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A Brief History of Christmas Traditions
December 10th, 2021 |
Did you know many of our Christmas traditions come from different cultures and different ages. Historic Bethlehem is the Christmas City since 1937, but let us learn about the origins of favorite traditions. As winter solstice approached, it was dark and cold, and many wondered, “Would spring and summer ever come again?” Our ancestors used cultural traditions to celebrate and pass this often difficult time of year.
In the Norse tradition of Yule, a huge log was brought to the community. It would burn for 12 days while revelers feasted. Much of the livestock was slaughtered and the meat provided fresh food during the harsh winter. The remaining meat was dried to provide food for the remainder of the sparse winter.
Evergreens
The Norsemen brought evergreen boughs inside to decorate during the feasting of Yule. Evergreens were used for decorations since they stay green all year round and are were a reminder that life continues and spring will come again.
Children
In ancient Rome during the winter solstice there was a celebration known as Juvenalia which was a special celebration for children. This brought us celebrations centering on children, who would later be a focus of the Christmas holiday.
The Date
During the early years of Christianity, the primary focus of the Church was on the resurrection of Christ. It was not until the 4th century that the Church started to celebrate the birth of Christ. It was at that time that church officials fixed the date of Jesus’ birth as December 25.
“Christmas” comes from the era of the great cathedrals during the Middle Ages – the Roman Catholic Church celebrated “Christ’s Mass” which later became Christmas.
But in the Dutch settlements of New York, St. Nicholas Day was celebrated on December 6. St. Nicholas was a bishop who brought gifts to good children. Today many families still celebrate this special day.
Christmas Tree
The Christmas Tree came from a German tradition in the 1600s. In 1841 the formerly German, Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, introduced this practice in England. The Victorian era helped to popularize many of our modern Christmas traditions.
The first Christmas tree in our country was right here in Bethlehem – in the 1741 Gemeinhaus. According to research by Winterthur Museum, the first Christmas tree was in the Saal of the Gemeinhaus during the Christmas of 1747. This year Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites will have 27 cinematic themed trees decorate throughout five historic sites.
Christmas Was Once Banned
In New England in the early days of our country, celebrating Christmas was banned by the Puritans, because it was seen as too frivolous and contrary to their principles of sobriety and hard work – not to mention its pagan origins. This prohibition didn’t last long though and was repealed by 1681.
Light and Candles
The significance of giving light to the darkness of winter, the candle in the window – lighting the way for the Christ child is a time-honored tradition. Each year, Central Moravian Church makes thousands of beeswax candles with red frills for the season. You can see many homes with electric candles in the windows throughout the season on the Christmas City Stroll tour or the Bethlehem by Night tour.
Modern Christmas
Much of what we think of today as Christmas comes from the time period of the 1800s, especially influenced by several writers: Washington Irving in his “Brace Bridge Hall” stories, Charles Dickens in “A Christmas Carol”, and Clement Moore who wrote “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”
Santa Claus
Until the 1860s, Santa came in all shapes and sizes. The cartoonist Thomas Nast portrayed him as a jolly, round person. Santa soon began appearing in stores in the late 1800s.
Cards
The first Christmas card was printed in England in 1843, but a Boston lithographer is credited with producing the first commercial Christmas cards in the late 1800s.
While so many of us hang these decorations on our porches today, this object began as a geometry assignment in a boys’ boarding school in Niesky Germany in 1850. The colors were red and white. Since there was no electricity, the stars were lit by oil lamps. Today you can see electrically light Moravian stars year-round on porches throughout the Lehigh Valley.
The Christmas City
This year, Bethlehem is celebrating its 84th anniversary of being known as The Christmas City, thanks to Vernon Melhado, who was president of the Chamber of Commerce in the 1930s.
Putz Displays
1937 was the first year for the community Putz. It started in the Chamber office that Christmas, was later moved to Hotel Bethlehem, then in 1940 was located in the Christian Education Building of Central Moravian Church and has been there ever since. The idea of a putz dates to the Crusades and the Dark Ages as a way of depicting the Christmas story.
The Star on South Mountain
Also erected in the 1930s and can be seen from twenty miles away, this local icon has seen several incarnations and is supported by steel made at the Bethlehem Steel.
Wartime Christmas
After war broke out in Europe, stores like F. W. Woolworth had to find other manufacturers not in Germany or Japan for ornaments. Corning Glass Company worked with Woolworth to make and supply the needed items. The war in Europe also interrupted the flow of imported toys and specialty items like perfume from France. The consumption of vermouth had reached record levels, and most had been imported from France and Italy; this proved to be a boon to local California producers when the imported stocks were depleted.
Store Santas
Since most families had no television set in the post-war years, there were no Saturday morning cartoons to advertise children’s toys. Instead, parents would take their children to the local department stores to see Santa and look at all the marvelous toys in Toyland and choose what they wanted for Christmas.
Hess Brothers had a Santa and Toyland on the third floor of its Allentown store. Children could take a ride on the Hess Brothers Streamliner through Summerland with its mountains and scenery through a tunnel into winter land which was snowy and moonlit. Today you can do much of your shopping online. If you’re looking for a special Moravian dessert, be sure to visit Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites online store.
What are your favorite holiday traditions? If you’re looking to make a new tradition this year, be sure to see the activities and tours available in Christmas City, USA this year.
