The Christmas Star
The star is at the top of almost every Christmas tree, on a Christmas card, in the shape of a cookie, or outlined in brilliant lights. The star re-appears every Christmas as it did for the 3 wise men on the night of Jesus' birth. Other religions also used the star as a star symbol to mean a god, in Babylon. Ancient Egyptians believed that certain gods controlled the stars. In China, the stars and constellations were worshipped.The ancient Hebrews took as their symbol the six-pointed star of David, which is still the emblem of the Jews. The Blackfoot Indians of North America believed that each star was once a human being. Today in North Africa some of the Berber tribes worship the constellations of the Great Bear & Little Bear, as they have for centuries. But, the five-pointed star is different and unique. At the time of the birth of Jesus, the New Testament says, a strange star appeared over Bethlehem. Guided by its light, wise men on camels came from other kingdoms, to honor the event.
The Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree began long ago, several thousand years ago! What is now England and France there lived Celtic people known as Druids. Sorcerers, priests, prophets, and healers, they worshipped nature, practiced magic, and held secret ceremonies in sacred groves. At the Winter solstice, the Druid priests would decorate oak trees with gilded apples and lighted candles. The apples expressed gratitude to their god Odin for bestowing fruits and the candles honored the sun god Balder. At the Saturnalia in December the ancient Romes trimmed trees with trinkets and candles, placing an image of the sun god at the tip. The Egyptian Isis was the goddess of growing things, as well as the mother of the sun god of Horus. At her festival in late December, palm branches were taken into Egyptian homes, as a symbol of continuing life. According to a legend, the first Christmas tree was discovered by Winfrid, the English missionary who was later named St. Boniface, who was in Germany, trying to win over the pagan tribesman. Finding a group of worshippers, gathered at the Oak of Geismar, about to sacrifice little Prince Asulf to the god Thor, Winfrid stopped them. He cut down the "blood oak" before their eyes, and as it fell a young fir tree sprang up. The fir tree was the tree of Christ,Winfrid said, a symbol of goodness and love that should be taken into their homes. Then he told them about the birth of Jesus. Some believe that the Christmas tree began in the 16th century by a German man named Martin Luther, a protestant leader of church reform. On Christmas Eve, the legend tells, that Martin was inspired by the beauty of tall evergreens against a starry sky. He cut a fir tree, took it home to his family, and placed lighted candles on its branches. The lights he said, stood for the stars in the heavens above Bethlehem. The first real record of a Christmas tree is in a German book dated 1604. By the 19th century everyone was doing it, Austria, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Some people covered a wooden pyramid with evergreens, tinsel, and candles if they couldn't get a tree! Christmas began in England in 1660, the holiday was revived by King Charles the second. Two hundred years later the first Christmas tree appeared. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's German husband, celebrated the birth of their first son in 1841 with a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle. In some colonies settled by the Puritans, Christmas was not a holiday. A law in Massachusetts in the year 1659 had fined anyone found celebrating Christmas! Even theough the law had since been repealed, the disapproval still lingered on. Today, fir, spruce, and pine are the most popular Christmas trees. Some are grown on tree plantations. Some come from American or Canadian forests. Many people cut their own. Others claim that cutting a small tree permits fuller growth to larger, stronger trees. Many families decorate fireproof artificial trees. Still others buy living trees. After Christmas, if they have a yard or garden, they plant them there. In Philadelphia grows "The Children's Christmas Tree" in Independence Square. Each Christmas the President of the United States lights a tall spruce decorated with large colored balls, one for each state. The town of Wilmington, North Carolina, decks an ancient oak tree with 7,000 lights and six tons of Spanish moss. "The Nation's Christmas Tree" stands in Kings Canyon National Park in California. It is a giant sequoia, over 3,500 years old. New Zealand, have a tree shaped something like a Japanese bonsai, with red flowers in December or January, and is called the Christmas Tree. Africans of Liberia who celebrate Christmas cut oil palms, and decorate them with red bells. We have had a live tree every year except for 1998 and this year 1999. We finally decided to buy an artificial tree for safety reasons and 2 small sisters! but, our tree is pretty big at 7' ft. tall!
Christmas Tree Ornaments
Almost everything was used to decorate the Christmas tree. People used fruits, nuts, gingerbread, origami, angels, bells, candles, candy, and ornaments! The first decorations were created by the Germans andthen they began to ship the ornaments to other countries, including the US. Before ornaments were being sold to America, the people made their own. Children enjoyed making popcorn and cranberry garlands, paper chains, & paper stars. Sometimes they cut and colored pictures of St. Nicholas. The mothers usually added apples, oranges, nuts,and popcorn balls. Today most American trees have store bought ornaments, lights, balls, bells, and stars, elves, reindeer, angles, stockings, and much more. People today decorate trees with home made ornaments, dolls, angels, and just about anything can go on your tree. I've know families with a tree in every major room, and all are decorated differently. Sometimes the Christmas tree stays up all year! See how everyone has their own custom Christmas. My family have decorated differently every year. We use store bought ornaments and crosstich ornaments Mom made, and some from friends/family.
Christmas Greens & Flowers
It's time to hang up those wreaths and garlands! Don't forget that pine, mistletoe, and holly. You can also buy artificial for safety reasons! Long ago before there was a Christmas the Egyptians hung evergreens on their doors at this time of the year. During Winter, they believed, the woodland spirits were forced to wander around in the cold. By offering them shelter within their homes they hoped for good fortune and health. The ancient Romans decorated their homes with evergreens at the Saturnalia festival and at the Kalends in January (their New Year). Friends gave one another green branches for good luck.The Druids believed if the plant didn't die it was sacred, a symbol of life itself.
Mistletoe
The trick about Mistletoe is, if you are standing beneath it, you are to be kissed! Among the Norsemen, mistletoe was scared to Frigga, goddess of love and mother of the sun God Balder. Norse myths describe how Balder alarmed his mother by dreaming of death. If the sun god died, all life on earth would end! Frigga went at once to air, fire, water, and earth, and every animal and plant. From each of these she drew a promise not harm her son, one plant she overlooked, the parasite that grew on oak and apple trees, mistletoe. The cunning Loki, god of evil, was jealous of Balder, and saw a change to destroy his enemy, who stood for goodness as well as for sun and light. Making an arrowtip of mistletoe, Loki gave it to Hoder, the blind god of winter, who shot is striking Balder and he was killed. For 3 days each one in turn tried to bring Balder back to life, Frigga succedded with the power of love. The tears she had shed for her son turned into berries on the mistletoe plant. In her joy, Frigga kissed each one who passed beneath the tree on which it grew! Now, anyone who stood beneath it, would receive a toke of love -- a kiss. Today, mistletoe is a symbol of Christmas joy. To let it fall to the ground is unlucky, people say, just as the Druids long ago. A girl standing underneath the mistletoe, cannot refuse to be kissed. One who goes unkissed cannot except to be married or other superstitions like these. It just all adds to the fun at Christmas parties!
Holly
Holly has glossy green leaves,and bright red berries. There are
two kinds of holly, one smooth and the other prickly. This plant was sacred
to Saturn, the god honored at the Roman festival, Saturnalia. The Romans
gave each other holly wreaths, they wore holly in their hair and did oh'
so many other things with it. The Christians wanted to use this holly too,
although it was considered pagan, because of the Romans using it in their
festival. In the year 575 Bishop Martin of Bracae in Germany forbade all
Christmas evergreens as a heathen custom. It was several hundred years before
they were seen again in churches and Christian
homes.
The Poinsettia
Another favourite in the United States in the poinsettia. The poinsettia is a red star shaped flower. It's also known as Flame Leaf (Central America) or Flower of Holy Night, it was brought here over a hundred years ago Dr. Joel Poinsett, our first ambassador to Mexico. A Mexican legend tells of a poor girl who, with no gift to offer Mary, picked some flowering weeds along the roadside. The moment she placed them before the Virgin's statue, they turned into brilliant poinsettia blossoms.
The Christmas Rose
Until the 20th century the flower was grown in England. The legends
link it with the birth of Christ. The wise men and the shepherds were travelling
together and they passed a field where little Madelon was tending her sheep.
At the sight of their gifts she began to weep. Even the shepherds had something
to offer -- fruits, honey, and a white dove. Madelone had nothing, not even
a simple flower. An angel, seeing her weeping, brushed the snow awat, revealing
a lovely white flower tipped with pink, the Christmas
rose!
Candles & Colored Lights
Every Christmas you'll see festive candles and colored lights.
Some people use candles and others use colored lights. They place them in
windows, on tables, and carolers carry them around with them while caroling
from house to house. Centuries before the birth of Jesus, people lighted
torches as well as bonfires at their Winter solstice rites. The ancient
Scandinavians built fires to defy the Frost King. The Persians kindles them
in honor of Mithra, god of light. At the Saturnalia the Romans put lighted
candles on small trees in honor of Saturn, who ruled their crops. The Druids
lighted them for the sun god Balder. At Hanukkah, Jewish people have for
centuries, lighted candles in a Menorah, one more each evening until all
8 plus a shmash, or servant candle, are all burning. The first Hanukka, in
165 b.c marked a glorious victory for religious freedom. The Jews had just
defeated an invading monarch with his alien gods. Now they rededicated the
Temple at Jerusalem. In a legend that arose later, they found enough pure
oil to keep the Eternal Lamp burning just one day, but by a miracle, it burned
for 8! People of the middle ages put lighted candles in their windows on
Christmas Eve to guide the Christ child on his way. No stranger was ever
turned away. For whoknew he could be the Christ Child in
disguise.
Santa Claus
St. Nicholas the man, the saint, we call Santa Claus was never a big fat jolly old man in a red suit, nor did he ride 12 reindeer. We all know those things aren't true, they are just made up for fun. The real St. Nick was a bishop who was born in Asia Minor in the 4th century. He was a very kind man and loved children. He brought miracles and gave gifts. Some say the saw Nicolas toss bags of golden coins into a house of a father with 3 daughters who needed dowries. Later on the second daughter was ready to be married, and someone said they saw him toss in another bag of gold and so he did for the 3rd as well! The third bag was said to have fallen in a stocking that was drying and that was how stockings came to be! Six hundred years after Bishop Nicholas'death, the Russian Emperor Vladimir visitedConstantinople. There, hearing all the wonderful stories, he decided to make Nicholas the patron saint of Russia. In time, word of the kind bishop passed through northern Siberia into Lapan ---to the people of the reindeer sleds. The anniversery of his death, December 6, came so close to Christmas that, in many countries the two merged! In Germenay and the Netherlands, however, St. Nicholas Day remained apart. Dutch children were told that St. Nicholas, or Sinterklaas, sailed from Spain with a Moorish helper. They filled their shoes with hay and sugar for his horse and woke up to find them filled with nuts and candies. In homes where Sinterklaus appeared in his bishop's robes in person, he usually resembled the father or oldest son, and knew a great deal about the children's behaviour. At that time St. Nicholas carried a birch rod as well as presents, in case the children had misbehaved. Today he is more kindly!
Christmas Gifts
Gift giving also began long ago. At the Roman festival Saturnalia, rich men gave fairly generously to the poor. The poor, in return, gave tapers, frankincense, and garlands of holy or laurel. Children were given little images made of clay or paste. By the 12th century almost everyone Christian was giving gifts, even though it was thought wrong because the Pagans did it. It started in Europe, and the Catholic countries such as France, Spain, Italy, and Latin America. Christmas day is still usually a holy day, with gifts given on another day. In the Middle ages, children's gifts often came in bundles of 3. They got something rewarding, useful, and something for discipline. Gift giving also was happening in England with Queen Elizabeth the first. Her servants, nobles, clergymen, cooks, bakers, and all the servants, would give gifts on Christmas day. The Queen recieved furs, jewels, petticoats, and once the first pair of silk stockings to appear in Europe! In a religious sense, a Christmas gift is a symbol of the gifts taken to Bethlehem by the wise men, also known as the Magi or Three Kings. Each gift brought to Christmas foretold something Christ would become:
Gold: A King
Frankincense: A High Priest
Myrrh: A Healer and a Martyr
Christmas Colors
RED: the color of greatest excitement, is also the special color for December. In the language of religious symbols, it stands for fire, blood, and charity.
GREEN: is a symbol of nature, a symbol of youth and the hope of eternal life. And Christmas is a feast of hope, with a newborn child as its central symbol.
WHITE: as a religious symbol, stands for light, purity, joy, and glory. We see it in the robes of Christmas angels, in Santa's beard, and suit trimmings, in Christmas snow or in snowflakes!
GOLD: stands for sunlight and radiance. It is the color of shining Christmas stars, sparkling tinsel, glowing candles, or blazing electric bulbs.
Christmas Cards
Christmas cards began in the 1840's. The first is said to be designed by William Egley, a young engraver's apprentice. His card now in the British Museum, shows people at Christmas dinner and other people dancing, singing carols, and giving food to the poor. Each scene is in a separate panel. William had 100 copies made and sent them to his friends. Around the same time, Sir Henry Cole, had the artist John Horsley design a card. A 1000 copies were printed by hand, and sold for a shilling apiece. Both cards were bordered with a trellis and grapevines. Soon a number of companies began printing Christmas cards. Designed by famous artists and printed in lavish color, they were too costly for most people. In 20 or 30 years a new way of printing color lowered prices. Now almost everyone could send Christmas cards. In 1874 the Christmas card made its way to the United States.
