The history of Christmas traditions has many varied customs practiced in different locales including DeKalb County, Smithville, Tennessee.  Throughout times and seasons, these customary traditions have followed us throughout our lives and our memories, and thus, our family Christmases.  “The following is a look at several ways Americans have celebrated the Christmas season from singing songs and reciting poems to decorating trees and swapping cookies to drinking eggnog and wearing ugly sweaters,” wrote Leslie Kennedy of www.history.com.  They include:

·     CHRISTMAS TREES:  Decorated trees date back to Germany in the Middle Ages with Germany and other European settlers popularizing Christmas trees in America by the early 19th century.  Seventy-seven percent of U.S. households have a Christmas tree in their home.  Of these, 81% are artificial trees and 19% are live trees.

·     THE ROCKETTES:  In 1934, the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes began kicking up their heels in New York City.

·     A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS:  First aired on television on December 9, 1965.  Almost half of all U.S. television sets were tuned to the broadcast.

·     ELF ON THE SHELF:  Some of the earliest Christmas cards were morbid and creepy; St. Nicholas was a true Christian monk; In medieval times, Christmas was celebrated for days and months.

·     YULE LOG:  They were part of an ancient winter solstice celebration.  Today, videos of the burning log carried on televisions have become prime, must-see T.V.

·     ADVENT CANDLES:    Early versions of this tradition, begun in Germany in 1903 by publisher Gerhard Land, offered a way for children to count down the days until Christmas by opening a “door” or “window” a day to reveal a Bible passage, poem, or small gift.  It gained mass popularity by 1920.

·     GINGERBREAD HOUSES:  The German’s started the gingerbread house tradition.  Today, the edible decorations are available in a slew of pre-packaged kits.

·     THE NUTCRACKER:  It is a ballet.  It premiered December 18, 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia; in England, 1934; and the United States, 1944.  Later, performances spread across the nation and later, the world.

·     COOKIES AND MILK FOR SANTA:  The tradition began during the Great Depression in the 1930’s as a sign of showing gratitude during a time of struggle.

·     CANDY CANES:   They are the number one selling non-chocolate candy during December and date back to 1670 in Germany.  They can be hung on a Christmas tree for decoration or eaten.  Your choice.

·               BOOZY EGGNOG:  American colonists get credit for its popularity and adding rum.  George Washington had a special recipe.

·               DOOR WREATHS:  A religious symbol around since the ancient Greeks and Romans.  But an evergreen Christmas wreath adorned with boughs of holly took on a Christian meaning with the circular shape representing eternal life and the holly leaves and berries symbolic of Christ’s crown of thorns and blood.  Today’s multi-sector wreaths are often seen as a secular winter tradition.

·               CHRISTMAS CARDS:  The first official Christmas card debuted in England in 1843.  The idea of a mailed winter holiday greeting gradually caught on in Britain and the United States with Hallmark Brothers selling the first card in 1915.  Today, more than 1.6 billion holiday cards are sold annually.

·               IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE:  Frank Capra’s Christmas film debuted in 1946.  Starring Jimmy Steward, it has aired exclusively on the television stations NBC and USA since 1994.

·               CHRISTMAS LIGHTS:  Thomas Edison’s partner and friend, Edward Hibberd Johnson, had the idea of stringing light bulbs around a Christmas tree in 1882.  Today, more than 150 million sets of lights are sold in the United States yearly.

·               DEPARTMENT STORE SANTA: Photos of children in Santa’s lap dates back to 1890.  Macy’s Department store in New York claims it has been hosting Santa since 1862.

·               MAKING FUN OF FRUITCAKE:  A favorite of Princess Diana and Kate Middleton.  The late Johnny Carson said about the maligned mixture of dried fruit, nuts, and brandy, “The worst Christmas gift is fruitcake.  There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other!!!”

·               COOKIE SWAPS:  Dates back to the late 1800’s.  Exchanges were hosted by friends, relatives, neighbors, social groups, clubs, office co-workers, teams, schools, and churches.  Simply – bake a cookie and then swap it.

·               A VISIT FROM SAINT NICK:  Best known as “The Night Before Christmas” was written by poet Clement Moore on Christmas Eve, 1822.  Moore did not publish it under his name until 1844.

·               LUMINARIES:  Simple, folded brown bags filled with sand and lit by votive candles.  Popular in the Southwest.

·               12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS:  From December 25 until January 6.  The book was published in 1780.  This is interesting:  For 2019, everything from a Partridge in a pear tree to 12 drummer’s drumming would cost $38,993.59!

·               POINSETTIAS:  America’s Christmas flower.  These plants are native to Central America and were brought to the United States (and given their name) by the country’s first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, 1820’s.

·               SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGERS:  They have collected donations for the needy since 1891 using their small red kettle.  Today, the Salvation Army helps more than 4.5 million people during the holiday season.  Donations can be cash or by your smartphone.

SANTA CLAUS:  FREE AND IRREPLACEABLE!!!