The father tried to find out who this mystery benefactor was, and when he did, Saint Nicholas begged him not to reveal his identity. He also dropped a bag of gold for the second daughter. The bag fell into a stocking that had been left by the fire to dry. Legend has it that Saint Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the chimney of a poor man who could not afford his daughter’s dowry. He had a reputation for giving to the poor and being kind to children. The story of Father Christmas starts with Saint Nicholas, a bishop who lived in Myra, Asia Minor (what is now known as Turkey) in the fourth century. The story behind Santa Claus and Christmas stockings In 1846, the Royal family was sketched standing around their Christmas tree, after which the practice became very fashionable. Tinsel was originally made in Germany from thin strips of silver. Electric lights were first created in 1895 by Ralph Morris, an American telephonist.Ĭhristmas trees made it to Britain in the 1830s, and in 1841, Prince Albert set up a tree in Windsor Castle. Germans decorated their trees with edible goods and glass decorations. Walking through a forest, he was so taken by the beauty of stars twinkling through the pines that he took a tree home and attached candles to each branch.
It is thought the first person to bring a tree indoors was the German theologian Martin Luther. In northern Europe, people planted cherry or hawthorn plants, or created pyramids of fruit or candles. Evergreen trees were thought to keep away evil spirits and illness, and were put up during the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, to remind them that the spring would return.Īnother predecessor was the Paradise tree, a fir decorated with apples to represent the Garden of Eden on Adam and Eve’s day, which fell on December 24. Romans used fir trees to decorate their temples during Saturnalia, a feast in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture, and the predecessor to Christmas. Here is everything you need to know about Christmas traditions, including the history behind the festive practices and the story of the beloved Santa Claus. In fact, many date back to ancient times and have been influenced along the way by religion, pop culture and the commercialisation of Christmas. The festive season will soon be upon us, but why do we decorate trees and eat turkey? Here, we explore the meaning behind Christmas ritualsįrom decorating Christmas trees and hanging up stockings to pulling crackers and eating mince pies, us Britons celebrate the festive season with a range of rituals and traditions, yet we seldom stop to ask why.ĭiscussion of the origins of such holiday customs tend to stall with: “Wasn’t it all invented by the Victorians? Or the Germans? Or was it Coca-Cola?” Christmas traditions: The story of Santa Claus, and why we eat mince pies and hang up stockings