Monthly Archives: July 2006

How and when did Poinsettias become such a big part of Christmas?

Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was then the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, imported the first poinsettia plant from Mexico in 1828.  According to Encyclopedia Britannica:      In warm climates, the poinsettia grows outdoors as a winter-flowering leggy shrub about 3 … Continue reading

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What is a “Yule Log” and why is it found in the fireplace at Christmas?

"Yuletide" for "Christmastime" is a term derived from the Yule Log, according to "Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins," by William and Mary Morris. In the old days, the Yule log was used as the foundation of holiday fires. As … Continue reading

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More Christmas Traditions | Why hang Mistletoe?

There is so much history about mistletoe, that I will never be able to cover it all here but I will try to skim the surface then give you a reference in the end if you are interested in reading … Continue reading

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More Christmas traditons | Why drape holly over the mantel and staircase?

Mistletoe has been associated with many pagan rituals and apparently has been used as a decoration at Christmas time for many thousands of years. According to the book by Charles Panati, "Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things," the church forbade the … Continue reading

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Why decorate this “Christmas” tree with ornaments, lights, tinel, etc.?

The first store to even sell Christmas tree ornaments was Woolworths back in 1880. They caught on very quickly and were soon added to the candies and cakes previously hung by ribbon from the Victorian times. In the 16th century, … Continue reading

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Why do we have a small evergreen in our living room?

Setting up an evergreen tree in our great room at Christmas time is a German tradition which started as early as 700 AD. In the 1800′s the tradition of a Christmas tree was widespread in Germany, then it spread to … Continue reading

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Was Jesus really born on December 25th? Is that why we celebrate Christmas on that day?

Allegedly, no one really knows if Jesus was actually born exactly on December 25th. December is the winter solstice and what is known, is that some Christian leaders back in 336 C.E. set the date to December 25 in an … Continue reading

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Christmas Trivia | How did the tradition of gift giving at Christmas begin?

Gift giving has become a central focus of Christmas tradition, but it has not always been that way. The first record of gift giving, and hense the beginning of a new tradition, was when the Wise Men (Magi) brought gifts … Continue reading

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So what’s the big deal about Christmas?

According to Daniel Boorstin in his book "The Americans", Christmas was not such a big deal, in fact it was pretty much a "non-event" in the US until the 1860s. In 1867, Macy’s department store in New York City led … Continue reading

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