Christmas Tree
It is just a few days to Christmas. We don’t have Christmas tree this year because we are renovating our place but it’s alright. I don’t feel the Christmas spirit yet. Maybe, I would tomorrow.
By the way, let’s talk about the story of the Christmas tree. Christmas Tree started by Martin Luther. He enhanced the tradition of Christmas tree in Protestant countries. Martin Luther first added lighted candles to a tree. He was walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was impressed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he put up a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles.
Christmas stockings and gifts
It is 3 days to Christmas. Are you done buying holiday gifts for your loved ones? I bet, the kids are excited for Santa’s gifts. I remember when I was kid, I get really excited on Christmas Eve because I thought Santa would give me gifts until my grandma blew it, she told me that there was no Santaclaus at all – it was my father. I was so upset upon learning this fact. So, after then, we stopped putting stockings behind our doors. But anyhow, Have you been wondering how and when Christmas stockings and gifts started? Well, here is the story behind this Christmas tradition. In 17 centuries ago in Turkey, a bishop of Myra named Nicholas was known for love of children and benevolence. On every Christmas Eve, he used to secretly and surprisingly give gifts to the children in the town. On Christmas Eve, while he passed by a house, he heard a father and three daughters mourning about their poverty. They used to live abundantly but when their mother died of illness and after losing their money in useless and bad inventions. They moved into a peasant’s cottage, they were discussing on how they were not able to be married because they can’t afford nor provide a dowry which was the traditional thing to do at that time. Knowing the grief and despair, St. Nicholas felt pity on them. He looked in the window and observed that they were sleeping. He threw three small bags of gold in the chimney and landed in the stockings that had been hung over the fireplace to dry. St. Nicholas was caught in the act by their father which whom he begged to keep his secret. Guess what? Their father could not help to keep his mouth from telling the incident. The entire village learned from it days later. The three daughters were able to get married and lived happily. After that, hanging of stockings became a tradition on Christmas Eve. That’s how Christmas stockings started.
How Halloween got started?
Halloween is tomorrow! So, what’s your plan? Are you ready to wear your scary suit? Well, I am not sure for tomorrow yet. Have you ever wondered how Halloween got started?
Back in more than 2,000 years. The Europe’s Celtic people celebrated their New Year’s Day on November 1, called Samhain (SAH-win). The night before Samhain, people thought spirits, Fairies, demons, and other creatures were to walk the Earth as they traveled to the afterlife. They sacrificed animals to the gods by gathering around bonfires. And they wore animal skin costumes and wearing masks to confuse spirits, perhaps to avoid being possessed. Moreover, the Celts costumed as spirits are believed to have gone from house to house engaging in silly acts in exchange for food and drink, which is the “trick-or-treating” now.
Then, Samhain was later adopted by Catholic for pagan holidays. And In the seventh century Pope Boniface IV decreed November 1 All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows’ Day. The night before Samhain continued to be observed with bonfires, costumes, and parades, under a new name: All Hallows’ Eve—later “Halloween.”
That’s how Halloween got started. Actually, I also post about Halloween in my other blog.
