Even if you do not normally celebrate Christmas, the season will hardly go unnoticed. Take a walk along the main shopping districts at night, and you will likely be dazzled by the bright lights and colourful decorations that don the malls, the droning of “…two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree” blasting from speakers and the occasional passing of carollers.
If you tend to shop during that time of the year, you may just find yourself in the middle of a battle for the diminishing stocks of that talking Spiderman figurine you want for your nephew or that flattering black dress you intend to buy for the coming Yuletide party. Outside, another battle awaits you to wrestle your way home amidst the long line of vehicles filled with awe-stricken passengers hoping to catch a glimpse of the whole ambience.
Just what is the significance of Christmas that is causing such a stir? And what about the meanings of some of the traditions and things associated with the season? Different sources will probably provide a variation of those. Here is one perspective that consists of some of the most-widely held beliefs of Christmas and some of its traditions. So, read your way to a more meaningful Christmas…
Christmas comes from the Old English word “Cristes Masse”, meaning the “the Mass of Christ”. The season was traditionally largely celebrated by the Christians. Although the celebration surrounds the birth of Jesus Christ, many theologians believed that 25 December was not the actual day Christ was born, but merely a day to commemorate Christ’s birth. The exact day was not known. Legend has it that Christmas was fixed on the 25 December because that was the time pagan festivals were held and it was an effort to christianise the celebrations. One such was the celebration of the winter solstice (the ending of winter/ darkness).
Today, many people have accepted that the season has evolved to mean many different things to different people, and the season is celebrated around the world for different reasons, some of which are non-religious. One of the most common one though is the spirit of sharing, and thus the generosity in the treatment towards other people. For other celebrants, Christmas may just be a time to rejoice in the yearend of another eventful year.
The Christmas tree, whether real or artificial, is one of the most well-known depiction of Yuletide. The evergreen tree, even during winter, has come to be known as a symbol of everlasting life and the return of spring. Placing a Christmas tree in the house is perhaps one of the best ways to get everyone in the family into the Yuletide mood. While Christmas decorations were traditionally mostly red, they now come in a harlequin of colours to evoke different moods, such as a scintillating Silver Christmas or a romantic and warm Pink Christmas.
It is commonly known that the Christmas tree is a German tradition that later spread to the US and the UK.
In cooler climates, people sometimes grow their own Christmas trees or buy them from elsewhere.
Numerous tales surround Santa Claus or his real name, St Nicholas. St Nicholas, who is believed to be a Myra (modern-day Turkey) bishop, was known to be an awfully shy man with a big heart who stealthily gave money to the needy anonymously. One of the well-told stories surrounds how he came to the aid of three sisters who could not afford their dowries. The three young daughters of a poor nobleman were fretting about how they could get married to their suitors since they had no dowries. When St Nicholas heard about it, he secretly left a bag of gold in their house just as each of them were ready to marry. When it was time for the third daughter to marry, the father of the three sisters decided to find out who their Samaritan was and kept watch. True enough, St Nicholas turned up with his third bag of gold, and just as he was about to drop it from the chimney of the house, he was sighted. The generous man later became very well-known by the people in the town and word soon spread to the other places. It was believed that Santa later became associated with Christmas because the anniversary of his death, 6 December, was close to Christmas, and the two merged.
Ladies, don’t be caught standing under one of these unless you are expecting a loved one to turn up, for once sighted under it, it is traditional that an unmarried lady be given a kiss she cannot refuse, or she would remain single for another year. After the lady has been kissed, one berry may be removed. If the mistletoe plant above a lady has no more berries, she may not be kissed.
Mistletoes are commonly used as Christmas decorations on front doors, though most of those used for decoration purposes today are artificial. These plants have red or white berries and pointy, leathery leaves. The plant is poisonous if ingested.
The plant is a parasite that lives off the tree that it attaches itself to. But the legend surrounding the plant’s merits is hardly parasitic. Mistletoes are believed to harbour magical healing properties. It was touted that in the old days mistletoes were regarded as a panaceas for all diseases, neutraliser for even the deadliest poison and can even make humans and animals more prolific.
One of the tales told about the mistletoe is of Frigga, the goddess of love and beauty, and her son, Balder. Balder had a dream that he was going to die, which greatly distressed Frigga. She tried to prevent the dream from coming true by pleading with all elements – air, earth, water and fire, including plants and animals to not kill him. However, Balder’s enemy, Loki, had a scheme that would circumvent Frigga’s requests. He decided to kill Balder with the one thing that was not classified as any of the elements Frigga pleaded with – the mistletoe! (the mistletoe was not classified as a plant as it has no roots in the ground) Loki then made a poisoned arrow with it and tricked Balder’s blind brother into using it to kill Balder.
However, Balder was revived a few days later when the tears of Frigga turned the red berries of the mistletoe white, and reversed the ill-reputation of the plant. In gratitude for her son’s revival, she kissed everyone who walked beneath the mistletoe. This may thus be the reason why it is traditional to kiss under a mistletoe.
What about the poinsettias?
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Poinsettias became associated with Christmas starting from the late 1820s when Mr Joel R Poinsett, introduced it to floriculture while he was US minister to Mexico.
The plant is unique in that it has red, leaf-like petals and a central cluster of yellow flowers. The plant is native to Mexico and Central America and grows in moist, wet wooded ravines and on rocky hillsides, cited the encyclopedia.
According to Howstuffworks Inc (www.howstuffworks.com), which cited the book “Did You Ever Wonder…” by Jeff Rovin, the word Christmas is sometimes spelt Xmas because “Christ” in Greek is Xristos. The use of the shortened term “X’mas” became popular in Europe in the 1500s.
Turn the age-old mystic of Santa Claus into an urban legend with the game Secret Santa.You could do this with your family members or colleagues, the bigger the group, the more fun. 1)Write the names of each individual of the group on small pieces of paper and fold them up.
2)Put them in a container and get everyone to draw one each.
3)The name you have drawn is the person you are playing Secret Santa to. Do not reveal whose Secret Santa you are.
Even before the actual gift exchange, the suspense will keep everybody guessing and in keen anticipation. Better still, you might get the group to keep this a secret even after the exchange and only reveal it during the Christmas gift exchange the next year.