The Origins of Christmas Traditions – Part 1
We bring trees inside and decorate them. We eat ham, turkey or beef, we kiss under mistletoe and give each other presents. But why, and where do these traditions come from? In part one of a new series examining Christmas traditions, we look at some of these traditions to uncover why they exist today.
Yule Logs and Fairy Lights
Many families enjoy a chocolate cake at Christmas time, often made in the shape of a log, and known as a Yule Log. (In Devon and Somerset in England, the Yule log was also known as a Great Ashen Faggot). Originally a Yule log was a tree branch, usually oak for its properties of slow burning with great heat.
When the log fire expired, a piece of the log was kept for luck and as kindling to start the next Yule fire. Red candles are often placed along the a Yule cake to represent flames. The candles moved to the Christmas tree, but have now been surpassed by fairy lights.
Christmas Stars
It is a common practice to place a large star at the top of a Christmas Tree. Some believe it represents the light of the sun, however a more common interpretation is that it is a symbolic representation of the nativity star that guided the three wise men to baby Jesus.
Kissing under the Mistletoe
Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that commonly grows on deciduous trees. It has leathery evergreen leaves and waxy white berries. It was often combined with other evergreens to create “kissing bushes” that were hung in rooms where people would frequently pass each other. Young men had the privilege of kissing girls if they both passed beneath the bush. A berry would be plucked from the bush for each encounter, and when all the berries were picked, the