Origins of mistletoe, trees, gifts and other Christmas customs

By Jennie Miller

One of the quickest ways to bring festivity to a space is to sprinkle it with boughs from pine, spruce and fir trees. Not only are they fragrant but the vibrant shades of green bring life to an otherwise gray season. Evergreen garland has been used as decor since the time of the Romans, Druids and Vikings, but the origin of the Christmas tree is credited to Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, who was said to have added candles to a tree in his own home in an attempt to recreate the beauty of a starry night in the woods. Whether Martin Luther is the originator of the Christmas tree or not, it is certainly attributed to German culture and was brought to America by German immigrants in the mid-1700s. By the late-1800s, Christmas trees, decorated with homemade ornaments, dried fruit and nuts, were widely accepted by most Americans and became a staple in households across the country.

When a plant blossoms in winter, it's bound to get attention at Christmas. As far back as the first century mistletoe was recognized by the Celtic Druids for having curative properties (why else would it bloom when everything else is frozen?). While mistletoe is a favored token of fertility and healing in folklore, it solidified its role in traditional Christmas celebrations in 18th-century England when it was used as decoration in doorways to keep evil spirits away and promote warm feelings among sweethearts. While kissing under the mistletoe gives a nod to its early century fertility powers, it mostly serves as a symbol of good luck. Swap a kiss under the branch for a prosperous and romantic new year or reject the suitor and risk a year without love and happiness.

With more than 100 different species of varying heights and shapes, the poinsettia can be traced to the Aztecs, who revered the plant for its bright red color, its curative power and symbol of purity. Since they bloom in December, they are well-suited to traditional holiday decor. The plant was brought to the United States in the early 1800s by Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, who discovered the plant in Mexico while on the job as a U.S. Ambassador. He brought it home to South Carolina and over time the plant took on myriad legends to explain its origin and symbolism. May it be the plant's star-shaped center or that it blooms during the time when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, the poinsettia is a popular decoration for churches and homes across the country.

Many Christmas traditions have cross-cultural significance and often overlap with Pagan traditions. The wreath is no different. Evergreens, with their vibrant colors and crisp scents, offer signs of life in an otherwise dead season for foliage, when the days are short and nights are long. In ancient times wreaths were worn as head crowns and symbolized wealth and power, especially if they were decorated with other natural elements. Over time the church adopted the symbolism of wreaths as the circular shape represents eternal life. Today wreaths are used for door decoration as well as an element of Advent, signifying the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. The start of the Advent wreath dates back to 16th-century

Lutherans in Germany, a tradition that is practiced in Protestant and Catholic churches across the country today.

Since the celebration of Christmas is so closely tied to the Christian religion, bells have long since been associated with the holiday. Church bells chime at the start and close of a day and to signal a specific service. Aside from the business of church life, bells have a solid home in musical traditions. Victorian carolers carried bells as they sang and numerous Christmas songs spotlight the use of bells in celebration. The joyful noise of a bell ringing serves as a marker of something new, something to notice, as well as to notify those on earth when someone in heaven receives his wings.

The instinctual connection of gift giving at Christmas comes from the Magi bringing gifts to Jesus at his birth, but it is also credited to Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra in the third century. He devoted his life to serving the poor and the sick and was particularly protective of children. At Christmas time he'd leave small tokens, fruit or coins on doorsteps and windowsills for them to find, a tradition kept alive by the Dutch, Swiss and Germans. While gift giving on Christmas morning is a commercial affair today, its origins are rooted in generosity towards the needy.

Meaning "good health," wassail is a hot mulled drink traditionally served to family members and guests as a cheers to a healthy year and a good harvest. The original Anglo-Saxon recipe included ale, roasted apples, curdled cream, eggs, sugar and a collection of warm spices, but today's ingredients are less pulpy (wine, fruit juice, brandy). Thrown into a large bowl, drinkers can dip into the good luck drink and raise a toast to a prosperous new year.

Father Christmas, Père Nöel, Christ Kind, Kris Kringle, Sinterklaas - they all refer to Santa Claus, the large, white-bearded man who brings gifts to good boys and girls on Christmas morning. Regardless of his name or what he looks like in countries across the world, Santa Claus got his start as a real person - Nicholas, the third century Bishop of Myra. It is said that he once dropped a bag of gold down the chimney of a poor man who was struggling to raise dowry money to marry off his daughters. Whether that particular story is true or not remains a mystery, but history shows that Bishop Nicholas was a man of great generosity, particularly toward children. He was canonized after his death in the mid-300s, making Dec. 6 St. Nicholas Day. In households across Europe children leave their shoes on the front porch in hopes that St. Nicholas will fill them with trinkets and treats.

Widely associated with Christmas, gingerbread men were first recorded in history during Queen Elizabeth's reign in the 1500s. Though the use of ginger in tonics and drinks has an ancient history all its own, the association with baking and Christmas began when Elizabeth requested cookies be made to resemble her courtiers. Across the pond in 19th Century Germany, the gingerbread house became popular after the Brothers Grimm wrote a story about Hansel and Gretel, two unfortunate children who stumbled upon a house made entirely of sweets. Though cookies and sweets are popular year-round, the warm spices make gingerbread particularly special at Christmas time.

While many Christmas traditions and symbols are rooted in historical fact, the origin of the candy cane is less clear. A

German confectioner who immigrated to America in 1847 is credited with making peppermint sugar sticks, but they didn't resemble today's modern candy cane. Sometime around the turn of the century the striped candy canes showed up in shops, and by 1919, Bobs Candies, started by Bob McCormack in Albany, Georgia, began producing striped candy wrapped in cellophane. In 1952, the Keller Machine - a device that bends the sticks on one end to resemble a cane - revolutionized the Christmas peppermint treat into what it is today. F

Credits: The History Channel, How Stuff Works, Why Christmas, St. Nicholas Center, PBS, Smithsonian Magazine