2001
Christmas Customs and Legends
Many of the customs we have at Christmas have a religious origin, such as the carols sung about Jesus and the star on top of the Christmas tree representing the stars the three wise men follow. However, some Christmas customs began long before the birth of Christ. In ancient times the sun was worshipped and sacred fires were lit during the winter months to give the sun back it's strength. The people of ancient Rome worshipped the sun and honoured Saturn as God of all growing things. His festival was called Saturnalia and was held in mid-winter when people decorated their homes with evergreen branches to ask Saturn to give them good crops the following year.
As more people became Christians, the pagan custom of lighting fires died out, instead people lit candles. In medieval times a special candle was lit every night between Christmas Eve and 6th January. These were the twelve days of Christmas, when the festival was held. They also burned a Yule log in the fire for this whole period.
Today the practice of the old customs of decorating homes with evergreens is still practiced. Holly with its tough leathery leaves is a symbol of good luck and represents a man, while Ivy which is soft and clinging is a symbol of a woman (how interesting!). A Holly bush planted in the garden was also said to keep the house safe from lightening!
Mistletoe was a sacred plant to the druids, who believed it kept the spirit of the tree it lived with alive during the winter months. Kissing under the mistletoe brought good luck and a happy marriage.
The tradition of bringing a fir tree indoors is said to have come from Martin Luther, the German religious reformer who decorated it with candles to show his children. Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, took the first Christmas tree to England from Germany in 1846.
Christmas cards became popular in 1843 with Sir Henry Cole designing the first to be printed. Tom Smith, a London sweet shop owner, invented the first Christmas cracker in 1840 and these became so popular he opened a factory to meet the demand (without the terrible jokes no doubt!).
Santa Claus's name comes from the Dutch Sinter Klaus or St. Nicholas who actually "arrives" on the 6th December. St. Nicholas was Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor who was rich and used his wealth to help others. When the Dutch went to live in America they took their love of Sinter Klaus with them and then the Americans re-christened him Santa Claus.
In Cyprus (and Greece) they have a special celebration for the slaughtering of a pig which dates back to the Saturnalia (Roman times). Also special Christmas cakes are baked. These are decorated with each family's profession, e.g. farmers with a plough or cattle, shepherds with sheep and so on.
Finally, whatever your beliefs and traditions, we wish you a Happy and Peaceful Christmas and the best of Everything for the Coming Year.
