Archive for the ‘Christmas Traditions’ Category
Welcome a new holiday tradition into your home with this merrily illustrated compendium of classic stories, poems, and carols. Read aloud such favorites as Clement C. Moore’ …
Tracing the root of Christmas carols is complicated as there are several accounts of ancient carols. Depending on your source they might have begun in the church, or in the community. They might have been hymns, or sung to bring together the working class. They may have originally been in Latin, and only translated to English in the 19th century. It seems the history of Christmas carols depends mainly on your religious beliefs.
Most historians agree that Christmas carols were originally hymns sung during Christmas time and Easter. However, these hymns lost popularity under the Protestant reformation. Though Luther wrote several hymns himself, and encourage singing them in church, it was not until later they became popular again. It is common belief that hymns or Christmas carols did not regain popularity until the first appearance of carols in print in Christmas Carols Ancient And Modern by William B. Sandys in 1833. These carols included, God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, The First Noel, and Hark The Herald Angels Sing. This is one view on the origins of Christmas Carols.
Others believe that Christmas carols developed as wassails. These wassails were originally drinking songs, or were sung when requesting ale, as a kind of payment. Could you imagine a system where a little karaoke could get you a shot? It appears that over time these wassails were transformed into more upbeat Christmas Carols sung while “wassailing” or caroling, as we know it today. Often carolers were rewarded with mince pies, puddings, fruits, breads, or monies, which were donated to charities. These Christmas carol traditions seem to stem from Britain.
Almost every modern country today has a set of Christmas carols of their own. Most of these carols stem from religions, whether Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, or Pagan. These carols come in various languages, though surprisingly most of the carols have the same, or a similar tune. Christmas carols have become popular over the world, and today are mainly used as a community or family activity.
Your belief of the origin of Christmas carols depends mainly on your religious beliefs. Though today there are many secular Christmas carols, it is clear that at one time they were mostly religious in nature. Today the world over has their own versions of Christmas carols, some religious some secular. Whatever your religious beliefs, Christmas carols have become an undeniable part of modern Christmas traditions.
Santa wants to see you make this Christmas Better!
Created a tradition with your Family or Friends that will make Christmas down the line richer.
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Italian Christmas traditions involve many unique holiday activities. Learn more about the Christmas traditions in Italy with this free holiday video.
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Rod McKuen’s Christmas poems and songs have become a tradition each holiday season, not only in America, but around the world. This collection has only the music missing, but there is enough music in the words of America’s most popular poet to make them sing for themselves. Released 1971.
The Legend of the Christmas Spider and How to Make It
One of the Christmas traditions is that we use tinsel for Christmas decorations. You may wonder why we put tinsel on the Christmas tree each year, and legend says that it may be due in part to spiders. Yes, you read that right: spiders might be responsible for the little slivers of silver and gold we hang from the tree’s branches. The legend says that a woman cleaned her home for the holidays and was sure to get rid of as many spiders as possible. The remaining spiders hid up in the attic, but really wanted to be there when the home was to be blessed by the Christ child. The spiders decided to sneak into the main room at night and get closer to the Christmas tree.
That night, the spiders climbed all over the Christmas tree and checked out the ornaments and all of the beautiful branches. They were delighted at its beauty, and left spider webs everywhere they went. The next day the Christ child was worried the woman would be disappointed over the spider webs, so he reached out and touched all of the spider webs. When he did this, they suddenly turned into beautiful strands of silver and gold, and this is the legend of how tinsel first begun and that is how one of our Christmas traditions began.
If you’d like to make your own Christmas spider ornaments, it’s a very fun and simple process. You will need crystals of several different sizes (you can choose the color), a glue gun, metallic thread, and 26-gauge wire. First, glue the two largest beads together hole to hole with the glue gun. This is basically the body and head of the spider. Cut four wires and string the smaller beads along them to make the legs. Bend the end of the wire so the beads do not fall off.
Once you’ve added the beads to all four of the wires, twist them together to create the legs. Then, hot glue them to the bottom of the larger beads so that it takes the shape and form of a spider. Next, using about ten inches of the metallic thread, place it through the two holes in the biggest beads (the body), and you’re ready to go! You now have a beautiful crystal bead spider ornament, just like the legend of the Christmas spider. Make as many as you want and decorate your tree with them this year.
I believe that it is important that we keep alive the Christmas traditions and make it a real family time.