Decorating our houses for the Christmas is a ritual that we all enjoy. This festive act provides us, our families, and our community with a joyful holiday spirit. But, have you ever wondered where this decorating tradition comes from?
When you think about it, tradition is a curious thing. As the society and cultures around us evolve, the original rationale for the practice becomes lost. This is especially true of Christmas customs. Many of these traditions have unknown or disputed beginnings, and each has multiple alternative origin myths. Decorating on Christmas is a pleasant family pastime in any case. With that in mind, let’s talk about how the traditions actually started.
The precise origin of the Christmas tree is a little hazy. Some argue, however, that this is a Christian interpretation of an old Pagan custom of decorating evergreen plants around the Winter Solstice. Nonetheless, we know that cutting down an evergreen tree and bringing it indoors may be traced back to 18th century Germany. In reality, it’s possible that this tradition dates back to the 16th century.
The use of lights to decorate for Christmas may be traced back to Yule which is a Norse celebration of the midwinter solstice. Drinking “Yule,” a type of liquor, while seeing the Yule log burning was part of the practice. The Yule logs were said to herald the return of the sun while warding off evil spirits. It has been suggested that this concept was built on and now reflects Jesus illuminating the darkness in Christian terms.
Origins of a number of Christmas traditions aren’t completely understood. Traditions that we follow now are the result of generations of human history.
