Every year, the Rockefeller Plaza puts up a huge Christmas tree after Thanksgiving to signal the start of the Christmas season. The tree is often a donated Norway Spruce that the organizers decorate with 30,000 lights and a Swarovksi Crystal star. Millions of people enjoy the spectacle whether in the streets of New York City or on TV where the lighting ceremony of the tree can be seen via NBC.

Going Green

In 2007, the organizers at Rockefeller decided to go eco-friendly so they used LEDs for the Christmas lights. LED lights require only a fraction of the energy needed by the 30,000 lights used by the huge tree every year. Aside from reducing the tree’s energy consumption from 3,510 to 1,297 kwH each day, Rockefeller Center also powered it with hundreds of solar panels, making the annual symbolic Christmas operation more energy efficient.

What happens to the tree after Christmas?

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is taken down on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. What makes the tree more meaningful, aside from symbolizing the holidays in New York City, is that it gets recycled for a good cause!

Building Homes with Habitat for Humanity

Rockefeller collaborated with Habitat for Humanity so that the huge Christmas tree can be made into lumber for their building projects.

The first Rockefeller tree that was donated to Habitat was used in Mississippi to build a house for a family after Hurricane Katrina left them homeless. The lumber from the Christmas trees that followed were used to build condominium complexes in New York and Connecticut.

The Rockefeller Christmas Tree is not only a display of New York’s love for Christmas, but also a meaningful message telling us that we can save energy and mother earth in every way possible.

The Gift of Trivia

Instead of letting your family and friends pick a gift with their name or number on it, give an easy holiday-related trivia question to each one. They should then find the gift under the Christmas tree that is labelled with the answer to the question. This way, each person will enjoy looking for their gift.

This is also a fun activity that stimulates the kids’ minds! They won’t be able to figure out what’s in store for them even if they shake the box because they have no idea which ones are theirs!

Go Gaga over a Gag Gift

Introduce a gag gift this year. Get something inexplicable, funny, or weird and pick a person you want to surprise with it. When that person receives that gift, he or she will be responsible to pass it on to someone else the next Christmas, just like a hot potato game.

Musical Chairs Gift Exchange

This activity is perfect if you have a lot of children at home. Invite some nephews and nieces over to join the fun! Have the kids sit in a circle and pass around the gifts you have wrapped for them. Once the music stops, each child can keep whatever gift they are holding. Now that is just even more exciting than just picking up a random number from a bag!

When people say that poinsettia is a flower, they may actually be referring to its red leaves that look like flower petals. These leathery leaves called “bracts” are usually seen in illustrations and make Christmas decorations even livelier. The poinsettia does have flowers but they are small and not striking enough to represent the Christmas plant.

History of the Poinsettia

The poinsettia was named after Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US Ambassador to Mexico and the one who introduced the plant to Americans in 1828. He discovered it in the Mexican countryside and sent plant cuttings to his home in South Carolina. By the 20^th century, it became a botanical staple during the holiday season. Americans celebrate both Dr. Poinsett and the plant on December 12, the National Poinsettia Day.

The poinsettia plant has a rich cultural history. It is said to have been used by the Aztecs to dye fabric and cure sickness. The plant supposedly symbolizes purity and was also used in religious rites because of its color. Moreover, Poinsettia also stands for the new life achieved by warriors who fight in battle.

The Chistmas Connection

The plant’s connection to Christmas is based from a Mexican legend about a poor girl who wanted to give a worthy gift to Mother Mary on Christmas Eve. One day, as she was going to Church, the girl met an angel who then instructed her to pick some weeds. She did what she was told despite her unwillingness to offer them to the Blessed Mother. As soon as the poor girl placed the common weeds on the altar of a small chapel, they bloomed and became red poinsettias. Because of this legend, the plant came to be known as “Flor de Nochebuena” or Christmas Eve Flower.

Rudolph, also known as the “Ninth Reindeer,” is the most popular among all the reindeers because of his red nose. He is often depicted as the lead reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh when they go out to deliver presents on Christmas Eve.

The red-nosed reindeer has always been a part of Christmas traditions—songs, movies, and animated TV shows. What many people don’t know, however, is that Rudolph was created and added to Santa’s reindeers only in the late 1930s. His first appearance was in a 1939 book published by Montgomery Ward and written by Robert L. May.

Creation

For many years, Montgomery Ward had given away coloring books to children as part of their marketing strategy.  In 1939, the store’s management approached May, who was working as a copywriter for the company, and tasked him to create a booklet that they can give to holiday shoppers.

Writing the Poem

May based Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on The Ugly Duckling and because he himself was often bullied and taunted as a child, he also drew from his own experience and memory of his shy childhood. He came up with several names before deciding on “Rudolph” with the help of his daughter.

May’s work was first given out during the holidays in 1939 and received positive reviews. The people simply loved the poem and 2.4 million copies of the book were distributed.

How Rudolph Became Santa’s Reindeer

One Christmas Eve, Santa Claus turned up at Rudolph’s home due to a heavy fog. Santa was worried that he might not be able to finish his entire trip, but when he saw Rudolph’s bright nose, he knew that the reindeer could help him by leading his sleigh. The flight was successful and Santa was very grateful to the little red-nosed reindeer. The poem ends with Santa saying to Rudolph, “By YOU last night’s journey was actually bossed. Without you, I’m certain we’d all have been lost!”

People use a variety of phrases to greet each other during the holidays. The following are just some of the most common greetings used by the public.

Happy Holidays

The holiday season is not exclusive to Christmas—it also includes New Year’s Day, Boxing Day, Thanksgiving, Epiphany, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Because a lot of feasts are celebrated during this time of year, people in the United States came up with “Happy Holidays” as a general greeting that covers these winter holidays.

“Happy Holidays” is the most common holiday greeting because it covers significant holidays in American culture. It was in the 1950s when “Happy Holidays” was used as a replacement of “Merry Christmas” and it was in the 1890s when it started being a common phrase to refer to the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas

“Merry Christmas” is often said when the person greeting knows that the receiver is Christian. “Merry” means jolly or happy and Christmas comes from the Old English term Crīstesmæsse or “Christ’s Mass.” This phrase has many variations:

• “Christ” can be replaced with “X” to make “Merry Christmas”, “Merry Xmas.” This greeting dates back to periods of early Christianity when the Greek spelling of “Christ” started with the Greek letter “χ” (Χριστος).
• “Happy Christmas” has the same meaning as “Merry Christmas” but this greeting is more commonly used in Ireland and United Kingdom.

“Merry Christmas” continues to be a popular greeting in countries that have a large number of adherents of the Christian faith. It’s also popular in Japan and China even though majority of their people are not Christians. This is because Christmas in these countries has become a tradition that resulted from the influence of Western culture.

Season’s Greetings

“Season’s Greetings” is commonly used as a winter season motto in advertisements and greeting cards than a spoken greeting. The word Season in this phrase refers to the Christmas season. Some people believe that using “Season’s Greetings” is an attack on the elements of the Christian faith imbued in Christmas. On the other hand, some use it to include the winter holidays like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. It’s also another way to greet someone who is not of the Christian faith.

A common misconception about the Twelve Days of Christmas is that it occurs before December 25, when in fact it actually pertains to the days after Christmas. It starts on December 26 and ends on January 6, which is the Feast of the Epiphany.

The carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” refers to this period and the meaning behind it has caused debates throughout the years. It is believed to secretly teach Catechism to people when Catholicism was illegal in England.

Here are the hypothetical symbols behind each day in the song:

Day 1: Partridge in a Pear Tree

In the old days, partridge was a mythological symbol of a divine king. In this song, the partridge in a pear tree is said to represent Jesus who died on the cross.

Day 2: Two Turtle Doves

These doves symbolize the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

Day 3: Three French Hens

The three French hens refer to faith, hope, and love as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” There are some who believe that the hens also represent the Holy Trinity–God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Day 4: Four Calling Birds

They represent the four Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Day 5: Five Golden Rings

This line symbolizes the Pentateuch, or the first five books in the Old Testament—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Day 6: Six Geese-a-Laying

This pertains to the “Creation” and the number of days it took God to create the world.

Day 7: Seven Swans a Swimming

The seven swans represent the seven spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit – wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe, right judgement, knowledge, courage, and reverence.

Day 8: Eight Maids a Milking

The eighth day is symbolic of the Eight Beatitudes:

• Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
• Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
• Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
• Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
• Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
• Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
• Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Day 9: Nine Ladies Dancing

The nine ladies dancing represent the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit as taught by the apostle Paul—love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Day 10: Ten Lords-a-Leaping

This line refers to the Ten Commandments in the 20^th Chapter of the Book of Exodus.

Day 11: Eleven Pipers Piping

This represents Jesus Christ’s eleven faithful followers—Simon Peter, James, Andrew, Philip, John, Matthew, Bartholomew, Thomas, Simon the Zealot, James bar Alphaeus and Judas bar James. Judas Iscariot is not included in this list because of his betrayal.

Day 12: Twelve Drummers Drumming

The twelve drummers drumming is a hidden message about the twelve points of the Apostle’s Creed.

Aside from these gifts, the term “true love” and “me” in the carol are also symbolisms. “True love” represents God while “me”, who is the person receiving the presents is actually the Christian man or woman who is receiving God’s love.

“Twelve Days of Christmas” is among the many Christmas carols that became popular over the years. The song made a mark because of its beautiful melody and interesting lyrics that are often tricky to memorize.

History

It is said that the famous Christmas carol was written when Christianity became illegal. From 1558 to 1829, it was considered a crime in England for people to practice their faith whether in public or in private. This was caused by King Henry VIII’s falling out with the Catholic Church, which was also the beginning of the Protestant movement in England.

In those days, people were prohibited from going to the Catholic Church and were ordered to worship in the Protestant Church that the King started. The decree against Catholicism was so strict that owning a Catholic Bible could lead to imprisonment. Although the punishments were severe, there were still many Catholics who secretly practiced the faith.

Hidden Meaning

Because it was dangerous for one to write something that explicitly described the Catholic religion, it is believed that the Twelve Days of Christmas was written with hidden meanings. Through the representations and symbolisms of this carol, children were able to learn more about Catholicism.

The line of the song that says “true love” represents God and “me (the receiver of the presents),” refers to the Christian who receives God’s graces. Meanwhile, the “12 days” pertains to the 12-day period, from Christmas Day until the Epiphany (January 6), which celebrates the visitation of the Magi or the Three Kings to the Baby Jesus.

Some sources say, however, that there is no evidence or documentation to prove these claims. They say that “Twelve Days of Christmas” might have just been a folk song and the meaning behind the lyrics may were added at a later time.

Whether or not this carol is a symbol of the Catholic faith, “Twelve Days of Christmas” remains to be an important composition that has become part of the Christmas culture.

Mumming is one of the oldest surviving Christmas customs in England. This English tradition started thousands of years ago and is still practiced not only in England but in other countries as well.

What is Mumming?

Mumming or “Mummers Plays” is a form of folk play loosely based on the legend of St. George and the dragon. Saint George was a Christian martyr who worked as a soldier for the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Legends say that he slayed a dragon and protected himself with the sign of the cross.

The Play

The characters are played by six (more or less) heavily disguised actors. They may vary but St. George is always the hero and fights the power of evil.

Although widely practiced in Europe, mumming is particularly famous in England, Ireland, and Scotland. This Christmas play aims to show the classic struggle between good and evil. The actors are called “mummers” or “guisers” and they usually perform in the streets but oftentimes, they do house-to-house visits.

History

This practice started thousands of years ago and had the elements of mythology, Christianity and British history. It was based on early sword dances that were derived from folk festivals of agricultural communities. Some sources say that they come from a ritual that was believed to include an actual sacrifice.

Mumming is also said to be an ancient pagan tradition where men and women exchange clothes and put on masks, then visit their neighbors. The mood becomes festive as they sing, dance and act a play, which usually had a silly plot. The drama had a narrator dressed as Father Christmas, a.k.a. Santa Claus.

In the Medieval period, mumming became an excuse to go around and beg for money. The custom became a bad practice and crimes were often committed through it. Because of this, King Henry VIII enacted a law declaring that those who wear masks would be imprisoned for 3 months. Mumming was modified as time passed and different types of entertainment were incorporated in the tradition.

In French, mumming means “masked” or “making diversion in disguise.” It is a combination of dance, music and sword fighting for scenes that involve the characters’ death and resurrection.

We celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day yet the Bible does not state that He was in fact born on December 25. Have you ever wondered why?

One early Christian tradition attributes this to the Annunciation; when the angel Gabriel revealed to the Virgin Mary that she will conceive and give birth to the Son of God. Since this event is celebrated on March 25, Christian authorities determined that the birth occurred nine months after, which is December 25.

According to another theory, December 25 was chosen because it was during this time of the year when the Winter Solstice and the “Saturnalia” were celebrated. Christian practices are believed to have originated from pagan rites and December 25 was when these ancient pagan festivals were observed.

In Jewish tradition, Hanukkah starts on the 25^th of Kislev. Kislev is the equivalent of December in the Jewish calendar and since Jesus Christ was a Jew, the Church chose December 25 to celebrate His birth.

Some Orthodox and Coptic Churches use the Julian and Gregorian Calendars so they celebrate Christmas in January even up to this day. However, since Saint Augustine used the Roman calendar, the countries that he evangelized celebrated Christmas on December 25. Saint Augustine was a missionary who introduced Christianity to the United Kingdom in the 6^th century and started the Christmas tradition there. From then on, Britain and the Western Europe commemorated the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25.

It was in 336 AD during the time of Constantine, the first Christian Roman Emperor, when Christmas was first known to be celebrated on December 25. After a few years, Pope Julius I declared December 25 as the birth date of Jesus Christ. From then on, the world has been celebrating Christmas on this special day of the year.

Every Christmas, not only do we hear bells ringing, we also see them as glistening ornaments for Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands.  Have you ever wondered about the story behind Christmas bells?

Bells are usually rung to announce the start of an activity or as a warning during difficult times. In church, they are used to gather people when mass is about to start. Bells are also tolled to usher in the holiday season and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

History tells us that the ringing of bells started as a pagan practice in ancient winter celebrations. In earlier times, people used them to produce loud noises and scare away evil spirits.

During the Victorian era, many people cannot afford musical instruments and so bells became the perfect alternative. Churchgoers then started to bring hand bells to play Christmas carols. They must have realized that the soft ringing blended beautifully with Christmas melodies!