The Top Twelve American Christmas Traditions

American Christmases are steeped in many different traditions from as many parts of the world as there are cultures in the country. Each year when the holiday approaches, generally right after Thanksgiving, the American Christmas outline is put into motion with wreath hanging, light hanging, and tree purchasing... and it just goes on from there. Here are a dozen of the Yule Tide practices Americans perform.

12. Poinsettias

A native Mexican plant, poinsettias were named after Joel R. Poinsett, U.S. ambassador to Mexico who brought the plant to America in 1828. Poinsettias were likely used by Mexican Franciscans in their 17th century Christmas celebrations. One legend has it that a young Mexican boy, on his way to visit the village Nativity scene, realized he had no gift for the Christ child. He gathered pretty green branches from along the road and brought them to the church. Though the other children mocked him, when the leaves were laid at the manger, a beautiful star-shaped flower appeared on each branch. The bright red petals, often mistaken for flowers, are actually the upper leaves of the plant.

11. Christmas Caroling

The most fantastic explanation of the term, “Christmas carol”, originates from England. According to this English story, a young girl named Carol got lost in the streets of London on a cold winter night. In an attempt to find her, her friends went from house to house similar to the way we do during Christmas. After this episode, the term “Christmas carol” became widespread. The more pragmatic explanation is that the word, “carol”, comes from the Greek dance, “Choraulein”, which is accompanied by flutes. Later, the Frenchmen replaced the flutes with singing and named it, “caroller”, which means, “to dance around in a circle”. The tradition of singing carols can be traced back to the monk, St. Francis of Assisi. He introduced the singing of carols in church ceremonies.

10. Mistletoe

The ancient Celtics believed mistletoe to have magical healing powers and used it as an antidote for poison, infertility, and to ward of evil spirits. The plant was also seen as a symbol of peace, and it is said that among Romans, enemies who met under mistletoe would lay down their weapons and embrace.

9. Santa Claus

The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas' popularity throughout Europe. His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims he that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre.

8. Christmas Cards

It is Sir Henry Cole who is credited with creating the first real Christmas card. The first director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, Sir Henry found himself too busy in the Christmas season of 1843 to compose individual Christmas greetings for his friends. He commissioned artist John Calcott Horsley for the illustration.

7. Christmas Cookies

Cookies are just a form of small cake, really, with the convenience of being hand-held and quick to bake. The German traditions that led to Christmas cookies included ''Lebkuchen'' and ''Spritz'' recipes that used less sugar and more spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg--cheaper and easier to get than sugar was--as well as raisins and other dried fruits. In times where we didn't have a mega-mart on every corner, these treats used "rare" and "expensive" ingredients like sugar, or essential ingredients like flour that weren't normally "wasted"; only on the most special occasions did you commit the cost of expensive or essential ingredients to such treats.

6. Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree was brought to England by Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert from his native Germany. The famous Illustrated News etching in 1848, featuring the Royal Family of Victoria, Albert and their children gathered around a Christmas tree in Windsor Castle, popularized the tree throughout Victorian England. Brought to America by the Pennsylvania Germans, the Christmas tree became by the late 19th century.

5. Christmas Lights

The tradition of using small candles to light up the Christmas tree dates back to at least the middle of the XVIIth century. However, it took two centuries for the tradition to become widely established first in Germany and soon spreading to Eastern Europe. Candles for the tree were glued with melted wax to a tree branch or attached by pins. Around 1890, candleholders were first used for Christmas candles. Between 1902 and 1914, small lanterns and glass balls to hold the candles started to be used.

In 1882, the first Christmas tree was lit by the use of electricity. Edward Johnson lighted up a Christmas tree in New York City with eighty small electric light bulb. It should be noted that Edward Johnson created the first string of electric Christmas lights that were then mass produced around 1890.

4. Stockings

According to legend, a kindly nobleman grew despondent over the death of his beloved wife and foolishly squandered his fortune. This left his three young daughters without dowries and thus facing a life of spinsterhood. The generous St. Nicholas, hearing of the girls' plight, set forth to help. Wishing to remain anonymous, he rode his white horse by the nobleman's house and threw three small pouches of gold coins down the chimney where they were fortuitously captured by the stockings the young women had hung by the fireplace to dry.

3. Christmas Wreath

The history of Christmas Wreath tells us that the wreaths have their origin in the early times of pre-Christianity. The Eastern European people used to light up evergreen wreaths in the cold winter evenings with the hope of early spring and sunshine. Christmas wreaths have either four white candles or three violet candles traditionally used. Each day one candle is lighted and the middle candle is lighted on Christmas Eve to signify the arrival of Jesus. A short prayer can be held with the lighting of the candle.

2. Candy Canes

According to the National Confectioner's Association, in 1847 German immigrant August Imgard used the candy cane to decorate a Christmas tree in Wooster, Ohio. More than 50 years later, Bob McCormack of Albany, Georgia supposedly made candy canes as treats for family, friends and local shopkeepers. McCormack's brother-in-law, Catholic priest Gregory Keller, invented a machine in the 1950s that automated the production of candy canes, thus eliminating the usual laborious process of creating the treats and the popularity of the candy cane grew. More recent explanations of the candy cane's symbolism hold that the color white represents Christ's purity, the red the blood he shed, and the presence of three red stripes the Holy Trinity.

1. Christmas Presents

The origin of the Christmas Present seems to have a number of different sources. The earliest references to presents being given on or around the Winter Solstice comes from Ancient Rome during the feast of Kalends. High ranking officials were expected to give gifts to the Emperor since the Winter Solstice celebrated the birth of the Sun God, to whom the emperor was directly related. Another early source of gift-giving comes from St. Nicholas who was remembered for his charitable giving. Often on his feast day parents would leave small gifts of chocolate or fruit for their children. His feast day slowly came over time to be associated with the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity on December 25th.Gift Giving in the modern sense starts in America in the 1820s. What had once been the simple practice of exchanging small gifts exploded into the full-fledged consumer driven holiday we now know.