Christmas
is filled with traditions that have been passed down for centuries.
Christmas
celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, although it has never been
seriously claimed that December 25 was his true birthday. Before the
forth century, it was celebrated in April or May, which more closely
matches the scriptural account.
As
Christian festivals were substituted for pagan ones, the winter
solstice festivities of light and rebirth seemed a natural time to
celebrate Jesus' birth. Through the centuries, folk customs
celebrating the coming of longer days were combined with church
observances celebrating the “Sun of Righteousness.”
Christmas
today is the sum of customs observed for so long that their origins
may have been forgotten.
The
Roman tradition of giving New Year's gifts continued well into the
Middle Ages, but in the 12th century, the tradition of giving gifts
for Christmas began, inspired by the account of the wise men, who
brought gifts to the Christ Child.
In
English Commonwealth countries, Boxing Day is the first weekday
following Christmas. The name comes from the boxed presents given to
servants and other helpful folks like the postman and trash
collector.
In
Sweden, children have their gifts and tree on Christmas Eve.
Sometimes gifts are thrown in the front door by mysterious donors who
quickly run away.
In
Norway, gifts may be hidden away in different parts of the house for
the children to find. In both Norway and Sweden, sheaves of grain are
put out on rooftops or hung on poles, so that the birds may also
enjoy a Christmas dinner.
The
custom of decorating the tree comes from Germany. Although trees may
have been part of a pagan festival, many people believe it was Martin
Luther who thought of decorating the first Christmas tree.
In
Italy, a little old woman named La Befana is believed to come and
leave delightful gifts in the stockings of good children while she
leaves birch rods or charcoal ashes for those who are bad.
In
the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas, dressed in magnificent
robes, comes riding on a horse and inquires about the behavior of the
children. Children with good reports find their shoes full of gifts
in the morning, while naughty children find birch rods.
The
American Santa Claus was adopted from the Dutch Saint Nicolas when
they settled in New Amsterdam. Most of the Santa legend, such as his
climb down the chimney and his red suit, are of Dutch origin. His
reindeer and the North Pole, however, come from Scandinavia.
It
is always fun to discover the ways that families find to build their
own traditions. This week I was privileged to participate in a
family tradition that was started by the Hunt family in Ogden, Utah.
For the past 36 years they have been sharing a special Nativity
program with their own live animals.
People
throughout the community come and enjoy this generous Christmas
tradition. This year the community invited them to do it at the
Fairgrounds for four nights. Each night more than 650 people gather
to share a tradition that has grown to be a memorable event in the
Ogden area.
For
ideas to create your own traditions check out Dian’s Holiday
Fun Year-A-Round book at http://www.dianthomas.com.
Dian Thomas was blessed with the good fortune to be born near and raised in
the remote, breathtaking Manti-La Sal National Forest in southeastern Utah,
where her father was the forest ranger. She took the skills she learned in the
outdoors and turned them into a New York Times best-selling book, Roughing It
Easy. Her appearance on the NBC's "Tonight" show with Johnny Carson
boosted her into the national media scene, where she became a regular on
NBC's "Today" show for eight years and then ABC's "Home Show" for six years.
After more than 25 years of media exposure and 19 books, she now shares her
practical insights and wisdom with audiences who want to savor life.
A former Relief Society president, Dian is currently serving as a visiting
teacher. Visit her website at www.DianThomas.com