I was searching for explanations of the origins of the different christmas traditions; christmas tree, Santa Claus, christmas carols, christmas crib etc. I googled it but the sites i got were obviously not christain with different explanations that dont seem right to me. Please can anyone direct me to a christian site (prefarably Catholic) that explains these things.
Many Thanks
Paula
All you need to do is use common sense when it comes to Christmas traditions and their meanings.
Christmas Tree: Although its origins can be traced to 16th century (1500s) Northern Germany, no one or no town or city can be identified as its origin. There is some evidence that it was initially brought to Germany by Franciscan missionaries from Italy. The manger scene that one sees during Christmas time is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi. Tradition also states that Francis himself decorated a tree each year and placed the manger under it. As Francis’s birth/death dates are 1181/82 - 1226 AD, it is quite possible that the tradition spread with his order throughout Europe.
Bringing a tree into the home and decorating it
with a manger scene under the tree became popular throughout Europe, and by the 1800s it was common in most homes and in most cities and towns. German immigrants brought the tradition to the American colonies in the 1600-1700s.
The Christmas Tree is a symbolic scene from Scripture. The Star of Bethlehem is represented by a star ornament at the very top of the tree. The tree itself represents the rays of the Bethlehem Star shining down upon the manger, which is placed under the tree. The decorated tree is the starry firmament of the sky. Sometimes the garland represents the Aurora Borealis. In this sense, the Christmas Tree is definitely a most sacred Christian symbol of the birth of the Christ Child, which is found in the Luke’s birth narrative.
Santa Claus: …is an actual Catholic Saint who is also known as Saint Nicholas of Myra. His feastday is celebrated on December 5. He was a fourth-century Greek bishop who was known for his generosity to the poor, particularly to girls about to marry and children. A movement was started by Martin Luther to downplay gift-giving on December 5th, and he suggested that people begin giving gifts on December 25th honoring the birth of Christ.
Down through the centuries his story became exaggerated and intertwined with pagan stories of Odin (Germanic), Father Christmas (English), Kris Kringle (Austrian), Santa Claus (Dutch) - just to name a few.
Christmas Carols: The word
carol or
carole is a medieval word of French and Anglo-Norman origin, believed to mean a dance song or a circle dance accompanied by singing. Broadly defined, carols express religious joy and is often associated to the Christmas season. Carols are also used to describe late medieval English songs on various subjects with a verse and refrain. Often the verse and refrain (also called burden) alternates.
**Christmas crib: **(see Christmas Tree above - manger scene)
Yule Log: Yule log is a large wooden log which is burned in the hearth as a part of traditional Yule or Christmas celebrations in several European cultures. It can be a part of the Winter Solstice festival or the Twelve Days of Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or Twelfth Night.
The expression “Yule log” has also come to refer to log-shaped Christmas cakes, also known as “chocolate logs” or “Bûche de Noël”.
The word
yule means ‘Christmas’, or the season or feast celebrating Christmas. It comes from the Middle English word for Christmas
yole and from Old English
geol.
