Straight from the Horses Mouth

Duane A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator, Webster County It does not seem possible that the Holiday Season is upon us. I hope all of you have bought your Christmas presents, decorated your Christmas trees, and started getting into the Christmas spirit. Of course most of us know the true meaning of Christmas and the reason for the season, but have you given much thought about some of the other traditions? Santa Claus: Can you believe that ‘Santa’ has been around since the 4th century? Originally known as Saint Nicholas, the patron of children and sailors, the bishop was immortalized because of his generous and loving nature towards children. He was said to have brought joy to the poor by throwing gifts through their windows. The Dutch called him Sint Nikolass, which eventually evolved into Sinter Klaas. It wasn’t until the Dutch began entering America that the colonials of New York began calling him Santa Claus. The original Santa was not jolly, fat, smoked a pipe or slid down chimneys. Christmas Trees: Did you know the tradition of the Christmas tree comes from Germany? The very first trees were oak, the same tree used for the Yule Log. Trees have been a symbol of good luck since the Middle Ages. In Germany, whenever someone would build a house, a small evergreen tree would be nailed to the highest beam. Soon people began bringing the tree inside during Christmastime and decorating it. When German immigrants came to the United States, they brought this tradition with them. Most of us know the song "O Tannenbaum", or, in its English version, "O Christmas Tree". This is actually a Christmas carol of German origin. Incidentally, in German “Tannenbaum” means fir tree. Christmas Presents: In pre-Christian Rome, the Emperors compelled their most despised citizens to bring offerings and gifts during the Saturnalia (in December) and Kalends (in January). Later, this ritual expanded to include gift-giving among the general populace. The Catholic Church gave this custom a Christian flavor by rooting it in the gift-giving of Saint Nicholas. When the Old World traditions became Americanized – there was Santa with a bag of gifts. Christmas Stockings: Do you know why we hang stockings on the fireplace? The tradition of the Christmas stockings began by a story told since ancient time about a kind, but poor man who had three daughters. His wife died and the daughters had to do all the work in the house. When they became old enough for marriage, the poor father could not afford to give the huge dowries to their husbands. One evening the daughters, after washing their stockings, hung them near the fire place to be dried. St. Nickolas (Santa Claus) being moved by the plight of the daughters, came in and put coins of gold in each stocking. The next morning they found the gold, and the father had enough for his daughter’s marriages. Since then children have been hanging up Christmas stockings, all hoping for gold instead of coal. Yule Log: Did you know the burning of the Yule Log was taken from ancient sun worship rituals? Yule Logs are supposed to be cut from red oak trees and burned all of Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day. It is unlucky to buy your own log and lucky ones usually come from your neighbor’s woodpile. It is also customary to light the new log with a scrap of last year's log. The scrap is kept under the homeowners’ bed to protect the home from fire and lightning. Holly: Can you believe people used to worship evergreen holly as a sign of eternal life because it did not brown or die in the winter? Some religious groups say that the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head was made of holly. The berries were supposedly white but turned bright red from Jesus’ blood. Holly is also said to represent the sun’s return after a long winter. We now place wreaths on doors or hallways to create a festive atmosphere during the holiday season. Mistletoe: Did you realize that mistletoe is rarely used in churches because it comes from the ancient Druid ceremony celebrating winter solstice? This once pagan tradition started when a girl would stand beneath the hanging plant and a boy would walk up, pick a berry and then kiss her. When the berries were gone…no more kisses! Eggnog: Did you know eggnog used to be made with beer? In the 17th century a strong ale called ‘nog’ was very popular in Britain around the holidays. It was made from beer, sugar, egg yolks, lemon rinds and cinnamon. Later in the 19th century North Americans took the French version of the drink called ‘Lait de Poule’, made from milk, sugar, and egg yolks and added spirits. With the addition of brandy, rum or sherry, we have our own modern day eggnog. We now cook the drink to remove the threat of salmonella, but the recipe has been the same for over 150 years. Candy Canes: Can you believe that someone once thought sugar would keep kids quiet? In the year 1670 the local choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral gave his young singers sugar sticks to keep them quiet during the long ceremony. He had the candy bent in the shape of shepherds’ crooks to celebrate the festive occasion. In the 1920’s a man named Bob McCormack made candy canes by hand for his friends and family. In the 1950’s his brother-in-law invented a machine that made lots of candy canes at the same time. Bob’s Candies, Inc. became the largest maker of candy canes in the world. It was only in the early 1900’s that red stripes were added and peppermint became the standard flavor. Christmas Caroling: The custom of singing Christmas carols is said to have come from 13th century Italy St. Francis of Assisi led songs of praise. It is very bad luck to send carolers away empty handed and was customary to offer food, drink or even a little money. It is also said to be unlucky if you sing Christmas carols at any other time of the year! Here’s wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas! Christmas traditions are fun, but don’t forget the real reason for the Season! The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: www.webster.unl.edu/home