Christmas,

a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, has

endured and evolved over the last 2,000 years, spreading

traditions around the world and creating the largest

religious holiday in the world.

But where

do we get Santa Claus and the traditions of mistletoe,

and stockings and Christmas trees? How did they become

associated with a religious holiday and how it has united

the world?

The idea of

the Christmas tree originated even before Christmas.

Egyptians used to bring green palm branches into their

homes on the shortest day of the year as a symbol of

life's triumph over death. Romans decorated evergreen

trees during the festival of Saturnalia, honoring their

agriculture god during the winter solstice.

The

Christmas tree began to get its Christian ties in the

Middle Ages, when people would decorate an evergreen tree

with apples. They called the tree a Paradise tree and

associated it with Adam and Eve.

The first

real Christmas tree is traced to Strasbourg, Germany.

People decorated the tree with colored paper, fruits and

sweets. The tradition spread through Europe and then over

to the United States. In 1804, American soldiers at Fort

Dearborn surrounded their barracks with Christmas trees.

Franklin Pierce, our 14th president, was the first

president to bring a Christmas tree into the white house

and Calvin Coolidge began the lighting ceremony on the

lawn in 1923.

Now,

Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states. There are

over one million acres in production for growing

Christmas trees and over 37 million U.S. families will

have real Christmas trees this year. The trees are not

exclusive to any religion, but serve as a reminder of the

winter solstice, the holiday season and the birth of

Christ.

As for

Santa Claus, every nation seems to have a variation on

the jolly old man. In some nations, he leaves fruits or

decorates cookies; in others he delivers gifts. Though

associated with Christmas in this country, in many

nations Santa arrives either several days before or

several days after the holiday.

Saint

Nicholas, where Santa gets his name, was said to have

saved a family of sisters from slavery. He was later

promoted to bishop, but the Vatican ruled that he was not

a real saint. He is the patron saint of children and

sailors of Greece, Sicily and Russia and has been

identified with a bishop of Myra in Asia Minor. He was

known as Sinter Klaus in the Netherlands, and the English

who lived in New York City in the 19th century adopted

him from the Dutch, calling him Santa Claus.

Each

country has its own description of what he looks like and

when he comes, but the main thrust is quite similar in

any nation. He watches over all the boys and girls of the

world and delivers goodies to the children who have

behaved and punishes the children who have been bad.

The story

of stockings has been traced to 19th century Quebec and

Acadia. Children placed their shoes or stockings by the

fireplace or by their beds, so Pere Noel would put gifts

in them. The tradition has endured for hundreds of years

and is associated with the holiday in many stories and

Christmas carols.

Another

aspect of the Christmas holiday that has endured is the

tradition of kissing under the mistletoe. During the

Roman celebration of Saturnalia, mistletoe was believed

to be a bestower of fertility. In later years, people in

Scandinavia considered it a way for warring couples to

call a truce.

Mistletoe

is properly called loranthaceae, and consists of

parasitic herbs and shrubs, with leathery leaves and

white berries. It is considered proper etiquette for a

man to pluck off a berry after every kiss and stop the

kissing once all the berries are gone.

One of the

final traditions to examine is that of the candy cane. It

is believed that its shape of a shepherd's crook is no

mistake and that it was a reward for children who learned

their prayers. There is little documentation of this

theory, or the theory that it is the shape of a J, for

Jesus Christ.

The candy

cane was not prevalent until the 17th century, when

Christmas trees were gaining popularity and being

decorated with treats. The candy cane was all white at

first and did not take its current shape until coming to

America in the 19th century.

The United

States is the one nation that seems to use all of these

holiday traditions in Christmas celebrations. There is

little doubt that these traditions came here from Europe,

especially England. Many of the traditions took hold in

the 19th century and have expanded as did the country,

with its wealth and commercialism.

Though some

would argue that the true meaning of the holiday is lost

amidst all of the furor and clamor over gifts,

decorations and parties, one needs only to remember that

these traditions all serve as a reminder and that our

happiness and love for one another is in the true spirit

of the holiday.

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