Remarkable Origins of Ten Christmas Traditions
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www.donalsonvillenews.com MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Donalsonville News Thursday, December 24, 2020 Page 5C Luke And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they 2:20 had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Remarkable origins of ten Christmas traditions Have you ever wondered history itself; the dolls were came where to leave these the elements symbolized by “carole” or “carula” which only to remain there all where some of our Christ- used to represent human gi s so that the children evergreens in pre-Christian both mean a circular dance. year until being replaced mas and holiday traditions sacri ces that Rome had would nd them. Accord- Winter festivals: immortal- e practice may have by another sprig next come from? I mean, we given to Saturn in the ing to legends, he then saw ity and fortitude. developed out of the public Christmas. e process by tell our kids that a fat man past as payment for good girls’ stockings hanging e evergreen was also ceremonies that created the which mistletoe became is coming into our house harvests. Boughs of certain above the replace, and ol’ known to have represented rst carols. associated with kissing is at night; we bring trees in trees and other plant matter Saint Nick (to paraphrase) the same values to a variety Boxing Day currently unknown, but it to shed all over the carpet; were also common gi s thought “Why not?”. From of cultures, including the Boxing Day is, as op- was rst recorded in 16th and we kiss under parasitic during Saturnalia, and were then on, children would Egyptians, Chinese, and posed to the rest of this list, century England as a very plants – all in the holiday used to represent bounty hang stockings up hoping Hebrews. e worship of an instance where a secular popular practice. Mistletoe spirit. How are these even and good harvests. that Saint Nicholas would trees was also very com- holiday grew out of a reli- carries a pretty good legacy, related to Jesus, whose X-mas visit them that night. mon in European druidism gious one. In most English for a parasite of a plant that birthday we’re supposed to While some uninformed Beyond St. Nick, the and paganism. In Christian speaking countries, Boxing causes diarrhea and stom- be celebrating? groups in the Americas be- practice can be traced back tradition, trees were o en Day is traditionally the ach pain when ingested. Well, sit back and relax, lieve that the abbreviation to Scandinavian countries put up in December to day following Christmas Santa pour a cup of eggnog and “X-mas” is an attempt by that still held their Pagan serve the dual purpose of in which people receive Most people know that take a ride on this 10-entry, the “dirty liberals” to “keep beliefs. Children would warding o the devil and gi s from their bosses or Santa’s origins lie in Saint Listverse sleigh! the Christ out of Christ- leave their shoes full of car- allowing a perch for what- employers. Nicholas, that generous Christmas mas”, the true origins have rots, straw, or other similar ever birds still remained. Today, Boxing Day is Saint who gave presents to Christmas, as most of us a strong basis in Christian- foods for Odin’s mythic Evergreen trees decorated known as a shopping day needy children. However, know, is the Christian tra- ity. In the abbreviation, horse, Sleipnir. When with apples and wafers similar to Black Friday. many other gures evolved dition honoring the birth the X stands for the Greek Sleipnir ate the food, Odin were also used in Christ- Many important sporting into the conglomerate we of Christ – though it is not letter Chi, the rst letter of would leave candy or other mas Eve plays during the events are also commonly call Santa Claus. celebrated solely as such the Greek word for Christ. treats in their place. Middle Ages to represent held on the holiday. Box- For one, the Dutch Sin- in our modern society. To Jesus’ name has also been Wreaths the tree from which Adam ing Day grew out of St. terklaas, who himself has us, Christmas represents abbreviated as XP, a com- Since classical antiquity, and Eve at the forbidden Stephen’s Day, a Christian basis with Saint Nick, was a time of joy, gi -giving, bination of the rst and the wreath has been used fruit. As for decoration, the holiday that commemo- the main inspiration for and family. Christmas as second letters of the Greek as a symbol of power and rst evidence for decorated rates the eponymous St. Santa Claus. He is nearly we know it evolved out of word for Christ. From strength. In Rome and Christmas trees comes Stephen, the rst Christian identical to Santa: he wears the Roman tradition of XP comes the labarum, a Greece, kings and emperors from German cra sman martyr. St. Stephen was a red and white, knows if Saturnalia, a festival honor- holy symbol in Orthodox o en wore laurel wreaths guilds during the Renais- deacon in an early church you’re naughty or nice, and ing their god of agriculture, Christianity that represents as crowns – a practice sance. A er the Protestant in Jerusalem. A er an argu- has elf helpers referred to Saturn, on the Winter Jesus. they themselves borrowed Reformation, trees en- ment with members of the as Zwarte Piet. However, solstice. e term X-mas has from the Etruscans, who joyed a surge of popularity synagogue, he was accused the legend takes on a much Due to the already- been used since the 16th predated them. e Greeks among Protestant house- of blasphemy. While wait- darker legend when one rampant celebration taking century, though it gained and the Romans con- holds as counterparts to the ing for his trial, he said he hears that the Zwarte Piet’s place on the date and prominent usage in the nected the laurel wreath to Catholic nativity scene. had seen God the Father duties also include pun- the revering of light and 18th and 19th centuries. In their sun god, Apollo, and Caroling and Son, though this wasn’t ishing naughty children the sun, it was a natural the modern world, X has considered the crown to Christmas carols grew enough to save him – he with “jute bags and willow development to celebrate been taken to be used as an embody his values. out of the rst Christmas was stoned anyway. canes”. He also di ers from the birth of Christ on the abbreviation for any word Harvest wreathes – hymns, which developed Mistletoe Santa in the facts that he same date. Many Roman with Christ or the “krys” the predecessors to our in fourth century Rome. Mistletoe is a parasitic wears a bishop’s hat and writers give references to sound in it, even in words modern decorations – were While these Latin hymns plant which perches on a comes on steam boat from the date of December 25th which have no etymologi- used in rituals for good were sung in church for tree branch and absorbs Spain, rather than the and Christianity between cal connection. Chrysan- harvests, and predate even generations, the rst true nutrients from the trunk North Pole. the second and third themum, for example, is written history. Ancient carols developed in France, – hardly one of the most Another large in u- centuries, and it is believed sometime shortened to European animists o en Germany, and Italy in the romantic forms of life. ence into Santa’s design is that the holiday was widely “xant” on orist’s signs, and used evergreen in their 13th century. ese carols, But it has been inspiring the British Father Christ- celebrated by Christians by crystal has sometimes been wreathes to symbolize written in the vernacular people to kiss for genera- mas, a gure developed the turn of the fourthteenth abbreviated as “xtal”. strength and fortitude, language of the area they tions. Mistletoe has a large in the 17th century as the century. ough Christmas Christmas as an evergreen will live were composed, were en- mythological background embodiment of holiday is celebrated as the birth of Stockings through even the harsh- thusiastically sung at com- across many cultures. joy and mirth. Odin also Jesus Christ, we don’t know Many people know of est of Winters. As for the munity events and festivals. e Greeks believed exists as a potential pagan the exact date, or even the Saint Nicholas being the connection to Christianity, ey were not composed that Aeneas, the famous inspiration for Santa Claus; year of His birth. basis of Santa Claus, but the since wreathes symbolized speci cally as Christmas ancestor of the Romans he lead a hunting party Gift-Giving practice of stocking-stu - tenacity and everlasting life, carols, but rather as con- carried a sprig of mistletoe with other gods on Yule, a It is sometimes said that ing can be traced back to they were o en used in fu- glomerate holiday songs in the form of the legend- German holiday at roughly the tradition of gi -giving his charitable donations in nerals of important people, that were sung at many ary golden bough. In Eddic the same time as Christ- started with the three wise the fourth century. Nicho- speci cally in the burials of separate festivals and cel- tradition, mistletoe was the mas; he rode Sleipnir, a men, who visited Jesus and las believed that childhood saints and martyrs. ebrations. only thing able to kill the legendary horse with eight gave Him gi s of myrrh, should be savored and en- Christmas Tree Later on, the songs god Baldur, since it had legs; like Santa, he has eight frankincense, and gold.