The Heartwarming Origin of Christmas Traditions
Charles Dickens famously taught us that Christmas isn’t just about celebrating the present and future, but also honoring the past. And at the end of a tough (putting it mildly) year, reflecting on some light-hearted historical traditions may offer a gleam of much-needed cheer.
The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree
The strongest bonds are forged during the most terrible of times. And London’s most famed Christmas decoration, the tree at Trafalgar Square, commemorates such a bond. Every year, Norway gifts Britain a magnificent (if sometimes not properly appreciated) tree as a thank you for the assistance Norway received during World War II.
(Left) By Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13814888
(Right) By Anneke_B - originally posted to Flickr as Norwegian Christmas Tree on Trafalgar Square, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6351381
This annual tradition began in 1947 when King Haakon VII sent over the inaugural gift of pine to thank Britain for offering sanctuary to Norwegian citizens, the government, and the king himself between 1940 and 1945.
The tree is generally a Norway spruce and carefully selected, often years in advance, from Oslomarka, the idyllic, densely pined region of forests surrounding Oslo. Only the largest, most majestic trees make the (literal) cut; the specimen chosen in 2016 was 95-years-old, more than 80-feet-tall, and nearly 9,000 pounds. No wonder that the foresters and locals always refer to the chosen one as the “Queen of the Forest.”
In typical Norwegian fashion, it’s ornamented with vertical strings of white, energy-efficient lights.
NORAD Santa Tracker
Every Christmas Eve, countless hopeful adults and children visit NORAD’s Santa Tracker to follow jolly old St. Nick on his journey around the globe. And it’s all thanks to an old typo in a Sears ad in a Colorado Springs newspaper.
By NORAD Public Affairs, Bob Jones - http://www.noradsanta.org/en/whytrack.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9004762
It was 1955 and America was in the midst of the Cold War. So when Col. Harry Shoup’s red telephone rang, the CONAD (precursor to NORAD) commander knew it was serious. After all, only he and one other military official (a four-star general at the Pentagon) knew the number.
But Shoup was surprised to hear a young caller on the other end, asking for Santa. Shoup initially took it as a prank and responded accordingly. But, hearing the caller break into tears, decided to play along as Santa.
After speaking to the child’s mom, Shoup learned that his ultra-secret number was printed in a Sears ad. It was a misprint, but it unleashed a deluge of excited young callers begging for Santa, and inadvertently birthed a beloved holiday tradition.
As an older gentleman, Shoup carried a locked briefcase. Full of top-secret content? Nope, it contained children’s letters to Santa. He is fittingly and fondly remembered as “the Santa Colonel.”
Mumming
Our final and most ancient tradition, known as “mumming,” proves that you don’t need to give expensive presents, buy opulent decorations, or even talk to have a good time. You just need good company and maybe a bit of drink. Oh, and ridiculous costumes:
By Aladjov - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9362527
By The Library of Congress - https://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/11586541373/, No restrictions, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53650859
Mumming originates in Rome, circa 400 BC, as part of the festivities of Saturnalia. Kind of a proto-Christmas, Saturnalia celebrated the coming new year and the god of agriculture, Saturn. And by celebrated, we mean of course that people ate too much, drank too freely, and sometimes made fools of themselves.
By Amudena Rutkowska - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57058695
The tradition later evolved in medieval Europe, where celebrants donned costumes and masks then visited neighbors to make merry, get silly, and play games. But they weren’t allowed to speak, only to make noises, such as “mmm,” which is where the term mumming (or mummering) comes into play, as well as the phrase “mum’s the word.”
The tradition (or a version of it) is still alive today and inspires parades and domestic tomfoolery across the world.