and gifts that he
brings along are an integral part of Christmas, more so for
children. They keep peeping out through the windows waiting for
Santa’s arrival. Santa is believed to come riding through the snow
on the carriage pulled by reindeers, led by his favorite Rudolph--
the red nosed reindeer. Santa is also accompanied by Elvin, the
elf, who looks after Santa’s Rudolf.
Children believe
that Santa Claus gets gifts for them. As a result many of them
leave stockings so that Santa can put their gifts in it, some
little ones hang sack of pillows instead of stockings. Others even
decorate their Christmas list and put it on the windowsill along
with a little bit of sugar so that Father Christmas won’t miss
them. They also leave some pies or cookies and some kind of brandy
or drinks as snacks for Santa.
And as the bright
Christmas morning opens, the kids wake up early and hurry to check
out what Santa has got for him. Santa Claus in his red baggy suit,
flowing wide bear is quite a craze among the kids and even for
some adults.
The custom of Santa
Claus coming along with a sack of gifts is related with the life
of Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was a generous saint who lived in a
town called Partara in the East. He was very fond of children and
was kind to the poor and the downtrodden. For all the wonderful
things he did, his life came to be symbolized in the legend of
Santa Claus. Santa Claus is an integral part of the spirit of
Christmas, of hope, love and faith.
GIFTS
The Christmas
spirit is all about caring and sharing with your loved ones. And
what best way to express these feelings than gifts. Christmas, in
many ways is the season to give gifts to the loved ones. And the
tradition traces back to the birth of Christ.
In the legend, the
magi from the East came along with gifts to see and get blessing
from the newborn king. These three men bring gold, frankincense
and myrrh as gifts for baby Jesus. The gift of gold symbolizes
Jesus as the King of kings. Frankincense is also a unique gift. In
the Exodus 30:34-38 God told Moses that frankincense was only to
be offered on the brazen alter in front of the Holy of Holies and
on the Day of Atonement.
Similar to the
frankincense, myrrh is a burial ointment and it has cleansing
qualities. The gifts the magi brought to Jesus foretold about
God’s plan. They symbolize faith, hope and love all in the name of
God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The gifts of today
too, wrapped with flashy colored papers, bring along with them
love and wishes from friends and family. Some of the common gifts
of the season are porcelain birds, porcelain blossoms, brass
menagerie, porcelain elephant, dolls and toys, jewelries and many
more gifts of personal choice.
The Christmas
Rose
Christmas Rose is a
celebrated English plant that is regarded as 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 modest shepherd maiden
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 to offer, not even a simple
flower for the Newborn King, as she was very poor indeed. And as
she stood there weeping, an angel passing saw her sorrow, and
stooping he brushed aside the snow at her feet revealing a most
beautiful white flower tipped with pink - the Christmas rose.
Also in northern
and central Europe it is a tradition 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.
The Poinsettia
Poinsettia is a
much-loved flower in the United States with its stunning red
star-shape. It is called the" Flower of the Holy Night " or the
"Flame Leaf" in Central America. The botanical name, Euphorbia
Pulcherrima, was assigned to the poinsettia by the German
botanist, Wilenow. Dazzled by its color, he gave it this name
meaning "very beautiful." 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 disappointed because they had no money to buy gifts. They
especially wished that they could present 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. Not
knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered
a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet
and deciding to take them as their gift to the Baby Jesus in the
manger scene. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt
more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her
offering. 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, all who saw them were certain that
they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes.
Holly
For centuries,
holly has been the subject of myths, legends, and customary
observances. Holly is conventionally associated with masculinity
and a symbol of good luck. It decorates the home at Christmas
time, and is regarded as a symbol of delight and merriment that
brings up thoughts of celebration and good cheer. The Romans used
the plant to decorate their houses, temples, and deities for
Saturnalia, the mid-winter feast. They exchanged holly boughs as
symbols of kindness and friendship. This practice is believed to
be the predecessor of holly's use in Christmas celebrations.
Centuries later, in December, while other Romans continued their
pagan worship, Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus. As
Christians increased in number and their customs prevailed, Holly
lost its pagan associations and became a symbol of Christmas.
The plant has come
to stand for tranquility, joy and merriment. People often settle
disputes under a holly tree. Holly is believed to frighten off
witches and evil spirits and protect the home from thunder and
lightning. In Western England it is believed that twigs of holly
around a young girl's bed on Christmas Eve would keep away naughty
little goblins. In Germany, a piece that has been used in church
decorations is regarded as magic against lightning. The English
also mention the "he holly and the she holly" as being the
deciding factor in who will dominate the household in the
following year, the "he holly" have thorny leaves while a "she
holly" have smooth ones. . Other beliefs include, putting a sprig
of holly on the bedpost would bring sweet dreams and also making a
tonic from holly could be a cure for cold.
The Candy
cane
The white color of
the Christmas candy symbolizes the Virgin Birth and the sinless
nature of Jesus. The hardness of the candy symbolizes the solid
rock, the foundation of churches and the firmness of the promises
made by God. The candies are made in a “J” shape to represent the
name of Jesus and the shape of the staff of the “Good Shepherd”.
And the three red stripes on the candy represents the Trinity and
the blood shed by Christ to let us have the promise of the eternal
life.
Midnight mass or
service
Midnight mass and
day services are held in the Churches during the eve and the day
of Christmas. The message and sermons of love and redemption are
given out. Large numbers of people gather to pray and thank god
for his sacrifices that are believed to have saved mankind.
Flavor of the
season
No celebration is
complete without a feast, and the Christmas feast is a special one
too. Christmas also brings with it all the fun and lively parties
in our homes. The snowman, the sounds of the bells, Santa with
gifts, music, bands, the colorful procession with many custom
wears etc. adds more fun and makes Christmas a very glamorous
fest.
Enhancing the
Christmas and fun spirit are some of the delicacies that include
the Christmas pie, cookies, Christmas cakes, ginger bread, turkey
meat, pudding, wine, and brandy. Some dishes that you can include
in your menu this Christmas are almond baklava, apple squares,
biscotti di vino, caramel popcorn, Turkish baklava, sour cherry
bars, peanut clusters, nutmeg rolls and so on. As for drinks, try
out the eggnog, Santa’s punch, and hot cranberry punch along with
the quintessential Wine.
