Christmas Traditions :Advent of Christmas
Christmas traditions come in varied forms. Christmas traditions are not the same for everyone. A perfect example is Christians who observe Jesus birth around this time of the year. Traditions here date back to the 16th century when they originated in Europe as a way to prepare for religious observances during Christmastide and was usually a sugared drink or toast with roasted fruit, herbs, and spices. The Advent of Christmas is an annual ritual celebrated across the world. It includes four Sundays in which people are encouraged to focus on prayer and fasting. While this is done, people are supposed to be preparing for Christmas by buying gifts for family members and friends, decorating their homes with lights and other festive decorations, cooking food for special dinners or parties, or attending holiday concerts or shows.
Christmas Traditions: Mistletoe Ready for Its Close-up!
Mistletoe is considered one of the most popular decorations for Christmas. It serves not just as an accessory for the holiday season, but also has some interesting folklore behind it. Mistletoe is a tradition that is associated with kissing under the mistletoe hanging from a ceiling or doorway. In ancient times, mistletoe was used as a cure for epilepsy, fertility problems, and to ward off evil spirits. In more recent times, mistletoe has been used as a decoration during the holidays instead of an herb used medicinally.
Poinsettias are another traditional decorative flower used at Christmas. They are named after Joel Poinsett, the first US Minister to Mexico. The poinsettia is a beautiful plant with brilliant red, yellow, and orange petals. It is often used as a decoration during the Christmas season. Poinsettias are an evergreen shrub that can be found in Mexico and Central America. The plant produces leaves that are long and jagged with pointed tips which have small spines running down it. The leaves have a shiny green color on top while being covered with white hairs underneath. This gives the leaves a fuzzy texture which makes them look like they’re covered in snow! These leaves also contain two types of important chemicals – erythrosine and quercetin – which give poinsettias their red and yellow colors.
It is believed that if you get caught standing under the mistletoe without someone to kiss you, you’ll get a year of bad luck. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe came about because people used to believe that a mistletoe could heal illnesses. So it would be passed around and anyone who was sick would kiss another person standing under it in hopes that they might get better
How It Came To America and Became an American Tradition
Americans are known for their traditions of celebrating the christmas season with great merriment. The idea of having a poinsettia plant in your garden is not new to many people, but the origin of where this custom came from is shrouded in mystery. One version of the story claims that Joel Roberts Poinsett brought back seeds of an unknown plant from his travels during that time period and gave them as a gift to his daughter’s teacher, Caroline Rose Hunt. The teacher successfully nurtured the delicate plant by bringing it inside on her return trip home to New York City and so preserved its beauty for future generations.
Candy canes are a common Christmas treat in the United States and Canada. They were originally made for French royalty during medieval times. The candy cane history begins with a choirmaster from Cologne, Germany, who was inspired by the shape of the Christian symbol for Jesus’s new born baby. The choirmaster had a big barrel of white peppermint sticks and decided to dye them all red to make a Christmas decoration. The cane-shaped sugar candy has been popular in Europe for many years and was first introduced to America in 1847. This is when choirmaster legend says that the first American children were given these new-fangled “canes” as gifts from German immigrants.
History of Greeting Cards – A Unique Twist on Holiday Tradition
The history of Christmas greeting cards can be traced back to Victorian Era. They were often sent in the form of a letter, poem, or verse inside a card and were considered an essential part of the holiday tradition. An 1843 article in “American Ladies’ Magazine” is the first known published mention of a Christmas card. The author wrote about how she had made her own cards and lamented that she would not be able to send them to anyone due to her lack of funds.
Christmas greeting cards were popularized in the mid 19th century by Sir Henry Cole (1808-1882). He was head of London’s South Kensington Museum and he wanted to make Christmas became more accessible for people who lived far away from their loved ones during this time. He commissioned artist John Callcott to design a window display in the shop with panels depicting different children in regional dress, which he unveiled at the end of November 1878.
Importance of the Nativity Scene in Churches and Homes at Christmas : Christmas Traditions
The nativity scene is a tradition that is found at the center of many households and churches during Christmas time. It has its roots in the pre-Christian era and can be traced back to Greco-Roman and Egyptian paganisms. Nativity scenes are central to Christian traditions, as they represent the birth of Jesus Christ. Though there are different versions, many consist of a manger, ox and donkey, shepherds, angels, three wise men, Mary and Joseph. This tradition has been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years. More info on nativity set available here.
