Christmas Legends – An Abbreviated History

Have you ever wondered where Christmas legends come from?  How did Santa Clause come to be and how did he become a part of our holiday tradition?  Who came up with the idea of decorating a Christmas tree, Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer, etc.?  Here are some answers that will hopefully satisfy our curiosities: 

1. For starters, Santa Claus aka Kris Kringle or Saint Nicholas became a household name around the mid-15^th century.  He was a monk and well known for being compassionate and generous.   Travelling the country, he gave away his inheritance to those hungry and in need.  The most popular story he was known for involved him providing the dowry for 3 young women.  Their family was so poor they could barely put food on the table.  If a family could not afford dowry, in those days, a girls’ fate was grim. “Prostitution and slavery” were common outcomes. Saint Nicholas, as legend goes, knew of the girls’ potential fate and tossed 3 bags of gold down their chimney into their stockings that were hanging over the fireplace to dry.  Oh, happy day for that family! 

Here are a couple of other tidbits of information on Saint Nick:  “The name Santa Claus evolved from Nick’s Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas. The tradition of dressing up as Santa began around 1890, when the Salvation Army had unemployed men in costume collect donations to help pay for Christmas meals for the poor.

2. 2. Gift giving to children is said to have started with the legend of Babushka. Babushka was an elderly, Russian woman, who was visited by the 3 wise men, on their way to see the baby Jesus. They stopped to ask her for directions, as the star of Bethlehem was hidden behind the clouds.  She was also invited to go with them to worship baby Jesus and to bring him gifts. She declined, stating that she would wait until morning, when it was warmer.  When morning came, she could take it no more and continued for the rest of her days trying to find the Christ child. She never found him, but for every child she encountered, she gave a gift and a treat and has a special fondness towards babies.  
3. Decorating Christmas trees, “the German monk and famous religious reformer,” Martin Luther, is credited with this tradition.  Having gone for a walk at night, he saw stars shining brightly through a fir tree’s branches and was inspired to bring the tree home and adorn it with candles. He told his family that “it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas.” Others liked Martin Luther’s Christmas tree decorating idea from the 16^th Century.  It has been adopted and modified, ever since.   

The Christmas colors of red and green are significant.  Red symbolizes “the blood of Jesus shed during his crucifixion, while green symbolizes eternal life, and in particular the evergreen tree, which does not lose its leaves in the winter.”

4. Another tradition with Mexican origins, the poinsettia was a gift to the baby Jesus.  When it was first picked by Maria, a poor, Mexican girl and her brother, Pablo, the poinsettia was actually a weed.  They picked it off the side of the road, as it was all they could afford.  Other children made fun of their gift, but an angel encouraged them to carry the weeds to the manger.  Once they were placed, a transformation occurred.  Beautiful red leaves appeared, and a poinsettia was formed.  

5. Saint Francis of Assissi, during the 11^th century, is said to have popularized the Nativity scene display.      

The origin of today’s Christmas caroling traces its roots to the 14^thCentury, thanks to the priests from the St. Francis order. During the 17^th & 18^th Centuries, though, a person could have been charged with witchcraft, imprisoned, and possibly put to death, during the Puritan rule, as caroling was considered a pagan practice.   

6. The “Christmas Star” was a “new star seen in the sky,” one evening by shepherds. This “star was so radiant that its bright rays spread light as bright as day on the gray hills of Bethlehem.” Seeing “this strange, bright star,” the shepherds “were frightened of the unusual shine”.  An angel appeared and said to them, “Do not be afraid; the star has come to bring you good tidings of great joy and to show you the place, where a little baby is born—a little babe whose name is Jesus and who will give peace and joy to the whole world.” From there, the angel disappeared, and the shepherds went to see the baby Jesus. The Christmas Star was their guide. 

During the 19^th Century , the Christmas Star probably first appeared as a decoration, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made the custom of decorating the tree fashionable. Until that point, the U.S. citizens could not display a Christmas tree, as it was considered a pagan practice.

7. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer came about in 1939 and was created by Bob May, copywriter at Montgomery Ward.  At the time of his writing, his wife was suffering from cancer and was being treated at the hospital.  It is said that the inspiration for the story came from his 4-year old, daughter, who was sobbing and asked him why mom could never come home.  Bob, who could not afford a Christmas gift for his daughter, poured all of his energies and frustrations into this book that we now know as “Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer”.  His book sold nearly 6 million copies by 1946.  The song was written by his brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, and Gene Autry sang the original that sold over 2 million copies in 1949.  In 1964, Burl Ives narrated the TV story that has become a Christmas tradition for many of us.  The story has been translated into over 25 different languages.

This concludes our information session on Christmas legends and traditions.  “Merry Christmas to all and to all” a G’Day!