1. Their History & Their Meaning
Christmas Symbols
Their History & Their Meaning

2. Christmas Tree
Evergreen trees have been a symbol since pagan times in England and France that winter would come to an end.
The first decorations used were candles, apples, paper roses, candy, and cookies.
A star on the top represents the Bethlehem star when Jesus was born.
This tradition comes from Germany.
The first Christmas trees were small—sometimes people cut off just the tops of trees and used them. Using tall trees is an American custom.
Ornaments added later were nuts, gingerbread, toys, dolls, oranges, glass icicles, and balls.
German soldiers who fought for the British during the American Revolution set up Christmas trees like they had done at home. These were the first Christmas trees in America.
Pioneer children decorated trees with strings of popcorn, strings of cranberries, seed pods, pinecones, and other natural items. Why do you think they did this?
What kinds of things have you seen as the top decoration on a tree?
Why do you think evergreen trees are used as Christmas trees?
What ways can people recycle live Christmas trees? (chipped to use in flower beds or on hiking trails, sunk in lakes to make homes for fish, used to line snowmobile paths)

3. Candy Cane
The first candy canes were a solid white color and straight.
The earliest crooked candy canes appeared in Germany in 1670.
Striped candy canes weren’t made until after 1900.
Used as ornaments and as sweet treats.
A choir director in Germany had candy canes made to look like a shepherd’s crook and gave them to kids to keep them quiet during living nativity ceremonies in Germany in 1670.
What kinds of candy do you like at this time of the year?

4. Candles Candles represent light—to light the way for others.
They were first used as lights on the Christmas tree.
People put candles in windows, on fireplace mantels, on tables, and carry them in processions at Christmas time.
What do you think people used before they had candles? (torches, bonfires)
Candles are used all over the world in celebrations and at holidays.

5. Poinsettia
The first U.S. ambassador to Mexico brought this flower to the U.S. in His name was Dr. J. R. Poinsett.
They are associated with Christmas because of a Mexican legend.
The yellow part is the flower and the red part are a type of leaves called bracts.
The Aztecs used the poinsettia to make a reddish purple dye.
Chile and Peru called the poinsettia the “Crown of the Andes.”
In nature, poinsettias are perennial flowering shrubs that can grow to 10 ft. tall!
Poinsettias are commercially grown in all 50 states and California is the top producing state.
The Paul Ecke Ranch in California grows over 80% of the poinsettias in the U.S. and 90% of all the flowering poinsettias in the world got their start at the ranch.
There are over 100 varieties of poinsettias.

6. Bells Bells are rung to make announcements or for celebrations.
The first bells were made in China.
Some people wear clothing with little bells attached to them.
Bells are rung at sad events also.
Where have you seen or heard bells used?
In churches, bells used to be named and baptized.
In old times, people used bells superstitiously: their pealing could drive away fiends, goblins, and lightning; they could put out fires; they could clean the air after an epidemic.
There are different types of bells such as chimes and carillon.

7. Santa Claus
In Holland, Dutch children believed Sinter Klaas would fill their wooden shoes with candy and treats.
When many Dutch people settled in America, Sinter Klaas became Santa Clause, someone who brings toys and treats to children who have been good all year.
Santa Claus is known by other names in other countries:
In Russia, he is Grandfather Frost.
In Japan he is called Hoteiosho
In France his is called Pere Noel.
In England he is called Father Christmas.
Santa Claus appears only on Christmas Eve as he travels through the air from the North Pole.
The modern day version of Santa Claus comes from the Christmas poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” by Clement C. Moore which was written in 1823 for his children and later published by his family.

8. Angels Angels are a traditional part of most religions.
Some people like to decorate their homes and trees with angels.
They appear as messengers or protective guardians.
Angels told the shepherds about the birth of Jesus.
Why do you think angels are always portrayed as females?
What kinds of angel decorations have you seen?

9. Nutcrackers Nutcrackers can be used as a tool to open or crack nuts.
Wooden figures became popular in the 16th century in Europe.
The soldier figure is the most popular figure.
Why do you think nutcrackers became associated with Christmas? (They were given as gifts, they were sold at Christmas fairs in Europe, they were toys for children)
What kinds of figures have you seen as nutcrackers?

10. Carols
Caroling began in medieval times when people would sing and dance. Early carols weren’t considered holy enough to sing inside a church and so people sung outside.
Music is a special part of the Christmas season around the world.
The first Christmas carols were dance tunes, not songs. In Greece, a “carol” was a ring of dancers who danced to flute music. They people formed a chain by holding hands as they danced.
Carol dancing became part of Christmas celebrations because it was a fun activity.
Some popular Christmas carols were written in American especially for children to sing, such as “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “We Three Kings of Orient Are.”

11. Stockings
These are associated with Sinter Klaas, who wanted to remain anonymous and help a poor family. He threw gold coins down their chimney and they fell into a stocking that was hanging their to dry.
This tradition began in Holland.
Today you can find stockings in all sizes and colors, so people don’t use their real socks anymore.
What kinds of things would you like to find in a Christmas stocking?
Does a person have to have a fireplace to hang up a stocking?

12. Christmas Cards Cards are used to send notes of good wishes.
The custom of sending Christmas cards began in 1843 in England.
The British post office used to deliver cards on Christmas morning.
The first Christmas card is in the British Museum.
William Egley created the first Christmas card and printed 100 copies.
It was about years after the first Christmas cards were printed before the practice caught on with the general public. Also, postal rates were cheaper and people could afford to mail cards.
Cards can be decorated with glitter, paint, or gold.
Christmas cards came to the United States in 1874 in Roxbury, Massachusetts when a German immigrant printed beautiful cards that people liked.
Different countries have different type Christmas cards: Germany might have a rose, England might have a blue robin, Spain might have the Three Kings.
Some people design their own cards.
Some cards are religious, some have Christmas symbols, some have winter scenes, and some just have words.

13. Mistletoe Mistletoe remains green throughout the year.
It is a custom to hang a piece of it in a doorway and people can kiss each other while standing under the mistletoe.
In pagan times some people wore mistletoe or hung it above their doorways to ward off evil spirits. Anyone who entered their doorways received a kiss of friendship.
Mistletoe was used as a superstitious symbol: some people thought it would bring about a happy marriage, cure sickness, or keep herds healthy.

14. Food
The tradition of cookies began in Roman times when people gave sweet cakes to their senators.
Gingerbread houses have been made since the 1300’s.
Hot wassail is a popular drink at Christmas.
Meat dishes or roasted meat has long been a holiday tradition. In Europe, roast hares, pigs, swans, geese, peacock, and boar’s head were very popular.
Mincemeat pie has been a part of Christmas traditions for over 500 years. What ingredients do you think are in a mincemeat pie? Have the ingredients changed over the years?
Buche de Noel is a rich chocolate cake from France made to look like a Yule log.
In Sweden they make pepparkakor—gingersnaps.
Stollen and Lebkuchen (types of cakes or breads) are treats from Germany that have candied fruit in them.
Panettone is a sweet raisin and chestnut bread made in Italy during the holidays.
Plum pudding is a popular cake in England.
Fish and reindeer meat is popular in Scandinavian countries, while Central and South America enjoy shrimp or tamales. African countries might eat goat or a stew.

15. St. Nicholas St. Nicholas was a real person.
He was a kind bishop who brought presents to children and needy people.
St. Nicholas was born in Patara, which is located in what is now Turkey.
Before St. Nicholas became a saint, he was a bishop in the church.
Sailors claimed St. Nicholas as their patron saint.
Saint Nicholas always wears a miter hat because it’s the hat worn by bishops and carries a crozier (a hooked staff) to represent him being a shepherd of people.
Stories of St. Nicholas giving gold coins to people in need became associated with giving gifts on December 6th when the celebration of St. Nicholas took place.

16. Wreath In ancient Rome, wreaths were used as signs of victory.
There are two kinds of holiday wreaths—the advent wreath and decorative wreath.
The advent wreath tradition comes from ancient Germany where evergreen wreaths were set on fire as a symbol of hope for spring coming.
The advent wreath has 4 candles around it with a 5th one in the center. A candle is lit each week before Christmas with the 5th one being lit on Christmas Eve to symbolize Jesus being born.
People use decorative wreaths to “dress up” their homes, rooms, and even cars! What kinds of decorations have you seen on a wreath?

17. Holly
Holly is a spiny-leafed shrub with red berries that remains green throughout the year.
Since pagan times it has been a symbol that winter would end.
French and English families hung holly over their doors to symbolize that their family celebrated Christ’s birth.
Holly is an evergreen.
There are two kinds of holly—a prickly one and a smooth one.
British farmers used to put sprigs of holly on their beehives.
Some people use holly as a superstitious symbol: planted near a home to protect it from thunder and lightning, tied on the bedpost to bring happy dreams, a tonic made from it to cure a cough.

18. Lights Lights represent Jesus as the “Light of the World.”
Lights also represent twinkling stars.
Electric tree lights first used just 3 years after Thomas Edison demonstrated electric lights in 1879.
Edward Johnson, an assistant to Thomas Edison, came up with the idea of electric Christmas lights.
The string of Christmas lights was invented by Ralph Morris in 1895 when he used strings of lights that had been made for use in telephone switchboards!

19. Gifts Gifts were brought to the baby Jesus by the wise men.
It has become a tradition to give gifts as Christmas.
Gift-giving is an old custom. In ancient festivals people gave candles, lamps, and evergreens to friends and families. Others gave money to the poor.
In some countries, Christmas is considered a holy day and gifts are given on another day.
In the Middle Ages, children’s gifts came in bundles of three: something rewarding, something useful, and something for discipline. Name some things you think would fit in these categories.
English kings and queens used to demand that their subjects give them Christmas gifts.
Slaves in the southern U.S. had a custom of playing a gift game. When two of them met on Christmas Day, each would try to be the first to say “Christmas Gif’.” The loser had to give the winner a few nuts or some cake or other treat.

20. Nativity
The nativity represents the birth of Jesus. Animals are usually part of a nativity scene.
The scene was first created in 1224 by St. Francis in Italy.
Sometimes people call this a manger scene or a creche.
St. Francis used real people and animals to create the first nativity scene. Have you ever seen a nativity scene?

21. Sources
Let’s Celebrate Christmas by Peter and Connie Roop
Holly, Reindeer, and Colored Lights: The Story of the Christmas Symbols by Edna Barth
Other things which can be researched as Christmas symbols are:
Christmas seals
Icicles
Mince meat pie
Plum pudding
Reindeer
Star
Tinsel
Wassail
Yule log