Christmas traditions can seem as old as the holiday itself—rituals that go back centuries, stuff that's just "always been that way." But, as it so happens, much of what you'd readily associate with the holiday actually happens to be part of a crop of relatively recent developments. From the color scheme of Santa's digs to the practice of hanging stockings to even the Christmas tree itself, here are the surprising backstories of some of the most familiar Christmas traditions. To learn about Christmas traditions of the past
Evergreen Christmas Trees
A number of influences brought about the modern Christmas tree. Evergreens had been used in winter festivals going back to the time of ancient Romans, who decorated them with streamers and ribbons for a Saturnalia, a six-day festival celebrating the God of Wealth. The trees were then often used in religious Mystery Plays during the Middle Ages and became especially popular in Germany as a symbol of the holiday.
Evergreen Christmas Trees
A number of influences brought about the modern Christmas tree. Evergreens had been used in winter festivals going back to the time of ancient Romans, who decorated them with streamers and ribbons for a Saturnalia, a six-day festival celebrating the God of Wealth. The trees were then often used in religious Mystery Plays during the Middle Ages and became especially popular in Germany as a symbol of the holiday.
“At the turn of the 20th century, only one in five families in the United States sported a Christmas tree; by 1930, the custom was almost universal.”
Christmas Tree Lots
As the story goes, he hauled them by steamboat to New York City, set up shop in the now-defunct downtown Washington Market, charged a dollar for each, and sold out quickly. Thus, the modern Christmas tree lot was born. And before you head out to get your tree
Red and Green
Red and green have always been components of Christmas, but it was fairly recently that they became the defining brand colors. This was due to holly and Coca-Cola. The former dates back to Romans’ winter solstice celebrations, “And just those beautiful bright red berries and those deep green leaves are the exact colors that we really come to think about when we think about Christmas.
Christmas Ornaments
During the early 19th century, trees would usually be decorated with household items like apples and cookies, then paper ornaments and dolls. Retailers like FW Woolworth and his Five and Dime Shops helped popularize store-bought (and inexpensive) glass ornaments, often sourced from German factories where they were created by hand. To illuminate the trees, candles were the go-to option for decades, despite the fact that they would often cause fires.
By the turn of the 20th century, small lanterns and glass balls that could hold the candles became more widely available and affordable. Electric Christmas lights (first invented by Thomas Edison associate Edward H. Johnson) would follow suit, soon becoming the tree decoration of choice.
This Is Why We Hang Stockings for Christmas
It has a little something to do with a man known as St. Nicholas. Hanging stockings by the chimney with care is one of the most popular Christmas traditions, but many families display theirs without wondering why. No one can be sure when and why the practice started, but some legends give us a clue.
As the story goes, a single father was raising three daughters but realized he didn’t have enough money to pay their dowries—and without dowries, they couldn’t get married. As a poor man, the father wouldn’t be able to support his daughters for long. The desperate family feared their only choice would be for the daughters to sell their bodies to make money.
St. Nicholas heard of the family’s dilemma but knew they were too proud to accept handouts. To make sure they didn’t refuse his generosity, he anonymously snuck them gold at night. Some legends say he dropped gold down the chimney, and the gifts landed in the stockings that were laid by the fire to dry, while others claim Nicholas himself hopped down the chimney. Someone—either the father or the daughters, depending on the version of the tale—caught the bishop in the act and thanked him for his help. The gifts were enough for the daughters to marry and live happily ever after.
St. Nicholas’ feast day was on December 6, and eventually, the tradition of leaving gifts in stockings was paired up with Christmas celebrations.
This Is How Letters to Santa Were First Delivered by the U.S. Mail
Every year thousands of children write letters to Santa Claus to request the presents they want to receive from the fabled North Pole resident, and in the United States those letters are often dropped in a real mailbox. But how did that tradition start?
Every year thousands of children write letters to Santa Claus to request the presents they want to receive from the fabled North Pole resident, and in the United States those letters are often dropped in a real mailbox. But how did that tradition start?
Some of the earliest Christmas correspondence wasn’t actually written to Santa, but rather from him. In the first half of the 19th Century, Santa Claus was more of a disciplinary figure than the jolly old fellow who sorts “naughty” from “nice” these days. Stories of Saint Nicholas were meant to encourage children to behave, and some parents even wrote letters “from” Santa Claus to their children discussing their conduct over the previous year, mischievous or obedient.
The American image of Santa Claus developed throughout the 1800s, from the 1823 publication of the poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas”— now known by its first line, “’Twas the night before Christmas”—to cartoonist Thomas Nast’s Christmas illustrations in the widely read Harper’s Weekly. Nast’s drawings of Santa, which first appeared in Harper’s during the Civil War, helped create the visual references for Santa Claus that are still familiar today, including a red suit and white beard. Nast’s drawings also captured the earliest days of the postal service’s involvement in the Christmas workflow.
Mahesh Bhatt
