EVER WONDER???

Ever wonder why we do what we do,every Christmas;Get a tree,give gifts,Light candles,reinforce the legend of Santa,sing carols,hang stockings etc.? A lot of it has little to do with the birth of Jesus.
It has to do with Christmas traditions gathered from around the world over the centuries and added one by one to our celebration,making it a wonderful,heart-
warming,joyful experience.
*Holly for example,was originally planted near a home to frighten off witches and protect it from lightning.Over time it became a symbol of peace and joy and people would often try to settle their quarrels near a holly tree.
*Candles at Christmas represent the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.A candle burning in the window of a home on Christmas eve came to mean that visitors are welcome in this place.
*Carol actually meant a round dance.Originating in the middle ages,when people joined hands and danced in a circle at religious rites.St Francis of Assisi is credited with being the father of the Christmas carol as we know it today.He led his followers in songs of praise to Jesus.
*It's generally believed that Scandinavians brought the idea of Christmas reindeer to the United States,but they became famous because of a poem written in1823.It introduced and named all eight reindeer and described them pulling Santa's sleigh.Until then,St Nicholas had ridden a donkey or a sky chariot drawn by horses.
*A Christmas gift,of course,represents the gifts brought by the three wise men.Each of the three gifts foretold what Jesus would become;gold,a king;frankincense,a priest;
myrrh,a healer.
*Plum pudding aka figgy pudding dates back to1670 in the UK.The forerunner to plum pudding was called frumenty and had chopped cows tongues as well as fruit,nuts and wine.It was good luck to stir the pudding and you got to make a wish.In a later incarnation they added a silver charm or coin to the pudding.It guaranteed the finder good luck.
*Mince tarts are a very old tradition,about 500 years.They were made,originally in the shape of a manger and the latticework crust symbolized the hayrack.They were meat pies back then.For good luck people ate a pie a day for the twelve days of Christmas.
*The ealiest record of a Christmas tree,as we know it,with decorations,is in the region of Alsace in 1521.Evergreens have always represented rebirth.A living tree in a tub was always brought into the house during the old German feast of Yule.
*Hanging stockings began in 300A.D. when a young bishop in Asia Minor,later known as St Nicholas and known for his kindness,left gifts for people.One night he climbed on a roof and dropped a gift down a chimney.It fell into a stocking that had been hung there to dry.Kids caught on pretty quickly.
There are so many more traditions and symbols.There are even some that we have stopped using.I couldn't include them all.People are always looking for reasons to celebrate and Christmas gives them a chance to do it in a big way.Sadly,it seems to be the only time we all feel good will towards each other.