History of Advent

It cannot be determined with any degree of certainty when the celebration of Advent was first introduced into the Church. The preparation for the feast of...

History of 'Xmas'

The word Christmas comes from the combination of the words 'Christ' and 'mass. ' But where did the X in Xmas come from, and what does...

History of the Sleigh

The first written story about the legend of Santa Claus and his eight reindeer was "A Visit from St. Nicholas," penned by Clement C. Moore in...

History of the Holiday Greenery

Greenery refers to trees and plants that remain green and flourish year round. Holly, ivy, mistletoe and, of course, the Christmas Tree, are all common Christmas...

History of the Holiday Candles

In the time of darkness surrounding the winter solstice, in the long cold month of December, candles were an important source of light and heat. Ancient...

History of the Christmas Ornament

When German immigrants came to America, they brought with them the tradition of hanging small toys, candies and other goodies on the Christmas tree. Between 1800...

History of the Christmas Bells

In the past, bells and other noisemakers were believed to frighten away evil spirits. But, as part of the Winter Solstice Festivals, bell ringing activities were...

History of Gingerbread Houses

Gingerbread has been a holiday tradition for thousands of years. It was originally eaten during Winter Solstice Festivals. But the tradition of the house made of...

History of the Christmas Card

The tradition of sending Christmas cards is thought to have originated in the mid-1800's, when a few people began designing handmade cards to be sent to...

History of Santa Claus

Santa Claus, Father Christmas, St. Nick — no matter the name, everyone knows the story of this plump, jolly, bringer of gifts. The legend of Santa...

History of Mrs. Claus

Where did Mrs. Claus come from?? Though no mention was made of her, Santa Claus' wife made her debut in 1899 in Santa Claus on a...

History of Rudolph

In 1939 Copywriter Robert L. May of the Montgomery Ward Company created a poem about Rudolph, the ninth reindeer. Rudolph may had been "often taunted as...

History of the Letters To Santa

In the latter part of the 1800's, children wrote letters to Santa Claus. By the 1890's post offices were overrun with letters for Santa each December....

History of the North Pole

Thomas Nast established Santa's workshop and official residence at the North Pole in four different drawings between 1879 and 1886. On January 4, 1879, Harper’s Weekly...

History of the Glastonbury Thorn

The glastonbury thorn legend ties in Christ's death as well as the celebration of his birth. The legend goes that soon after the death of Christ,...

History of Giving Gifts

The custom of giving gifts to relatives and friends on a special day in winter probably began in ancient Rome and northern Europe. In these regions,...

History of the Fruitcake

FRUITCAKE & other curious FOODS  According to "The Joy of Cooking," by Irma Rombauer and Marion Becker, "Many people feel thatfruitcake these cakes improve greatly with...

History of the Ivy & Laurel

Christmas Ivy Ivy has been a symbol of eternal life in the pagan world and then came to represent new promise and eternal life in the...

History of the Holly

To avoid persecution during the Roman pagan festival of Saturnalis, the early Christians decked their homes with Saturnalia holly. As Christian numbers increased and their customs...

History of the Mistletoe

Mistletoe was held sacred by the Norse, the Celtic Druids and the North American Indians. The Druid priests would cut mistletoe from an oak tree with...

History of the Poinsettia

A favorite Christmas flower in the United States is the poinsettia, with its beautiful, red, star-shape. It is called the "Flame Leaf" in Central America or...

History of the Yule Log

In Northern Europe, Winter festivities were once considered to be a Feast of the Dead, complete with ceremonies full of spirits, devils, and the haunting presence...

History of the Christmas Tree

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people...

History of the Christmas Stockings

There was a kindly nobleman whose wife had died of an illness leaving the nobleman and his three daughters in despair. After losing all his money...

History of the Christmas Star

The stars that appear in the sky today are the same ones that were there two thousand years ago. Was there a nova at the time...

History of the Christmas Rose

A well known English plant, the Christmas rose, is a true Christmas flower. It is sometimes called the Snow or Winter Rose. It blooms in the...

History of the Christmas Carols

The early Christmas music compositions are regarded as chants and hymns. The original carols referred to a circle dance which did not have any singing -...