The Christmas Tree - Prior to Christianity, early Romans carried branches to a first-of-the-year celebration as tokens of good luck. The tradition continued, and, much later, Christians from England saw this celebration and used it as a model for their ceremony of parading with branches at Christmas time.

Ornaments and Lights - The Swedish people were probably the first to hang objects on their outdoor trees. They used fish nets and tiny painted fish bones. However, when the Germans cut trees and brought them inside, their ornaments included wrapped candies, gold-painted nuts, colorful bird feathers, stars, and angels. Later they added tinsel to the decorations.In Colonial America, ornaments included strings of cranberries and popcorn as well as handmade quilted ornaments.
Today most trees have electric lights, and the ornaments are shiny colored balls. The importance of lights at Christmas comes from Jesus' statement "I am the light of the world." Candles are a symbol of that light. Martin Luther may have been the first person to put lights on a Christmas tree, as a symbol of the stars on the night Jesus was born.

Poinsettia - There is no "point" in poinsettia. This colorful plant is named for J.R. Poinsett, American minister to Mexico, who discovered the plant there in 1828. The plant is common to South America and is a garden shrub in many southern states and California.
The true flower of the poinsettia is the small yellow center. Special large leaves, called bracts, surround the flower and make a colorful show in red, pink, white, and many special combinations. The contrast of the red with the green leaves makes the poinsettia popular at Christmastime.

Yule Log - Fireplaces with large burning logs are a cozy symbol of Christmas. The early Norwegians burned a huge oak log, called Juul, each year to honor Thor, the God of thunder. When they became Christians, they included this tradition in their Christmas celebration.
In the American South, the yule log celebration was important for the slaves. When the log was lighted, the slaves did not have to return to work until the log burned out. They often poured water on it to keep it from burning too quickly. This was known as "watering the log."

Plum Pudding - The story of this traditional pudding comes from the 1500's, when an English king and his hunting party were lost in a blizzrd the day before Christmas. All their meager provisions - meat, flour, apples, eggs, ale brandy, and sugar - were mixed together and tied in a bag, then boiled. The hungry group relished the invention. When they returned home, the recipe was refined, and it became a national dish.

Mistletoe - More than one thousand years ago, Europeans used this green plant with white berries during their religious gatherings. Because it grows parasitically on trees, it was often a symbol of fellowship. In pre-Christian times, it was considered a cure for all sickness. It was thought to be so powerful that enemies meeting would lay down their arms when they saw it. It was hung in doorways and corridors as a symbol of harmony between warring factions.
While the origin of its association with Christmas is not known, it is a popular part of American and European customs, where it is hung above door frames. Anyone caught standing under it is supposed to give a kiss to the person catching him or her. However, some say that the person finding someone under the mistletoe has the right to kiss that person. Either way, the custom is enjoyed by everyone but young boys.

Wreaths - Circles of greens date back to early Christian times as symbols of eternal life. Children wore crowns of greens at Easter in remembrance of Jesus' crown of thorns. Using wreaths at Christmas was not popular until the early 1800's. Many settlers in American found that evergreens were too precious to cut down for Christmas trees, so they would make a circle of greens for the dining table and adorn it with candles. Today wreaths are generally hung on front doors and are decorated with ribbons, dried flowers and fruit, or small gift packages.

Carols - Carol singing began in the rural areas of Europe in early Christian times. They were originally happy tunes with dance rhythms, rather than the music of hymns. The word carol meant a ring dance accompanied by singing. Religious carols came into being in the fourteenth century as a reaction to all other church music being sung in Latin. Today, every Christian country has favorite carols, the all-time favorite being "Silent Night."

The Star - This is the earliest of Christian symbols, being mentioned in the Gospels. It is called the Star of the East, the star that led the wise men to Bethlehem.

Greeting Cards- Sending Christmas cards is one of the more recent customs. In 1843 a company in London printed the first card specifically for the Christmas holiday. Twenty years later, another company produced a variety of cards, and these became more popular than the handwritten notes that had been exchanged up to that time.
In America, a Boston lithographer marketed cards to Europe in 1865. It wasn't until ten eyars later that they were sold in the United sTates. Today most everyone sends cards - individuals, businesses, dentists, milkmen. Cards in newsletter style that chronicle the year's events have become common in the last few decades despite many humorous remarks about them.

Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus - There was a real person by this name who was bishop of Myra in Asia Minor in the third century. He was a good and generous man and had the practice of giving surprise gifts to other worthy people. Soon all surprise gifts were credited to him.
In Norway there was a tradition that gifts were brought by a character who entered the house via the chimney. In the Netherlands, there was a St. Nicholas, who was the patron saint of children. His fame traveled throughout Eruope, and his name was translated into many languages. He is called Pere Noel in France. In Switzerland he is called Christkindli. And in Italy it is a female character, La Befana. For children around the world, he is the most favorite symbol of Christmas.
From these earlier Eropean characters comes the American Santa Claus symbol, which combines many myths. Dutch settlers in New York called St. Nicholas Sinterklaas, and from that the American name Santa Claus developed. Then, in 1823, a minister named Clement Moore wrote about this character in a poem entitled"A Visit from St. Nicholas"-more commonly called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." It was here that the reindeer and sleigh, the jolly appearance of the character, and the filling of stockings came into being.
The myth of a Santa Claus continues today, and while many children firmly believe it, some parents choose to teach their children that Santa Claus is not a real person but rather the spirit of love and giving that we cherish at this season.

Stockings - The hanging of Christmas stockings stems from the Moore poem. However, hundreds of years before in Europe, leather boots were used for gift receptacles. In Holland, wooden shoes were placed where St. Nicholas could find them, and they were filled with straw for St. Nicholas's horses or deer. For good children, the straw was removed and replaced with toys. For bad children, the straw was removed and replaced with a stick-to be used to beat the child into goodness. Today, oversized stockings are "hung with care" by both children and adults.

The Manger Scene - This is also called a creche, a crib, a nativity set, or a cradle scene. People throughout time have tried to bring Christ back into Christmas. One was St. Francis of Assisi. He did not like the sermonizing at Christmas or the manger scenes lavish with silver, gold, and precious stones. To him, they seemed far removed from the little cave in Bethlehem, and also far from the simple people. So in a wooded area, he made a life-sized manger with hay, thatch, and plain wooden figures, and a live ox and ass were led in. It was so popular that an English visitor took the idea with him throughout Europe.
Thus began the tradition of building simple "Bethlehems" outdoors, in churches, and most of all in homes. Clay figures were used and reused for generations. Soon, smaller, tabletop versions became popular.
In Europe, the manger scene is the main Christmas decoration, and children light the creche with candles and sing carols around it before going to bed.