Top Christmas

History of Christmas

Christmas is a Christian festival that celebrates the nativity of Jesus. Though the birth of

Top Christmas Greetings in Different Languages

Top Christmas Decorations

Christmas decorations are an integral part of celebrating the festival. Though giving is one of the most important aspect of the spirit of Christmas, decorations are seen a vital element. Top Christmas decorations have undergone huge changes since the days when fir trees were decorated with colorful candles, apples, colored papers and roses. No doubt that in the present times, the materials used for decorating have changed but some of the traditional decorations still find a place on the Christmas tree. Some of the Christmas decorations like mistletoe, poinsettias, candy cane, holly, ivy and greenery are discussed below:

Mistletoe: The Druids used mistletoe about two hundred years before the birth of Christ to celebrate the ushering in of winter. They valued the plant as it had no roots and yet remained green even during the cold winters. This plant was a parasite and they used to collect it from other trees and used it for decorations. The plant was believed to possess healing power for everything from fertility, warding of evil spirit to poison ingestion. The Romans used to consider the plant a symbol of peace; according to them enemies who came across, under the mistletoe must lay down their weapons and embrace each other.

The Scandinavians related the plant to Frigga, the goddess of love. Perhaps the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is derived from this association. It is believed, that those who kissed under the mistletoe, had the promise of good luck and happiness throughout the coming year. Because of its pagan origins the mistletoe was banned by the early church and the holly was prescribed as a substitution for it. Gradually however, the mistletoe became an intrinsic part of Christmas decorations.

Poinsettias: Named after Joel R. Poinsett, U.S. ambassador to Mexico, he brought this plant to America in 1828. Poinsettias were used by Mexican Franciscans in the early 17th century during their Christmas celebrations. According to legend, a Mexican kid on his way to the nativity village realized that he did not have any gift for baby Jesus. He collected green branches from around the road and took them to the church, but the other children poked fun at him.

However, when the leaves were placed in the manger a beautiful flower shaped like a star appeared on each branch. The bright red petals of the plant are often mistaken for the flower, in reality they are only the upper leaves of the plant. The actual poinsettia flower is small and yellowish in color. The Mexicans considered it symbolic of the star of Bethlehem and thus it came to be associated with Christmas decorations.

Holly, Ivy and Greenery: In Europe Christmas was celebrated during mid winter when demons and ghosts could be heard lamentation in the extremely cold winter winds. During this time it was seen the branches of holly remained green throughout the harsh weather. Thus, they were considered to have magical powers and were put over the doors to drive away the evil spirit that roamed in the winds.

The greenery was brought inside the house to brighten the gloomy mood during the long winters and freshen up the stale air inside. According to legends, holly sprang out of the footsteps of Christ as he walked. The pointed leaves are said to represent the crown of thorn, that adorned Jesus’ head and the red berries are the blood that was spilled on the cross. Thus the holly, ivy and greenery began to be prominently used for Christmas decorations.

Candy Cane: The candy cane is a hot favorite among kids. Candies, confectionaries and cookies have always been used to decorate the Christmas tree. Craftsman created the white candies in the shape of a shepherd’s crook at the suggestion of the choirmaster of Germany’s Cologne Cathedral. However, it was only around 1900 that candies were bent like a cane, decorated with white and red patterns became popular. The candies were given to children to keep them quiet during the celebrations. Consequently the custom of passing candy cane at such ceremonies came into being.

Top Christmas Traditions

Among the various top Christmas traditions the jolly figure of Santa Claus bearing gift is perhaps the most widely recognized. There is nothing better than celebrating Christmas, in the old traditional way with all the ceremonies. The traditions vary from country to country depending on the social, religious, and traditional costumes practiced in those places. Some of the traditional Christmas traditions like Christmas Carol, Christmas gifts, Christmas crèches, Christmas tree, and Christmas card and Christmas stamps are discussed below.

Christmas carol: No celebration can be complete without melody, music and tunes. Christmas carols provide this much needed melody and music to celebrate Christ’s birth. The first carols were introduced by St Assisi at the church services in the 12th century in his nativity plays. The participants in these plays sang songs or canticles which narrated the story during the play. Normally the carols were sung in a language that the people watching the play could understand; but sometimes the choruses were in Latin. Gradually carols spread to countries like Spain, France, Germany and other European countries.

There are some debates as to whether the word carol was derived from the Latin word carula meaning circular dance or the French word carole which means dancing around in a circle. Before public carol singing became popular, there were official carol singers called Waits. Waits were bands of people, led by prominent local leaders who had the authority in the towns and villages to collect money from the public. They were knows as Waits since they sang on Christmas Eve, when the celebrations began.

Christmas Crèches: Enacting the nativity scene of the birth of Christ is an important and beautiful Christmas tradition. Recreating this scene is surely a top Christmas idea that can make the festival more interesting for kids. The crèche can be a small or a big one depending on the space available to you. The idea of the crèche is to make people remember that Christ was born in very humble surroundings. When the birth scene is re-enacted, children go to bed with an image of the holy Jesus in their heart and mind making them value the celebrations all the more.

The first manger scene was set up by St Assisi in the town of Greccio in the year 1223. Before this, many churches had built mangers, but they were covered with jewels, gold and silver; much fancier than the original humble surroundings where he was born. A farmer friend of St Assisi helped him in setting up the manger with the help of some straw, a donkey and an ox inside a cave.

Top Christmas Cards