Member-only story
Where Did Popular Christmas Traditions Come From?
Many of our common Christmas rituals have interesting origins
With less than three weeks remaining until December 25th, many places in the world are in the throes of preparing for and celebrating the upcoming Christmas, which is really a season instead of a single day. There are perhaps more traditions and practices associated with the holiday than any other, but where did some of the most popular of these come from?
Wreaths/Christmas Trees: Festive wreaths made from pine boughs and an assortment of ribbons, baubles and other items adorn an infinite number of doors during this time of year. Perhaps an even greater number of decorated Christmas trees sit inside and outside of homes. This tradition of decorating with evergreens began around the 16th century in northern and eastern Europe, with Germans being generally credited as the originators.
Wreaths were an offshoot of the tree practice. Ace Collins, the author of Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, explained “Limbs were often cut off in an attempt to make the tree more uniform in shape or to fit into a room. Instead of throwing the pieces of greenery away, the Europeans wove the excess into wreaths.”
