By Jacqueline Kelly –
The moment the month of December arrives, the countdown for Christmas begins, because Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.
As Christmas is in the air and the magic spread’s joy and cheer all over, it is time for traditions, family and friends. And without these Christmas would lose its essence.
While some traditions are recent, many are centuries old. Christmas traditions have derived from different places over the world. The decorations, traditions and symbols help us remember and ponder on the life of JESUS CHRIST.
We probe into the mystery and history behind some of the most popular Christmas traditions.
MIDNIGHT MASS
Christmas Eve is a big event for religious reasons. Midnight Mass and day services are held in Churches during the eve and the day of Christmas. The message and sermons of love and redemption are given out. People gather to pray and thank God for His sacrifices that have saved mankind.
Testimony reveals that the Church Fathers claimed December 25 as the Birthday of Jesus Christ prior to the conversion of Constantine and the Roman Empire. The earliest record of this is that Pope Saint Telesphorus [reigned A.D. 126-137] instituted the tradition of Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
CHRISTMAS CRIB – THE NATIVITY SCENE
The Crib or the whole Nativity set is a central symbol of the Christmas event.
The Manger scene teaches something about what is truly important. The centre is Christ. The Christ child is surrounded by loving parents. The greatest gift a man can give his children is to love their mother. The greatest thing a mother can give her children is to love their father. The love of Mary and Joseph is the only treasure the Christ child has. Being born in poverty, simplicity and humility is God’s way of speaking to us about what is truly important. Because Jesus is with us, through a family at Christmas, we get a glimpse of the Christian perspective on the family.
A crèche or Christmas crib, is a replica of the Nativity scene; the stable where Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It usually includes a manger with figurines of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the three wise men, shepherds, sheep and other animals.
Since antiquity, the custom of building cribs in the home was widely promoted by Saint Francis of Assisi on Christmas Eve in 1224 outside his Church in the forest near the Greccio monastery in Italy. He used real people and animals to recreate the Nativity scene. He recited the Christmas Gospel and started this tradition in Italy.
There is a story of a miracle surrounding this, it is said that when he made the crib, a live baby miraculously appeared. Through this, he showed people that Jesus was born poor, homeless, without even a bed of His own.
A crib at home can act as a reminder of the real meaning of Christmas. The crib scene marks Jesus’ birth into homes and therefore commands reverence and respect. Families individually create the crib scene and so does the local Church. Children play a significant role, as it is an occasion for the members of the family to come into contact with the mystery of Christmas, as they gather to pray or to read the Biblical accounts of the Lord’s birth.
Nativity scenes which is the heart of traditional Christmas celebrations in homes and Churches, spread all over Europe, being adapted differently by each culture. Some countries developed a fine art of wood carving to create beautiful scenes. Some cities to this day create large spectacles, dramatizing the holy time and place in Bethlehem. The custom of the crib was brought to the United States by Moravian settlers. It is found mainly in Catholic countries, but has spread to more Protestant countries.
Outside St. Peter’s Church, 150 nativity scenes from the last two centuries can be seen daily from November 24 to December 15.
Vienna is the site of a major crib exhibition.
These Austrian cribs are made of wood, china, paper and stone and are exhibited along with cribs from other Alpine countries as well as Sri Lanka and Israel. In the Steyr [Austria] Municipal Museum, the Posmesser crèche first created in 1930 by Ferdinand Posmesser, is one of the largest in the world with 778 figures.
When one views a typical nativity scene, or crèche, it is obvious that it can often be the culmination of three different art forms.
First, you have the characters. These can be carved from wood, formed from wax, papier-mache, clay or hand painted on cardboard.
Next, you have the buildings. These range from Alpine stables and guest houses to Roman ruins. Others have oriental style structures with minarets and domes.
The third art form found in many cribs is a painted background. Indeed, some artists have achieved fame in painting these scenes. Some show pastoral hillsides and others are a continuation of the buildings in an imagined city of Bethlehem.
CHRISTMAS CARDS
Christmas is essentially a religious festival, so it follows that all cards sent out for the occasion should therefore promote the festive spirit. The Christmas Card is used as a token of goodwill in picture and text.
Christmas time is the busiest time for the post office, millions of cards are mailed every year. The custom likely began in England, where school children away from home would send greetings to their parents in their very best handwriting, creating elaborate, handmade cards. This was to assure them of their progress in school, and remind them that gift-giving time was round the corner.
Adults also wrote Christmas letters to each other, but this could be very time consuming. The printed Christmas card solved the problem.
In 1843, Sir Henry Colein, not having enough time to write letters to each of his relatives, asked an artist, John Calcott Horsley, to design a card for him. About 1000 of these cards were printed, and those Sir Henry didn’t use were sold by the printer for a shilling. This was not cheap, which maybe why they did not sell very well.
The first company to print and sell Christmas cards on a large scale was Charles Goodall and Sons of London in 1862. Richard H. Pease, a Printer from Albany, New York, is credited with sending the first specially printed Christmas card in America, in 1851.
The tradition of sending paper greeting cards in a stamped envelope is being replaced by other ways of connecting in many households, often with an electronic card.
The experience of opening a Christmas card sent to your mailbox is very different from an electronic message waiting in your inbox. Society is changing with the times and we have to change and adapt with the digital technology.
The traditional way of picking up a greeting card by visiting a store and then dropping it into a post office is slowly dying. There are some websites and Apps which simplified the process even further by letting you customize your card and even posting it for you. Social media and ecards are gaining momentum. Whilst greeting cards are costly, ecards, texts and social media platforms are free.
Today, many of us use social media network to stay in contact with our loved ones and it makes it easier for us to do so but it can often take away the personal touch. A physical card is still a wonderful way to make someone feel special, cared for and thought of, and not in a fleeting way like with electronic communication or social media. Digital communication may make our lives easier in many ways but physical cards are still very much in demand.
Regardless of the digital age, one thing is clear is that many people today are now eco-conscious and they want products that do not harm Mother Earth. While some people prefer to send ecards, emails and texts, many will only purchase recycled paper and greeting cards.
Greeting cards offer something that electronic communication and social media sites cannot – the real personal touch on a real product.
Do You know?
1881 – The Christmas Letter Mission in England sent 300,000 Christmas cards to people in workhouses, prisons and hospitals. Each envelope was marked “A Christmas Letter for You” and was put on the pillow by one of the staff after dark on Christmas Eve.
1932 – First royal Christmas message was broadcast on the radio by King George V.
1956 – First royal Christmas message was broadcast on television by Queen Elizabeth II.