Christmas At Your Guild

Ever wondered why we have a tree inside at Christmas, and decorate it?  There's actually a whole host of stories about why and when this tradition first started.  Evergreen fir tree branches are believed to have been used to celebrate winter festivals by Pagans, Romans and Christians.  Nobody knows when whole fir trees were first used to celebrate Christmas, but it seems to date back 1,000 years ago to Northern Europe, when trees were hung in houses upside down using chains.

Even though the very first Christmas tree is thought to have been erected in Riga, many of the UKs customs with trees seem to have come from Germany. It is believed that Queen Charlotte (the German wife of King George III) held a children's party for rich and noble families and had a decorated tree.  This custom soon became popular with rich families.  The widespread use of Christmas trees in Britain was said to have happened in the mid 1840's, when newspapers reported a drawing of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and their children, around a decorated tree.  Once decorated with candles and food (e.g. nuts and fruit), trees are pretty much decorated with anything.   Young children often make decorations to hang on the Christmas tree, whilst at school or nursery.

Love them or hate them, mince pies are a true UK tradition.  Dating back to the middle ages, they were first made with meat (usually lamb to represent the shepherds from the Nativity), filled with 13 ingredients to represent Jesus's disciples, and even shaped like a manger to represent his birth.  Nowadays, they are round and usually filled with dried fruit (there's definitely no meat in there these days).

There are however still traditions attached with mince pies.  For example if you make your own, you are supposed to only stir the ingredients in a clockwise tradition to bring luck, you should always make a wish when you eat the first mince pie of the season, and you should never ever cut a mince pie with a knife!  You should also eat a mince pie everyday for each of the twelve days of Christmas; anyone who refuses will suffer a year of misfortune!  Children also like to leave a mince pie out for Father Christmas (see below) on Christmas Eve, so that he has something to keep him going on his journey around the world delivering all those presents.

Father Christmas is the traditional name used in the UK, for Santa Claus.  With origins leading back to the 4th century and St Nikolaus, the saint of boys and girls, the figure of Father Christmas first appeared in 1650, when he was actually synonymous with festive feasting and merry making.  It was only the child centric Victorians who launched Father Christmas as a gift bringer.  The popular American myth of Santa Claus arrived in Britain in the 1850s and it was from then on that Father Christmas became associated with nocturnal visits, reindeer and stockings. In the UK today, although you're more likely to hear the term 'Santa Claus',you may often hear the older phrase of Father Christmas.

One such custom which children still follow today is the leaving out of a mince pie for Father Christmas/Santa Claus, and a carrot for Rudolph, together with a handwritten note to thank Father Christmas/Santa Claus for the bringing of presents.  The goodies are left out before the children go to bed on Christmas Eve.

Ask anyone about mistletoe and they'll tell you that when two people stand under a hung sprig of this plant, they have to kiss.  However, Mistletoe had a very different tradition before it became the romantic symbol of Christmas.

Hundreds of years ago, Mistletoe was considered so sacred that only druids with a golden sickle, could cut it.  Mistletoe was always considered a symbol of peace and the oldest known tradition was that people who met underneath it, were forbidden from fighting.  Many homes were decorated with mistletoe to offer shelter and protection, often against evil spirits, and it was also considered a symbol of fertility.  The Victorians (who we have much to thank for many of our traditions) helped to give Mistletoe it's current tradition as a symbol of romance and fertility, hence the kissing.

Ever wondered why we wear paper crowns during Christmas dinner?  The answer lies within Christmas Crackers.  Again, another tradition from the Victorians, crackers are thought to have originated when Tom Smith (a London confectioner) added love notes to sugared almond bon bons which he sold, mainly to men to give to their loves, wrapped in twisted paper packages.   The bang was added to the packages after Tom Smith heard a log crack on the fire.  The packages became longer, the bang added, along with a festive paper crown and jokes or mottoes instead of love notes, and the Christmas Cracker (or Cosaque as it was originally called) was created.

The pulling of Christmas Crackers immediately before Christmas dinner, is a long held tradition and one that takes place in houses up and down the country.  The tradition also states that a group of people should cross arms when they pull the crackers; hold your cracker in your right hand and pull your neighbour's cracker with your left hand!

Boxing Day, or 26th December, was the day traditionally when servants of wealthy families would receive a gift, or Christmas 'box' (a box containing a gift, a bonus and food) from their employer and a day off to celebrate Christmas with their own families.  Nowadays, it's a day traditionally spent with families, relaxing, playing games, or going for a long walk (thought to help you walk off the overindulgences from the day before).

More recently, Boxing Day has also become synonymous with sport, particularly football and rugby, with many matches taking place.  It's also a time for British eccentricity to be seen, as freezing cold swims, fun runs and charity events take place.  It's also when the 'Boxing Day' sales start and when bargains galore can be found.