The Christmas season is made especially wonderful by the warm traditions that we enjoy and carry out year after year. You already know what it means when the Christmas countdown begins! It’s time to make a Christmas Wish List of the top 5 traditions that you’re going to miss when it’s all over. Check out these lists from across the globe, they’re sure to get your creativity flowing.
Here are the top 5 traditions of Christmas:
1. A HUGE FEAST FOR CHRISTMAS
Many families gather together to celebrate and enjoy a huge feast of food. Turkey, ham, and green beans are often served as these dishes have a lot of flavors that everyone can enjoy the Christmas day. Families may also serve other dishes such as cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie to share with others.
2. CAROL SINGING
The tradition of carol singing is celebrated with joy and warmth! The lyrics to Silent Night translate as Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright. These words celebrate the Christ child who was born into a world filled with joy, happiness, peace, and hope. This season of Christmas brings to mind being together with family and friends, and there is so much to celebrate this time of year. Singing carols helps to share these messages of hope with one another.
3. CHRISTMAS WREATH
A wreath is a circular, typically synthetic, ornament that hangs on a door, wall, or around a mirror. A wreath of Christmas also called a Christmas wreath, is traditionally a round woven frame with a center of evergreen leaves, sometimes topped with an ornament. The Christmas wreath symbolizes eternal life.
A wreath signifies joy and happiness, as well as provides protection and brings good luck. In ancient Rome, they were used to ward off evil spirits. The practice of putting up a wreath at Christmas time began with placing laurel leaves and evergreens in front of homes to symbolize life during winter. In the Northern hemisphere, they’re traditionally made of fir tree branches, while in the Southern hemisphere they’re made of eucalyptus. They were originally used to symbolize eternal life, but now they’re mainly used as Christmas decorations.
4. HANGING STOCKINGS
Around the holidays, there is a tradition to put up a stocking and fill it with treats. This tradition has been around for centuries. Around 200 years ago, children were taught to hang up their stockings as a symbol of hope that Santa would come and bring them presents.
The tradition of hanging stockings started during Christmastime and is still celebrated today. The stocking is typically placed over a fireplace or next to a Christmas tree with its contents often filled with candies, coins, or other small gifts. The stocking holder or hanger is sometimes accompanied by a Christmas ornament with a hole through the top where a string can be threaded. The name stocking comes from an old English word meaning to stuff and stockings were once filled with fruit, eggs, nuts, and other
Hanging stockings is a longstanding tradition that may have its roots in pagan winter celebrations. Some theorize that hanging stockings was a way to honor the Norse god Odin, who used a magical horse to travel from earth to heaven. During this annual journey, Odin would leave gifts of food and drink and other items by doors and windows, including at Christmas time.
As you can see, there are many explanations for this tradition. No matter its origins, it is now a popular way to celebrate Christmas.
5. SENDING CHRISTMAS CARDS AND E-CARDS
Christmas cards and e-cards may seem like they’re going the way of the dodo bird, but they’re still really popular. A recent survey found that over half of Americans still send Christmas cards to friends and family members.
For those who prefer to go digital, sending e-cards has become a popular option as well. No matter how you send them, Christmas cards and e-cards provide a sweet and simple way to celebrate the holidays. In Europe, some people send cards before Christmas Eve. In America, they’re sent before Christmas Day. Cards and e-cards can be used to convey sentiments such as Season’s Greetings, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Every year, millions of Christmas cards and e-cards make their way to loved ones from far and wide.
Have you ever wondered why this tradition is so prevalent? In a world where distance doesn’t matter and where we can video chat with people from all over, sending a card seems like a useless effort.
However, there are many benefits to this tradition that make it worth upholding:
- The fact that Christmas cards and e-cards serve as a visual representation of how much someone cares for can mean so much.
- Also, getting a card can serve as a reminder that someone is thinking of you, even if you haven’t talked to them in a while.
CONCLUSION
Every year at this time, we take a moment to reflect on the things that matter to us. As with any tradition, Christmas has its meanings and memories. Maybe it was the gifts you looked forward to all year, cooking with family and friends, or watching A Christmas Carol over and over again. And of course, some traditions were uniquely ours: maybe singing carols together or decorating the tree. As much as Christmas is rooted in tradition, it’s also evolving. But whatever it is you remember from Christmas past, one thing is certain: It was made with love.
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