Christmas Traditions Explained - Part 1
Author: Darren Johnson

We take many of the traditions of Christmas for granted,
but there is some interesting history behind many of our
modern Christmas rituals which serve as an interesting
reminder of how our modern Christmas evolved. In a new
series of articles, we explore how gifts, hampers, feasts
and decorations came from an amalgam of varied cultural
beliefs, folklores and Christianity.

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.
(Yule log was also called a Great Ashen Faggot in parts of
England). 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. These candles have also migrated to the Christmas
tree, which in turn have been replaced by modern Christmas
lights or 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
privilege ended.

Mistletoe was an important plant in the folklore of Celts,
Roman and Greeks - often being attributed magical
properties (such as ensuring the fertility of cattle). Yet
the kissing custom originates from a Norse myth,
concerning the goddess Frigg and her love for her son
Balder.

It appears Frigg was an overprotective mother, and from her
fear that harm would come to her son, she secured promises
from everything in the world that they would never harm her
son. Everything, except a little mistletoe bush which she
deemed too young to make such a pledge.

A trickster named Loki discovered this omission, and made
an arrow from the mistletoe bush which he gave to Balder's
blind brother, Hod. Loki then guided Hod's bow hand and the
arrow pierced Balder's heart, killing him.

The distraught and outraged Frigg banished mistletoe to the
tree tops. The gods duly brought Balder back to life and
Frigg was so overjoyed that she made mistletoe the symbol
of love.

Meanwhile the Druids believed that mistletoe fell from
heaven and grew onto a tree that sprang from Earth. It
therefore signified a connection between heaven and Earth
and God's reconciliation with humanity. A kiss under
mistletoe thereby symbolized acceptance and reconciliation.

Christmas Ham

The Christmas Ham is again thought to have come from a
Norse pagan tradition of yuletide celebration. The
sacrifice of a boar in Freyr's honour was hoped to bring
his favour for the new year. Freyr was associated with
agriculture, weather and fertility.

Mince Pies and Christmas Pudding

Recipes for Christmas pudding can be traced back to the
Middle Ages. The ingredients included poultry, pheasant,
partridge and rabbit. It was primarily a way of preserving
meat. Because of a shortage of fodder, most livestock were
slaughtered at the end of a season. Dried fruits were added
to the mixture as a preservative and the mixture was kept
in pastry cases and the results were called mince pies.
Over time, sugar, apples, raisins, candied oranges and
lemons were added.

A closer relative to the modern Christmas pudding
originated from the porridge, frumenty or pottage in the
14th century. Ingredients included beef, mutton, raisins,
currents, spiced wine and mixed spices. These ingredients
were slow cooked in a huge cauldron and it was a souplike
dish consumed prior to celebrations.

During the reign of Elizabeth 1 prunes were added to the
recipe and the dish became known as plum pottage. By
the18th century meat preservation techniques had improved
and the sweet content of mince pies and plum pottage were
increased. The addition of flour and suet to create a
pudding as we recognise it today, did not appear until the
1830's.

In the next Christmas article, we will uncover the origins
of the Christmas Tree and Santa Claus.

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About the Author:

Darren Johnson is the co-owner of Little Pixie Gifts
(http://www.littlepixiegifts.com.au), a specialist provider
of high quality Christmas Hampers, Gourmet Gift Baskets and
Baby Gifts. Gifts can be ordered from anywhere in the world
and are delivered Australia wide.