For me…this really is the most wonderful time of the year. There is a magical quality about Christmas that really speaks to my romantic nature. The lights, the love, the scent of pine and cinnamon in the air, the warmth of a fire, and promises of gatherings with family and friends really help light the darkest of days.
Many of the customs and traditions that we still adhere to today are rooted in ancient winter festivals that were centered around the winter solstice. Neolithic henges in Northern Europe that are aligned to the winter solstice have produced archeological evidence of huge celebrations with gathering, feasting, and fire as far back as 3200 BCE and perhaps even earlier.
It is believed that the pagan festivals of Yule and Saturnalia adopted and adapted many of their customs from their neolithic ancestors just as Christianity would adopt them for Christmas celebrations many years later.
Yule was celebrated by Northern Europeans like the Norse, the Celts, and other Germanic peoples for millennia before Christianity took hold. The festivities lasted for twelve days beginning on the solstice and were centered around fire, feasting, and the return of the sun’s light after the longest, darkest day of the year. The Roman’s celebrated Saturnalia, a week long celebration of feasting, gift giving, gambling, and a total reversion of the normal order of things where masters served slaves and all were included in the revelry.
Although these celebrations may honor different deities and stem from different religious beliefs, their roots and customs are shared and run so deeply that they persist…still. Whatever the reason you celebrate this holiday season, let’s make it even more magical, merry, and bright by taking a moment to learn the meaning behind our holiday customs and traditions and by remembering that many of these traditions have been shared by humans across many lands and for thousands of years.
Evergreens
Evergreens, like pine, fir, spruce, cedar, holly, mistletoe, and ivy, were a symbol of renewal, everlasting life, hope, and strength. They defied the death of winter when others could not. The custom of cutting evergreen boughs and bringing them indoors was practiced by the Egyptians, Romans, Celts, Norse and Germanic Tribes. This custom continued with Christian Christmas celebrations and maintained much the same meaning. Decorating with the branches invited abundance and some evergreens, like holly, were thought to ward off evil spirits that may have been roaming the darkness. Whether you use real evergreens or artificial, the sentiment is the same. Although, going out and gathering real evergreens for your decor definitely hits different. I like to do a mixture of both.
Natural Elements
Natural elements, like nuts, pinecones, berries, and dried fruit were another part of these Yuletide decorations that we still use today. The meaning was much the same as it was for the evergreens but also represented fertility and thus hope that the warmth and light of the sun would return and with it bring fertility back to the land. I can remember seeing whole nuts around at Christmas as a child. They were just sitting there in the fanciest dish I had ever seen…they didn’t really seem to get eaten…I always found it so odd. You don’t really see that as much anymore. I’m going to have to get a fancy dish out and get me some nuts.
Pinecones are always around at my house but especially at Christmas. I also love to dry fruit this time of year. Last year, I did mandarin oranges and apples slow and low in the oven. The house smelled soooo good and it is so easy. Whether you use them yourself or give them as gifts, they’re a great addition to your decor, your tea and simmer pots. I put them in a canister with cinnamon sticks for added spice. The canister looked so pretty sitting on the buffet and if I needed a little something something for someone special, it was there and waiting to spread good cheer. You can also make a mix for mulled wine with the addition of a few more spices. Just add it to a bag, a carafe, or a jar and you have a thoughtful gift that will add a festive touch to the recipients holiday.
Light
I struggle to even imagine the effects the darkness had on our ancestors. Even today, in our modern world of electricity and mood lighting the effects of the darkness are palpable. One of the ways they coped was to light the darkness with candles and fires signifying the victory of light over darkness. This has evolved to include electric Christmas lights which is one of my favorite parts of the season. I love piling in the car with cocoa, snacks, and a haphazard map of all the homes with light displays and taking in the warmth of it all. It’s such a gift to others to do these displays and I know it isn’t easy. Thanks to all of you out there that hang lights for making this season merry and bright.
Gift Giving
Gift giving for the winter solstice is believed to be rooted in the Roman festival of Saturnalia but was also present in Yule. The act of leaving offerings to appease the Gods and passing Spirits may have evolved to also leaving tokens for your friends, family, and neighbors. These gifts included homemade breads, sweets, candles, mini decorative Yule logs, natural remedies, dried fruits and nuts. For Christians, giving gifts at Christmas is rooted in the story of the Three Magi that bestow gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh upon the infant Jesus. The act of gift giving turned inward and became more domestically focused in the 19th century. Instead of giving gifts to people in your community, you gave gifts to your immediate family. The majority of those gifts began to be centered around the children. Dang kids get to have all the fun.
I really love gift giving. Any time of the year but especially at Christmas. I also love including homemade treats. Homemade gifts are a great, budget friendly way to extend the gift of good cheer to friends and families that you don’t necessarily do a gift exchange with…but they are equally capable of standing as a solid gift at any exchange. Last year we gave a mix of homemade and purchased items and it was a huge hit with everyone.
O Christmas Tree
The custom of bringing a whole tree indoors is not as ancient a practice as some of the others we’ve discussed here. It is believed to have evolved from the ancient practice of decorating with evergreens but has largely been a Christian adaptation. The first written record of a Christmas Tree was recorded in 1510 in Latvia. A group of men from a merchant’s guild cut a tree, decorated it with roses (a symbol of the Virgin Mary) danced around it, and then lit it on fire. In spite of this early Latvian account, the custom is mostly associated with Germanic peoples. In the middle ages, they would decorate evergreen trees with apples on December 24 for the Feast of Adam and Eve as part of religious plays. By the 16th century the trees were being brought into homes and decorated with nuts and sweets. The sweets got so out of hand that for a while they were referred to as Sugar Trees.
Martin Luther is accredited with making the addition of candles. It is said that he was inspired by the stars twinkling through the pines and wanted to recreate that in his home. The light of the candles were a representation of the star of Bethlehem and the evergreens were a symbol of God’s everlasting Love.
The Christmas Tree custom was introduced to The United States by German immigrants in the 1830’s. In 1848 Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert, who was German, had an image published of their family around their Christmas Tree and the popularity exploded. By the 1850’s evergreen trees were being harvested from the forests and were being sold commercially in the U.S. but this nearly decimated the native tree population. In 1883, the first artificial tree was offered by Sears, Roebuck & Company and in 1901 the first Christmas Tree farm was started in New Jersey by W.V. Galliard. He planted 25,000 Norway Spruce!
Whether you choose a real tree or an artificial one there is no denying the magic and light that they bring into our homes. I used to be adamant about a real tree but I made the switch to a slender little elegant artificial one and I love it. I do miss the act of going and getting the tree, and the smell, and…I’d better stop there before I talk myself right out of this artificial one.
The Yule Log
Though most of us will associate the Yule Log with a cake…which ain’t a bad thing…it was originally an actual log and was a prominent and important part of Yuletide. Calling it a log is probably a disservice. It would very often be nearly a whole trunk of a tree that would be lit on the night of the winter solstice and then would be kept burning for twelve days. It was thought to be a sign of misfortune if it went out. The burning Yule log was thought to bring luck and light into the homes and lives of those that burned it. The ashes and coals would be saved and dispersed among the family members to bring good luck and the coals would be used to light the Yule log the following year.
It says a lot about who our ancestors were and a lot about who we are that we can turn the darkest and most uncertain time of the year into the most wonderful time of the year. In stunning visual proof we can see that when we come together we bring light where there is darkness, warmth where there is cold, calm where there is fear, and hope where there is uncertainty. I hope that learning about our customs and traditions enriches your holiday season and I hope that you and your family are truly blessed and in good health. From my family to yours….Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Waes Hael! Happy Solstice! Merry Yuletide!
Always,
Amy
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