Category: Traditions

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The Origins of Mistletoe

You smile to yourself, as you hang the mistletoe in a prominent doorway or from the bottom of a chandelier, every holiday season. You think about all the times you were kissed under it – or all the times you wanted to be kissed, but weren’t. And this year, just as it crosses your mind that you have no idea why this strange plant became a Christmas tradition, your child watches you and asks: “What is that?” “Mistletoe”, you answer, hoping that will satisfy him. It doesn’t: “It’s a toe?” “No”, you reply, realizing that your parental omniscience is about to be challenged, “It’s a plant.” “Why are you hanging it up?” “So Mommy and Daddy can kiss underneath it.” He looks at you like you’re speaking Greek. You know the next word: “Why?” “Because”, and you know how lame you sound, “that’s what people do.” “Why?”

This could go on for hours, because, in fact, you don’t know the answer, do you? You hang your mistletoe every year when you decorate (hopefully, it’s plastic, since the real thing yields toxic berries), but you don’t really know where the tradition came from.

Well, no one knows, exactly, but mistletoe – a parasitic plant found on trees, the seeds of which are spread by birds and wind – has been an object of mystery in many cultures, dating back thousands of years.

Based on their mythology, the Vikings believed that mistletoe had the power to raise the dead. They believed that Balder, the son of their goddess of love and beauty, Frigga, was killed by an arrow tipped with the poison in mistletoe. Frigga mourned so deeply that her tears turned the red berries of the mistletoe white, and Balder was revived. Frigga was so grateful that she reversed mistletoe’s previously deadly reputation, and henceforth she kissed everyone who walked underneath the plant.

The Druids of ancient Britain believed that mistletoe had miraculous properties, that it could cure disease and provide fertility in humans, and that it would protect against witchcraft.

In fact, today, mistletoe extracts are being tested for use in some forms of cancer chemotherapy – it’s been shown to kill certain cancer cells in the laboratory – as well as to mitigate the negative effects of other chemotherapies, and to boost the immune system. In Europe and Asia, mistletoe extracts are used to treat all kinds of ailments, like arthritis, rheumatism, hypertension, epilepsy, and menopausal symptoms.

None of this will answer your five-year-old’s question, about why you hang it in your home, today, and why you kiss Daddy everytime you’re both underneath it. So just tell him, we hang mistletoe today to remind us of the need to show our loved ones how we feel about them. Then pull him over, under the mistletoe, give him a big hug and a kiss and tell him how much you love him. It won’t matter to either of you why we do it, every year – but it will feel like a great tradition to keep.

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About the Author:
Brought to you by Imaginary Greetings, focused on how families get by in this wonderful world of ours. To help create the perfect family holiday scene in your home, for the best selection of Christmas trees, lighting, collectibles and everything else Christmas, visit Santa’s Depot. Santa’s official online Christmas shop.

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The History Of The Christmas Card

The Christmas card, as we know it, originated in England in the year 1843. An artist named John Calcott Horsley was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy and successful London businessman, to create a card that could be sent out to his friends and clients to wish them a merry Christmas.

Sir Henry Cole was very well known at the time, for a number of reasons. He had a helping hand in helping to modernize the British postal system. He played a prominent role in the creation of the Royal Albert Hall, and acted as the construction manager on this massive project. He also arranged for the Great Exhibition of 1851, and he oversaw the inauguration of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

One of Sir Henry Cole’s greatest aspirations in life was to beautify the world around him. He owned and operated a wonderful art shop on Bond Street, which specialized in decorative objects for the home. His shop was hugely popular with the British upper class, and he earned a tidy sum from his business.

The Christmas card he commissioned was fashioned in the form of a triptych, which is a three-paneled design that allows for the two outer panels to be folded in towards the middle one. Each of the two side panels depicted a good deed. The first showed an image of people clothing the poor, and the other side panel showed an image of people feeding the hungry. The center piece had an image of a well-to-do family making a toast and surrounded by an enormous feast.

The inscription on the inside of the card read “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.” Of the one thousand cards printed for Sir Henry Cole, only twelve exist today in private collections. The printed card became highly fashionable in England during the years that followed. They also became very popular in Germany. It took quite a long time for the idea to catch on in America, then popularized by a German expatriate named Louis Prang in 1875. Today, more than 2 billion Christmas cards are exchanged each year. Merry Christmas, all!

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About the Author:
Catherine Spelling absolutely loves spending Christmas with family and friends. When she is not counting down the days until Christmas, she writes for www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com – an online resource for all things relating to Christmas and decorations.

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The History of the Christmas Tree

Your child’s just reached the age where Christmas really matters. All the preparations, all the planning and decorating, everything about the holidays is an exciting experience for him. Along with the excitement comes the curiosity-about the colors, the songs, the traditions each family observes.

As adults, we’re used to our own family’s way of celebrating. We hang the lights a certain way, bake specific cakes and cookies, we even watch certain holiday TV shows, year after year-because, well, that’s just the way we do it.

For those families who celebrate Christmas, one tradition almost universal is the Christmas tree. It’s perhaps the most recognized symbol of Christmas in any home, and it’s so pervasive in our culture that we rarely ask ourselves: Who first decided to bring a tree inside, as a way of marking the holiday? Chances are, your child will ask at some point.

Like most of our holiday traditions, the origin of the Christmas tree isn’t exactly clear, but it’s probably rooted in ancient times, and probably connected to religious rituals. Many ancient cultures revered evergreen trees, which stayed green in the winter while other trees were bare. The evergreens served as a reminder that winter would pass, and the land would once again be fruitful.

As far back as ancient Rome, evergreens were used as a part of the Saturnalia festival – the New Year celebration. Romans exchanged branches and twigs of evergreens as a good-luck blessing.

Many historians believe that pagans of Scandinavia were the first people to bring actual trees indoors – a mid-winter symbol of the promise of the coming warmth of spring.

The German Saxons may have been the first to light their trees with candles, and to adorn them with decorations – trinkets of good fortune. The tradition of the indoor evergreen was so strong in Germany, it’s believed that the first use of Christmas trees by Christians developed there, with some experts placing its origin as far back as the eighth century.

The first recorded Christmas tree in England was in 1841, when Queen Victoria’s husband, German-born Prince Albert, set up a tree in Windsor Castle. In America, German immigrants were using Christmas trees as far back as the 1830’s. The custom took several decades to catch on in the U.S., as most people correctly assumed its pagan origins, but by the 1890’s the indoor decorated Christmas tree was a staple in most American homes.

Today we tend to decorate our trees with ornaments which have significant meaning to our lives. Early ornaments, particularly in Europe, included even food-delicacies intended to satisfy the spirits of good luck.

As far as your child is concerned, of course, your Christmas tree has a completely different purpose. It’s a landmark – if you had no tree, where would Santa leave all his gifts?

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About the Author:
Brought to you by Imaginary Greetings, a regular contributor of valuable family oriented content. Find out how to truly light up your child’s eyes this holiday season like never before with a personalized phone call from Santa.

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Christmas In Budapest

Are you going to celebrate Christmas in Budapest with Hungarian friends? I tell you some essential information about opening hours, public transport and some interesting Hungarian Christmas traditions.

In mid-November Budapest starts to prepare for Christmas. Streets are decorated with colourful lights, shop-windows are adorned to lure in customers hunting for gifts. More and more
people set out to look for the ideal Christmas presents in shops or in the markets. If you’re looking for a unique Hungarian gift and want to get away from the all alike shops visit the Budapest Christmas Fair at Vörösmarty Square.

Opening Hours at Christmas in Budapest

Shops are open for the Bronze, Silver and Gold Sundays on the three weekends before Christmas. Shops close around early afternoon on 24th December and open only on 27th December. Some larger shopping malls might stay open until early evening on 24th December. On Christmas Day and Boxing Day all shops, supermarkets are closed in Budapest. Many shops do not open between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  Life gets back to normal after 1st January.

Restaurants are also closed on Christmas Eve (24th December), but most of them open on 25th-26th December. Budapest is a popular tourist destination even in winter and restaurant owners are well aware of that. Don’t worry you’ll definitely find several good restaurants open during Christmas in Budapest.

Public Transport at Christmas in Budapest

Public transport vehicles run until around 15.00-16.00. After 16.00 night services carry passengers. On 25th-26th December vehicles run according to holiday schedule. Between 27th and 1st January, vehicles run less frequently than they do on usual weekdays. It’s also holiday at schools, all public transport vehicles run according to schedules valid during school holidays.

Some Hungarian Christmas Traditions

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Hungary. The main celebration is on Christmas Eve (it’s Szenteste in Hungarian, meaning Holy Night). Family members get together in the afternoon on 24th December and decorate the Christmas tree. Grandparents or elder brothers and sisters look after the little ones, so they won’t see their presents placed under the tree. The fragrant fir is adorned with colourful paper decorations and a special Hungarian Christmas candy (szaloncukor) wrapped in shinny coloured papers. Housewives cook traditional Hungarian Christmas dishes in the kitchen. We usually have fish soup, stuffed cabbage, pastry rolls stuffed with poppy seed, walnut or chestnut stuffings (it’s called bejgli in Hungarian). Family members exchange gifts in the evening on 24th December while listening to traditional Christmas songs. In Hungary baby Jesus brings the presents, not Santa. We celebrate the arrival of Santa on 6th December, St. Nicholas Day. At midnight people go to the midnight mass. Organ music and pine scent fill the air in churches where people sing together classical Christmas songs. Even non-religious people attend this mass because of its festive and uplifting atmosphere. On the following two days relatives and friends visit it each other at their homes, have traditional Christmas dishes and desserts.

Weather around Christmas in Budapest

When I was a little kid there was always thick snow around Christmas. The first snowflakes fell usually at the end of November. The temperatures were around zero or below. Today it is hard to tell what will be the weather like around Christmas. Due to global warming we have not see any snow in the past couple of years. The weather around Christmas is sometimes rather mild and dull, with some rain, and it’s crispy and sunny with crystal blue sky at times. I prefer the latter, though I long for white Christmas every year.

Programs at Christmas in Budapest

The world famous 100-member Gypsy Orchestra performs a concert on 30th December, at 6 pm in the Budapest Congress Centre. They’ll play both classical and traditional folk music.

The whole city calms down for a couple of days. You can only hear the sound of Christmas concerts and Advent songs in Budapest’s churches. After the hectic shopping it’s a real relaxation to listen to the organ works and contemplate about the meaning of Advent and Christmas. I recommend the Lights of Christmas Festival in Matthias Church on Castle Hill.

Merry Christmas in Budapest!

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About the Author:
Erzsebet Dobos lives in Budapest and her goal is to share her insider knowledge about Budapest with tourists visiting the city. On her website at www.budapest-tourist-guide.com/index.html, she provides up-to-date information about the city.

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Christmas Traditions: Manufacturing Memories

What are your favorite memories of the holidays as a child?

More than likely those memories include family traditions from, the day you choose to decorate your tree, to the kinds of food you eat at the holidays.

Remember that you and your husband came from separate families with different customs and traditions.

When creating a legacy for your children, it is appropriate to use a couple traditions from each of your families and come up with some new ones for your own family. Don’t try to do them all or you’ll end up feeling overwhelmed rather than enriched. Here are some ideas.

  • Kick off the holiday season by attending an event every year. Some suggestions are: The Festival of Trees, attend a play such as A Christmas Carol, or a Christmas concert.
  • Together, bake a cake on Christmas Eve for Jesus to remind you whose birthday you are really celebrating. Light a candle and even sing “Happy Birthday” to Him.
  • Sound, smells and tastes can certainly bring back fond memories of past Christmases. The sound that is Christmas to me is Johnny Mathis’s Christmas album, which my mother played each year and I still adore now.
  • The food that means “holiday” to me is this frozen fruit salad recipe. We had it almost every holiday season. What are the sounds, smells and tastes that evoke your Christmas memories? Include those as part of your family’s traditions.
  • This tradition was submitted by Marilyn Brina:
    On Christmas morning, the youngest child goes in and opens his stocking. The the other children go in and open their stockings all while Dad is taking movies of us. Then Dad hands out each gift and we all watch as each gift is opened. Then after the gifts are opened, we eat scrambled eggs, sweet rolls and hot chocolate for breakfast.
  • There are several books of compiled Christmas short stories available in bookstores and libraries. Read to your family each night before bedtime.
  • On the first day of December read to your family “The Giving Tree”, by Shel Silverstein. As a family, make an advent calendar in the shape of a tree and determine 25 “gifts” you can share with neighbors, relative, teachers, and friends. The gifts could be things such as shoveling snow from a neighbor’s walk, visiting a widow, taking homemade bread to someone. Write each gift on a separate “leaf” and attach it to the tree. Number the leaves from 1 to 25. Each day during December, turn over the corresponding leaf on the calendar and give whatever “gift” is listed there.
  • Use your children’s artwork (which most families have in great abundance) to decorate wrapped packages. Your children will feel pride in the fact that their work is contributing to the holiday decorations.
  • Each Christmas of my childhood we would go “Santa Clausing”. My dad dressing up as Santa we children would dress as elves or reindeer. We would then deliver plates of Christmas goodies to friends and neighbors as we caroled. And of course, Santa had a candy cane in his bag for each child he encountered.
  • Give a new ornament to each child each year. Store each child’s collection in a special box that he can take with him when he leaves the nest. Not only will it give your child a few ornaments to decorate his tree, but it will be a reminder of past Christmases.
  • Take lots of pictures throughout the holidays. Each year create several new scrapbook pages that can be put into a special Christmas scrapbook album. It is wonderful to have out at holiday family gatherings for everyone to enjoy!
  • Several years we have been on the giving and the receiving end of “The 12 Days of Christmas”. Pick an individual or family that may be having a difficult holiday season, or that you just want to friendship. Each night anonymously leave a small gift with a note or poem on the receivers porch. (It can be exciting and tricky trying not to get caught 12 nights in a row!)
  • Another option is to compile the 12 gifts all at the same time. Be sure they are small and lay them on a 4 to 5 foot piece of colored plastic wrap. Enclose gifts in wrap and make a long rope separating each gift with ties of ribbon. Each night the receivers can cut off a new gift, and you only have one chance of being caught!

Use traditions to create lasting happy memories for your family that can be looked forward to every year.

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About the Author:
Teresa Hansen is the creator of Moms Making It! www.momsmakingit.com sharing creative ideas to save time, save money, and enrich your life! She is a wife, and mother of five children, and always looking for new ideas and products for moms “making it!” Get “Christmas Neighborhood Gift Ideas” ebook FREE by signing up for the newsletter at her site.

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Christmas Ornaments: A Family Tradition

Decorating the Christmas tree just wouldn’t be the same without Christmas ornaments. Every year it is a little magical taking out those ornaments you have had for years. Adding new ones to the tree every year can keep that tradition going as well.

Most of us have a few Christmas ornaments that have been handed down to us from our parents or grandparents, and are cherished keepsakes. Each time we unearth them and unwrap them, memories of the past bubble up and we remember the good times and sometimes the bad times.

Add New Ornaments To Your Collection

There are so many wonderful new ornaments in stores every year, that it can become a tradition to add new ornaments to your family’s collection that adds even more memories. One good way to acquire those expensive ornaments is to wait until the big Christmas sales. Often these happen before Christmas when there is still a good selection of ornaments and other Christmas paraphernalia to choose from.

It’s not likely that you will have to worry about having too many Christmas ornaments anytime soon. With the attrition rate every year when ornaments are broken, and adding a few new ones every year, the numbers should even the average out in the long run. If you are worried about some of your older ornaments breaking in storage, there are plenty of sturdy storage options specifically for Christmas ornaments.

It is always a good idea when decorating your tree that you place any precious or especially breakable ornaments near the top of the tree where curious little hands or enthusiastically wagging tails will not hurt or break them. Cheaper or plastic ornaments are always an option for the lower half of the Christmas tree.

Even if this is your first Christmas in a place of your own and you are just starting out, there are very affordable Christmas ornaments available. Checking thrift stores or dollar stores are both good ways to find cheap, decent looking ornaments for your first tree. Artificial Christmas trees can be found fairly cheaply as well, especially if you don’t mind having a smaller one.

Christmas, Christmas ornaments and Christmas trees are such a part of many family’s lives during the holidays and it is probably the most magical time of the year, especially for younger kids. Many adults look forward to the holiday season as well, and even though unpacking the ornaments and decorating can be a chore, the result of your efforts can make the holidays more magical and exciting for everyone.

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About the Author:
Find out more ideas for easy to make Christmas ornaments inexpensive ways to make personalized Christmas cards at ChristmasAllAround.com

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