It's always fascinating to discover where some of our traditions originated.
Please take a moment to read these, and be sure to return to the parlor for your refreshments and cheer!

The Twelve Days of Christmas represent the length of time that the three wise men from the East took to reach the manger of Jesus Christ after his birth. Their arrival on the twelfth day was celebrated in the form of the Feast of Epiphany in medieval France, and later in other countries.

The rich and sticky Christmas Pudding we know today originates from an old, Celtic dish known as 'frumenty', and it is one of the high points of the Christmas Day feast. Traditionally, it is made on 'stir up Sunday', the first Sunday before Advent. The old custom of hiding a bean and a pea in the Twelfth Night Cake during cooking was transferred to the plum pudding in Victorian times, and a silver charm, such as a threepenny piece, replaced the bean and pea. A shiny, five pence piece is still hidden in the pudding today. The person lucky enough to find it in their slice is granted one wish and permitted to keep the money. It is thought that the practice of pouring spirit over the Christmas pudding and setting it alight harks back to the fire-worshipping days of our ancestors.

Christmas Lights - long before the first Christmas, it was customary in northern Europe to light a candle at the winter solstice in celebration of the rebirth of light. Homage was paid to the sun god, Mithras, and the sun was encouraged to reappear in the new year. The Christian Church adopted the custom and, throughout the Middle Ages, a large candle was lit at Christmas time. The light from the candle symbolised the Star of Bethlehem and, as Christ was the 'Light of the World', the candle flame represented his influence. This single candle was replaced by several over time - as many as four hundred on an 18th-century German fir tree - and for health and safety reasons they were replaced by electric replicas in 1882.

Holly has always been a sacred tree, even before Christ was born. Branches were used to decorate villas during the Roman midwinter feast known as 'Saturnalia', symbolising the renewal of life. Later, the holly became a powerful Christian symbol. The sharp leaves prophesised Christ's crown of thorns and its red berries foretold of His blood drawn by the thorns.

With its roots in the ancient, midwinter, Norse ritual of fire worship, the large Yule Log (often cut from oak) was once dragged home, blessed, doused in wine and lit all over Europe on Christmas Eve in the hope that it stayed ablaze for the entire festive season. For if it didn't, bad luck for the entire year ahead would descend on all those who had brought it in. At the close of Christmas, a piece of the log was always saved and used to light the yule log the following year, and the ashes were collected to cure family ailments and protect all from harm. All that remains of this tradition today is the chocolate yule log cake, and the occasional reference made to it in Christmas card designs, for the small fireplaces in our modern homes wouldn't accommodate a yule log of such size.

While sleds are mostly just for fun now, they used to be a necessary conveyance when roads were snowed over and rivers were frozen.

In Britian, the first guests of the year are thought to bring good luck, especially if they carry a little salt in their pockets.

Stringing popcorn has been a uniquely American tradition for centuries. When Europeans arrived on this continent, they found people decorating statues and themselves, with strands.

Please take a moment to let me know you called.

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Thanks to Buckingham Gate for some of this information.

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