Christmas Tree Traditions You May Not Know About

There are hundreds of Christmas traditions handed down from generation to generation, from culture to culture. Traditions like the Christmas tree in the living room the Christmas wreath on the door, the mistletoe hanging from the chandelier, gifts underneath the tree, stockings hanging above the fireplace and cookies left out for good ole St. Nick. The Christmas tree is the most popular tradition across all cultures.
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Austria and Germany the tops of evergreens were cut off and hung upside down in a corner of the living room. They would then decorate these evergreens with apples, nuts and strips of red paper. The fir tree decorated with apples represented the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Today, the Christmas tree or Tannenbaum in Germany is traditionally decorated secretly by the mother with lights, tinsel and ornaments. The rest of the family see it on Christmas Eve with cookies, nuts and gifts under its branches.
Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert brought the first Christmas tree to Windsor Castle in 1834 which started its popularity in England. This popularity crossed over to the United States and by 1850 it had become very fashionable in the eastern states.
Christmas trees are imported into Greenland because there aren’t any trees there; They decorate their trees with candles and bright ornaments.
The first outdoor Christmas tree decorated with electric lights was in the market square in the town of Pietarsaari, Finland in 1905.
Norwegians decorate their trees on Christmas Eve and then join hands and sing carols while walking around it. The tree is usually decorated by the parents while the children wait anxiously outside the room. After the tree is decorated a Norwegian ritual known as “circling the Christmas tree” is performed. The family joins hands around the tree and then walks around it singing Christmas carols. After this they exchange gifts.
Even in warm climates at Christmas the tradition of decorating trees exists. In Australia, Christmas is in the middle of the summer. Many Australians decorate Christmas bushes which are native plants with little red flowered leaves. In Brazil, pine trees are decorated with little pieces of cotton to represent falling snow.
Christmas trees in Sweden are decorated with stars, sunbursts and snowflakes made from straw. Spain has a fun tradition of playing a game called Catalonia in which a tree trunk is filled with goodies and the children hit the trunk, like the piñata is hit in Mexico, trying to knock out the goodies.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Hannukah is a Joyous Jewish Holiday Celebrated Close to Christmas

Hannukah is a Jewish holiday celebrated in December normally a week or so before the Christian holiday of Christmas. It is not one of the important religious holidays in the Jewish faith but it is a joyous holiday. It is often referred to as the “Festival of Lights”. It commemorates the physical and spiritual victory of the Jews over the Greeks more than 2150 years ago.

Jerusalem was conquered by Alexander the Great. When he died his empire was divided among the Greek rulers who then gained control of the Jewish land. They forced the Jews to adopt Greek dress and customs to establish conformity in religious and political practices. They even changed the Temple in Jerusalem which was the national house of worship to a temple to the Greek god, Zeus.

Mattathias was a Jewish priest who began a revolution when he refused to worship the Greek gods. His sons joined him and later his son Judah Macabee led a small group of soldiers and conquered the temple. They were able to eventually drive the Greeks right out of Jerusalem.
After the temple was conquered it was rededicated and it is said that a miracle occurred at this ceremony. Hannukah means rededication in Hebrew. They had to reconsecrate the temple because of the offensive practices that the Greeks had performed there. They had to relight the eternal flame on the Menorah. The Jews only used sacred olive oil for the eternal flame and were only able to find enough for one day. It took eight days to make more sacred oil. The miracle occurred when the one day supply of oil lasted the entire eight days. This is why Hannukah or “Festival of Lights” is a Jewish holiday that lasts eight nights and candles are lit every night. Hanukkah is a festive time for gathering and celebrating with friends and family.

The menorah is a candlelabra which is used for Hannukah celebrations. It has nine candles – one for each of the eight nights and the ninth is called the shamash which means servant and it is the candle used to light the others. The shamash is placed in the middle and at a different height from the others. Candles are lit from left to right. Families and friends gather at dusk to light the menorah every night during Hannukah and sing blessings as the candles are lit. Small gifts are exchanged each night and games are played. The most popular game is played using the dreidel which is a spinning top with four sides. Favorite foods are fried because of the meaning of oil to the holiday. Potato pancakes fried in oil called latkes are typically served.

Some people think the Hannukah celebration is something like the Jewish Christmas.The blue and white colors of Hanukah are marketed more heavily each year. Many Christmas wreath companies offer Christmas wreaths and Christmas centerpieces with the blue, white and silver colors of Hannukah. Both Hannukah and Christmas are joyous celebrations for Christians and Jews and even though they have separate religious meanings it’s nice that mixed families can celebrate their holidays in the same joyous manner.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

How Did Red and Green Become the Colors of Christmas

The main colors of Christmas are red and green. Did you ever wonder why this is? The association of red and green with Christmas is worldwide. One can speculate and come up with lots of ideas about when and why these colors were first associated with Christmas.
Green comes from evergreens which have been used since ancient times to celebrate the winter solstice. In the early days of the Roman Catholic Church when the pagan rituals of the winter solstice were merged into the celebration of Christ’s birth evergreens continued to be used. In winter solstice celebrations evergreens symbolized life that survived through the long, dark winters. The Christians thought of green as symbolizing the hope for eternal life that Jesus offers.

A commonly accepted explanation for the use of red and green is based on a historical fact. Back in the 1300’s Adam and Eve’s day was celebrated on Christmas Eve. Churches in those days presented a lot of plays because most people were illiterate. The plays were focused on religious stories of importance to the church and were called miracle plays. On Adam and Eve’s day the play was called the paradise play and portrayed what happened in the garden of eden. There wasn’t an apple tree available in the winter so they made one by tying apples to a pine tree and it served as the tree that bore the forbidden fruit. This pine tree with the red apples eventually became a tradition in all churches and was used in their Christmas celebrations every year.
The tree became known as the Paradise Tree and soon people began erecting pine trees in their own homes during the holiday season decorated with red apples. This began the tradition of Christmas trees and the most popular explanation for the use of the colors of red and green for the holidays.

Another explanation is that green symbolizes the hope Jesus gave us through his sacrifice and is the color of evergreens which stay alive all year. Red is said to symbolize the blood of Christ in this explanation. The blood was shed by Jesus so that people could be saved and when combined with green it expresses the hope of our redemption through Christ sacrifice.

Holly is a popular Christmas decoration because it combines the color of green in its leaves with the red of its berries. Traditional Christmas wreaths have always been decorated with red bows and red berries. Santa Claus has always had a red costume and Rudolph the Reindeer has always had a red nose. These colors are here to stay and will always represent the holidays in most peoples minds.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Put More Meaning In Christmas This Year

Christmas has become so commercialized that many people spend little time thinking about the true meaning of Christmas. It is the happiest time of year for Christians celebrating the birth of Christ. Our children’s excitement is focused on Santa Claus and what presents they are going to get. Adults are in a frenzy deciding upon who to give to and what to buy, buying the presents, decorating the house and planning holiday events. Multitasking is the norm today and during the holiday season the tasks pile on. The additional work required to perform all the tasks to get ready for Christmas oftentimes make it difficult to enjoy the holidays. Let alone to experience the true meaning of Christmas.

Celebrations in families who try to focus on the true meaning of the holidays begin on the first Sunday of Advent. Special prayers are said at the dinner table each evening of Advent while lighting a candle on the advent wreath. The family starts to prepare for the coming of Jesus on Christmas day.

Strong religious conviction and practices like going to church and saying prayers are not required to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Yes, it is about Christ’s birth but it’s also about the principles that Christ espoused that make us better human beings and better members of our communities. Think about those things that you can do to make other peoples lives better.
Giving is important during the holiday season. Our focus is on giving to our friends and family. It’s also important to give to those less fortunate. Buy gifts and drop them off at your local homeless center. Give to toys for tots. Participate in local food drives to build up the quantities of food needed to help those in need throughout the winter.

Show you care by visiting nursing homes and children’s hospitals, the sick and the elderly. Give them the gift of your time. Sing Christmas carols. Bake Christmas cookies and take to new neighbors or elderly neighbors.

Volunteer to serve a meal at a homeless center or take Christmas dinner fixings to someone less fortunate. Help local community service groups deliver food and toys to families in need. Help sell Christmas trees and Christmas wreaths to raise money for non-profit community agencies.
Oh yee of little faith can spread the joy of the holiday season by adopting these virtues and practicing them. Our focus is on our family and friends but to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas is to give, share and serve your community as well as your family and friends.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Christmas in July Around the World

In the United States Christmas in July is used as a marketing tool but there are Christmas related celebrations and festivals going on in other parts of the world. In the southern climates where the cold months are in July many countries celebrate Christmas in July. The celebration in Australia revolves mainly around Christmas dinner. It is too hot on Christmas day in December in Australia for the traditional heavy foods eaten at Christmas dinners. Many Australians have the traditional Christmas feast in July. The dinner is accompanied with decorations like Christmas centerpieces and Christmas candles. Gifts are not usually given at these celebrations. Many restaurants have special Christmas in July menus for patrons and catered events. Many companies find it to be a more relaxed time to host their company parties away from all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season in December.


Ski resorts in Australia all have special events for Christmas in July as it is their peak season. Christmas decorations are put up and snowmen are built. Santa Claus is seen skiing down the slopes. Dinners of roast ham, turkey and mince pies with plum pudding and all the traditional holiday libations like eggnog are enjoyed. In Antarctica, at McMurdo Station, Christmas in July has been celebrated for many years. Planes were not able to land due to high winds and bad weather so deliveries would be parachuted down to the ice. This started the Christmas in July celebration as it reminded people of presents falling from the sky by Old Saint Nicholas.


A festival is celebrated every July in Copenhagen as it is the site of the annual World Santa Claus Congress. Christmas in July is celebrated in Copenhagen Denmark at Bakken. Bakken is a popular amusement park located in a scenic area close to Copenhagent. Bakken organizes the Congress along with Santa Claus of Greenland. Santa Claus of Greenland is the only organization that authorizes Santa Clauses. Many of these real Santas numbering in the hundreds participate in this festival every year. They come from all over the world. They participate in parades. They go to the beach for an annual beach paddle. It’s quite amusing to see all these Santas at the beach. The Santa of the year is named and many issues are discussed like what is Santas true homeland, what size presents should be given and when Christmas eve should be celebrated. There are belly shaking chuckle competitions. Of course, many Mrs. Clauses and elves also attend. It’s a fun event and the only time these Santa Clauses can meet.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.

Advent Calendar History and Tradition

Advent calendars were first used in the 19th century by protestants in Germany who simply made chalk lines on a door or other surface to count down the days until Christmas.
The first printed advent calendar was made by Gerhard Lang in Germany in 1908. His mother made him a simple advent calendar when he was a child to count down the days until Christmas. She put 24 small pieces of candy on a piece of cardboard. Each day Gerhard would take a piece of candy. The first calendar he produced did not have windows. It had colored pictures attached to a piece of cardboard for each day of advent. Later, little doors were added to open each day for a religious picture or verse or a piece of candy.

The german advent calendars were not produced during World War II because of rationing of cardboard. In 1946. Richard Sellmer started producing the advent calendars again in Germany. He had to receive a printing license from the U.S. Military and the paper he used had to be purchased in the U.S. military zone. These calendars were made by hand in those days. The advent calendars started selling in the United States in 1950 and became very popular.
Sellmer’s first advent calendar was called “The Little Town”. The calendar had pictures of many buildings in the town and you would open the windows and the doors to find nice things underneath for each day of advent. They also produced a very popular lamp shade advent calendar that would fit any lamp and would revolve under heat with 24 windows to open. A Carols Calendar was created with a carol for each day of advent. In 1954 they produced the White House calendar with the scenery of the White House in Washington. They then produced many varieties of pull out advent calendars.

Today, the most typical advent calendar is printed on cardboard with twenty four small doors. These calendars have many themes from religious ones with Mary and Joseph traveling to the stable, nativity scenes, church scenes, Bethlehem, winter wonderland and many more. A Santa stocking advent calendar offers a different idea. The stocking has a picture of a Christmas tree on it and you hang an ornament on the tree on each day of Advent. Fontanini makes a magnetic advent calendar that can be put on the refrigerator. Different figures from the nativity scene are placed on the refrigerator each day. There is even a garden lovers advent calendar collages with a beautiful painting of a flower in each window.

Celebrating advent with an advent calendar is a wonderful way to prepare for Christmas with children. The tradition of advent calendars and advent wreaths combine to add more meaning to Christmas for families everywhere.

Lynn Jebbia is the owner of Acadia Wreath Company. Acadia Wreath Company, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, handcrafts fresh Maine balsam fir Christmas wreaths, Christmas Centerpieces and Kissing Balls which are shipped directly to customers and corporate clients throughout the United States.