Case 001:
The Myth of Mistletoe
One of the most endearing of Christmas practices is kissing under the mistletoe. When it came to be a Christian thing is difficult to say but it was much more likely an excuse for the pleasure of lips meeting than to celebrate any real meaning behind the ritual!
Mistletoe itself is an interesting plant – its very nature fascinated ancient cultures like the Celtic Druids. It is parasitic, often found living on trees and, as the Celtic people revered trees, anything found on or attached to them was considered a gift from the heavens. The Celts believed mistletoe held the soul of the tree, and so perhaps linked the berry plant to fertility and the birth of new life. Which may be why Greek and other European cultures considered kissing under mistletoe a good thing during primitive marriage rituals…
The Scandinavians, however, trace back their reasons for smooching under the berry branch to an ancient myth of Norse gods – the myth of Baldur. A Norse goddess, Frigga, gave birth to Baldur and out of her love for him made everything living and inanimate promise never to hurt her son. However, she overlooked mistletoe, which Loki, the god of mischief, noticed. One day the gods were testing Baldur’s ability to withstand anything thrown at him when Loki came by and convinced Baldur’s blind brother, Hoder, to throw a spear made from mistletoe. The spear pierced Baldur and killed him instantly. All the gods and plants mourned the loss of his life, and Frigga wouldn’t stop crying until the gods restored him to life. When people came to see Baldur, and congratulate Frigga, she kissed them under the mistletoe to show her gratitude – saying that the plant should no more be associated with death, but love and life.
Case 002:
Christmas Carolling
Carolling, unlike many other Christmas traditions, does have a decidedly more Christian history. As early as the 1400s wandering religious minstrels would busk to collect money for the poor and needy. Soon groups of singers gathered to bring festive cheer to others while collecting money and food for those less fortunate. The practice still continues today in many countries and often more formal carol concerts, sometimes in candlelight, raise money for charitable causes.
Case 003:
Wrapping Wreaths
Wreaths can be traced back to a pre-Christian Germanic people who celebrated the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year) by lighting bonfires and gathering evergreen wreaths as a sign of the upcoming spring and new life. Eventually Christians adopted the wreath as a symbol of eternity and everlasting life. Advent wreaths differ from those of Christmas by often accompanying five candles – which can be traced to the ancient Swedish tradition of ritually wearing a crown of candles in a wreath in winter to invoke the power of the sun as the life-giving source for the forthcoming spring and summer.
Case 004:
Mince Pies and Mulled Wine
Certainly in northern countries in the depths of winter, Santa’s season wouldn’t be the same without a blazing fire, the aroma of mulled wine wafting from a decanter and a high pile of warm mince pies on the hearth. Those in the south might prefer lounging on the beach in the sun’s rays dreaming about the spicy sweetness of the Christmas confections. Yet mince pies were not always the sugary little things we now know and delight in. Traditionally they were what they sound like – pastries of real mincemeat. The practice of adding spices to the meat was a tribute to the three wise men that brought gifts to baby Jesus; some say the pies were originally made in the shape of cradles to remind people of the heavenly babe. Fruit was often added to eke out the meat which was usually quite expensive and perhaps not commonly affordable. Eventually the recipe changed, and now most mince pies contain no meat, just shortcrust pastry and a mixture of fruits, nuts, spices and suet (raw beef fat from around the kidney and loins of the animal).
Mulled wine is most likely derived from the traditional Gluhwein, a German mixture of spices and hot red wine. Sometimes honey is added to make it sweeter. You’ll get no prizes for guessing why the wine was heated, but now the drink is common in many stalls during chilly Christmas fairs in Germany, as well as being one of the marks of Yuletide around the world.
Case 005:
Tall Trees
Although kissing under the mistletoe has become a Yuletide fixture, the most recognizable symbol of Christmas must be the tree. Christmas trees are traditionally evergreens like fir trees (or, nowadays, plastic fabrications, in which case they really are ever green!) to symbolize enduring life. In pre-Christian times the evergreen was worshiped, and sometimes taken into the home at year’s end to bring luck and fortune in the year ahead. This custom was, of course, usually practised in winter when most other flora appeared dead.
Its adoption for our Christmas festivities might be linked to the story of a Christian emissary visiting pagans in Germany and about to witness a human sacrifice to an oak tree. The emissary tried to convince the pagans to abandon the ritual, but they wouldn’t listen. In a bid to stop them, he chopped down the oak tree. In its place, a small fir tree appeared, which the emissary proclaimed a miracle of Christ. Supposedly, since then Christians have used the evergreen as a symbol of Christ’s birthday. Decorating trees with baubles and other Christmassy glitz most likely started with the practice of adorning trees in the house with fruit, mainly apples, and flowers. |
