Christmas:customs and traditions Christmas: customs and traditions Christmas: c cc customs and traditions

The colours most closely associated with the Christmas season are: redwhitegreen red, white and green. Colours of Christmas Colours of Christmas Some say that this is because of the red and green plants of wintertime contrasting with the white snow.

Red love means love and reflects our warmth and love for each other. It is also the colour that is considered the greatest excitement greatest excitement. fire, As a religious symbol it stands for fire, blood, and charity blood, and charity. holly berriespoinsettias The holly berries and poinsettias are two winter plants traditionally used as Christmas decorations.

Green hopeeternal means hope and the eternal longing for spring longing for spring and all the promises of the future. Green Green is the symbol for nature, youth, and the hope of eternal life. Christmas Christmas is a feast of hope, central with a newborn child as its central symbol symbol.

White means purity and is represented by the crystalline form of water and the snowflake. White is the religious symbol which stands light, purity, joy and glory. for light, purity, joy and glory. White is seen in the robes of Christmas angels, and in Santas beard, as well as in Christmas snow and snow flakes.

The old man with the sack 'Father Christmas' 'Father Christmas' (or 'Santa Claus') has become the human face of Christmas. Pictures will be seen everywhere of the old man with long white beard, red coat, and bag of toys. Children are taught that he brings them presents the night before Christmas and many children up to the age of 7 or 8 really believe this is true.

The old man with the sack reindeer. In most countries, it is said that he lives near the North Pole, and arrives through the sky on a sledge pulled by reindeer. down He comes into houses down the chimney the chimney at midnight and places presents for the children socks or bags in socks or bags by their beds or in front of the family Christmas tree.

The old man with the sack In shops or at children's parties, someone will dress up as Father Christmas and give small presents to children, or ask them what gifts they want for Christmas. Christmas can be a time of magic and excitement for children.

Who was he? Father Christmas is based on a real person. St. Nicholas, which explains his other name 'Santa Claus. It is said that one day, he climbed the roof of a house and dropped a purse of money down the chimney. It landed in the stocking which a girl had put to dry by the fire! Nicholas was a Christian leader from Myra (in modern-day Turkey) in the 4th century AD. He was very shy, and wanted to give money to poor people without them knowing about it.

The Christmas Tree The Christmas Tree originated in Germany in the 16th century. It was common for the Germanic people to decorate fir trees, both inside and out, with roses, apples, and colored paper. Martin Luther with candles It is believed that Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer, was the first to light a Christmas tree with candles.

While coming home one dark winter's night near Christmas, he was struck with the beauty of the starlight shining through the branches of a small fir tree outside his home. He attached candles to the branches of his indoor Christmas tree. The Christmas tree was not widely used in Britain until the 19th century. It was brought to America by the Pennsylvania Germans in the 1820's.

Stockings Stockings Legend says that Saint Nicholas loved to give gifts. dowryMany years ago, Saint Nicholas heard of a poor, widowed man who had three unmarried daughters. This man had hardly enough money for food and clothing for his daughters. In those days if a woman did not have a dowry her chances of marriage were not good. a lump of goldSaint Nicholas was traveling through their village and overheard some of the villagers talking about this man's troubles. The oldest daughter had hung her stockings to dry by the fireplace one evening and the next morning she found a lump of gold in one. No one knew where this money came from, but she now had a dowry and could marry. Shortly after, gold was found in each of the other sister's stockings.

Boxing Day 'Boxing Day'. In English-speaking countries, the day following Christmas Day is called 'Boxing Day'. This word comes from the custom which started in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago: churches would open their 'alms boxe' (boxes in which people had placed gifts of money) and distribute the contents to poor people in the neighbourhood on the day after Christmas.

The Candy Cane Candies have been associated with the holiday season since bakers began experimenting with sugar and chocolate centuries ago. There is more than one legend telling the beginning of the candy cane. Some say they first appeared in the 17th century as white sugar sticks and another credits a candymaker from Indiana at the turn of the 20th century. No one knows for sure when candy canes became red and white striped, or when they were first shaped to resemble a cane, but they are now a part of our Christmas history.