Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-12-22, Page 46THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2005. PAGE B17. The meanings behind the Christmas traditions Christmas is a holiday steeped in customs. Year in and year out, you decorate a Christmas tree, sip eggnog, and enjoy a candy cane beneath the mistletoe. But do you have any idea how these customs came about? To fully appreciate a holiday, you should understand its roots. This guide will help you get to the bottom of this festive and sacred holiday. Advent calendars: The first calendar counting down to Christmas dates back to the 19th Century. People counted down 24 or 25 days until Christmas (with the last day being Christmas Eve or Christmas Day), by using chalk lines to mark off the days. Later on the tradition of lighting a candle each night was bom. Today, Advent calendars vary. Some have drawers or doors that are opened every day to reveal a religious icon, piece of candy or you may even find ones with cartoon Santa Claus, a universal symbol of generosity Christmas and Santa Claus are synonymous in many countries, but this was not always so. The jolly old gent is actually the result of an evolving process through the centuries, although he does have his origins as a real person. To be more accurate, he is probably a combination of St. Nicholas, and an ancient yule god. St. Nicholas was a fourth-century bishop of Myra in Asia Mijior, who had won a reputation for generosity. According to the legend, the good bishop had saved three young maidens from spinsterhood or worse, by providing their impoverished father with dowries for each of the daughters. He supposedly left three bags of gold on the man’s window ledge. This is why pawnbrokers, who consider St. Nicholas their patron saint, traditionally have three golden balls outside their shops. Another legend about St. Nicholas tells of the holy man’s discovery of three murdered youngsters; the saint brought them back to life, hence his association with children. In Holland, St. Nicholas became Santa Klaas, eagerly awaited by youngsters, who would fill their wooden shoes with hay, water and carrots for the saint’s horse, and place them before the fireplace. In the morning, these clogs would be filled with sweets and small presents if the youngsters had been good, or birch rods if they had been naughty. Santa Claus’s connection with the Did you know...? One of the most popular drinks around the holiday season is eggnog. But where did the name eggnog come from? History offers differing versions as to the origins of the popular holiday beverage’s name, but it is likely derived from combining one of its main ingredients, eggs, with the term “noggin,” a reference to the small, wooden mugs used to serve drinks in European taverns. Another popular theory offers that eggnog got its name by combining eggs with “grog,” the term used for rum in Colonial America. Even George Washington was a big fan of eggnog. He concocted his won recipe featuring rye whiskey, rum and sherry. characters like Mickey Mouse. Candles: The first use of candles at Christmas was in the Roman festival of Saturnalia where tall tapers of wax were given as gifts to guests and as an offering to Saturn as a symbol of his light. As Christianity spread, candles were placed in the front window of homes to guide the Christ Child as he went from house to house on Christmas Eve. Candy canes: According to the National Confectioners Association, in the 17th Century, the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany gave his young singers sugar sticks to keep them quiet during ceremonies. In honour of the occasion, he had the candies bent into shepherds’ crooks. In 1847, a German-Swedish immigrant decorated a small blue spruce with paper ornaments and candy canes. By the 1900s, the candy cane got its red and white stripes and peppermint flavors. They were mass produced by the 1950s, fireplace or chimney can be traced to pre-Christian times when hearth gods and gods of the yule log were honoured. In ancient times, there was always a yule figure associated with mid-winter festivals; he was seen sometimes as an old man whose head was wreathed with mistletoe or holly. The northern tribes worshipped the god Woden, who rode across frozen wastes to bring presents to his devotees in the middle of winter. In some cultures, this pagan yule­ figure evolved into Father Christmas as Christianity took root. In Sweden, Father Christmas still retains a gnomish aspect, but the English see Father Christmas as a tall, wine­ flushed reveler. The Dutch who came to America brought with them their tradition of the benevolent Santa Klaas. It remained for an imaginative professor of Oriental and Greek literature to bring together the elements of the stately bishop of the Dutch and the elfish figures of Northern Europe. His name was Dr. Clement Clarke Moore, and during the Christmas season of 1822, he wrote a poem for his children that brought to life his own conception of Sante Klaas, now named Santa Claus. He called his Merry Christmas from Paul, Nicole, Colton & Kelsey Kerr □utiful season! Thank you to all my clients past and present for your continued support throughout the year. Nicole's Hairstyling Shampoo Lotion Shampo Lotion eliminating the laborious task of making the treat, and their popularity spread. Christmas tree: Germans would decorate fir trees, inside and out, with roses, apples and coloured paper. The tradition hit England and America via the German immigrants in Pennsylvania in the 1800s. Of course, a Christmas tree isn't complete without ornaments. Decorating trees dates back to the Victorian times. Woolworths department store sold the first manufacturedChristmas tree, and the trend spread. Mistletoe: The Scandinavians thought of mistletoe as a peaceful and harmonious plant. And they linked Frigg, their goddess of love, with mistletoe. The combination of these two schools of thought brought about the custom of kissing under the mistletoe. Those who kissed beneath the mistletoe were thought to have happiness and good luck the next poem The Visit of St. Nicholas, and in it he described Santa as “A jolly old elf’ with twinkling eyes and merry dimples. Interestingly enough, Moore is said to have based his description of Santa on a Dutch man who lived nearby. The man was short and stubby and smoked a pipe. Moore was certainly familiar with the writings of Washington Irving, who had described St. Nicholas, the patron saint of the Dutch colony, and the saint’s annual ride over the tree tops in a wagon filled with gifts. Clement’s poem was published a year later and had immediate success with the public. It remained only for the famed cartoonist Thomas Nast to illustrate Moore’s conception of Santa Claus to firmly plant that image in the public’s mind. Nast’s illustrations were closer to the gnome-like figures of the past than contemporary versions of Santa Claus, however. As time went on, other artists changed the furry suit and furry round hat to a red suit and cap with a tassel. Today, the image of a jolly and chubby Santa Claus is one that is universally accepted as a symbol of good cheer and generosity to children all over the world. year. Poinsettias: This native Mexican plant is the namesake of America’s first ambassador to Mexico. He brought it to America in 1828. The plant was likely used by Mexican Franciscans in their 17th Century Christmas celebrations. Mexicans thought the plants symbolized the Star of Bethlehem, leading to its association with Christmas. Stockings: A man was so sad over Thank you for your patronage the past 4 years. f. M££W ? HAIR AND TANNING SALON • total family haircare • gift certificates available 887-8989 Holly DaUPhifl 480 Turnberry St., Brusselseason s JCgt the holiday spirit light up your home this Christmas season. Paul, Karen, Amy, Levi, Sean, Ellen, Sarah & Rachel Thank you for your patronage! Paul Cook Electric 357-1537 the death of his wife that he spent all his money. Unfortunately, this habit left his three daughters without money for wedding dowries. St. Nicholas wanted to help the poor girls' cause, so he anonymously threw three small pouches of gold coins down the chimney of the their home. The coins landed in the stockings of the women who had hung them by the fireplace to dry.