Marshall McClung
Have you ever wondered why we do some of the things we do at Christmas, such as bringing in a small live tree – or artificial – and putting a star on top of it?
Most – if not all – of our Christmas observances were brought to America by our ancestors from various countries who were seeking both a better life and religious freedom to celebrate the birth of Christ. Some of these traditions have come from more than one country.
* Austria has a tradition of having three large candles. One is lit on Christmas Eve, the second on Christmas Day and the third on New Year’s Day – as a symbol of Christ, the light of the world.
* The hanging of stockings by the chimney was practiced in Belgium since far back in history.
* The burning of the Yule log was practiced in Bulgaria and other countries. Yule comes from the Norse word ‘jol” or “jul” and refers to a midwinter festival. In England, it was a custom for each member of the family to sit on the log and salute it before it was lit, in the belief that this would ensure good luck for everyone in the household in the coming year.
* Families in France and Germany would have a Creche (we would say “Nativity scene”) in their homes. The word Creche comes from late-18th century French and is said to mean “manger” or “crib.”
* Ireland has the custom of having a lighted candle in each window and the door left slightly open on Christmas as symbols of hospitality and assuring that no couple seeking shelter for a baby would be turned away, as was the case with Joseph and Mary on the night of Christ’s birth. The candles may only be put out by someone named Mary.
Perhaps the most well-known and most widespread tradition in America is the Christmas tree. The Christmas tree reaches so far back in history that its origin may be lost. The ancient Romans used decorated trees; not for anything to do with Christmas, but rather for a pagan festival celebrating the Winter Solstice.
By the 16th century, Germans were using decorated trees as a symbol of Christmas, as the evergreen tree symbolized everlasting life and the star at the top of the tree to recall the star that led the wise men to Christ.
It seems that the Christmas tree arriving to America in the 1700s was brought about by a war. Hessian soldiers – hired by the British, to fight American troops during the American Revolution – put up Christmas trees in their barracks.
During my Christmases as a child, our tree was usually a white pine from our mountains. Once, we had a holly tree cut by my oldest brother Lewis. In later years, we would get a cedar tree from the Gudger Buchanan property on Buchanan Branch or from the Denton’s in the Sweetwater area.
Marshall McClung is the historical columnist for The Graham Star. He is retired from the U.S. Forest Service and can be reached via email, mcclungs@email.com.