The Top 40 Traditions of Christmas: The Story Behind the Nativity, Candy Canes, Caroling, and All Things Christmas (8 page)

Colonel Harry Shoup, USAF, affectionately known as “the Santa Colonel,” passed away in 2009, at age ninety-two.

Why?

It was an accident! It might have ended before it began if it hadn’t been for the good heart of the man in command on that day. When children started calling CONAD expecting to speak to Santa, Colonel Harry Shoup told his staff to give the children updates on how Santa was doing.

Why did they want to know? Well, children get excited about a visit from Santa. Just as on long journeys they will ask, “Are we there yet?” they want to know if Santa is almost here yet.

Lessons in geography and fraternity might also be gleaned from watching Santa visit
every
country in the world.

Who?

Joel Roberts Poinsett was the U.S. Minister to Mexico from 1825 to 1830 and introduced the flower to the States in 1825. A botanist as well as a statesman, his name was attached to the poinsettia after he brought plants to the United States.

If one name has a greater connection to the flower than Poinsett’s, it would be Ecke. German immigrant Albert Ecke sold them from a street stall. His son developed a better way of growing them, and soon the family supplied every poinsettia sold in the States. Even now the Ecke family provides half the poinsettias sold in the States and almost three-quarters of those sold worldwide.

What?

Legend tells of a girl in sixteenth-century Mexico who wanted to add something to her village church’s Christmas display. But, poor as she was, she had nothing to give. An angel in disguise encouraged her to pick some roadside flowers— which she thought were simply weeds! But she picked them, and she took the “weeds” to the church, where she laid them on the altar in a spirit of love.

Miraculously, the “weeds” flowered on the altar.

Poinsettias are now prominent in the decoration of churches of many denominations at Christmastime. Easy to keep as well as beautiful, they also decorate countless homes and workplaces over the festive season.

Where?

The poinsettia grew naturally in Mexico and in many parts of Central America. When the Ecke family had their virtual monopoly, the flowers were mostly grown in California.

Countries with similar environmental conditions to Mexico, like parts of Egypt and Australia, have also successfully cultivated the poinsettia. In Egypt it is known as
Bent el Consul,
or the consul’s daughter, as a token of respect to Joel Poinsett.

Since the secret of growing poinsettias the Ecke way has become known outside the family, poinsettia production has increasingly moved back south of the border.

Poinsettias are now sold all across the world, especially in the lead-up to Christmastime.

When?

Despite being known as a Christmas flower, the poinsettia actually has a day of its own dedicated to it. Poinsettia Day is the twelfth of December, the birthday of Joel Roberts Poinsett.

The poinsettia is a “short day” flower. They flower best at the times of year when there are fewer than twelve hours of daylight in a day. In this way they are almost guaranteed the undivided attention of the pollinating insects, which have a much wider range of flowers at other times of the year.

Poinsettias were used for medicines and dyes by the Aztecs since at least as far back as the fourteenth century.

Why?

Of course, the poinsettias that poor Mexican girl brought would have flowered anyway, but the point is made that everything in God’s creation is a miracle if seen the right way, even weeds. And Jesus doesn’t want expensive offerings as birthday presents. He will accept the least little thing from even the poorest of us, if it is offered in a spirit of love.

The shape of the poinsettia leaves are said to imitate the Star of Bethlehem, and the deep-red color supposedly represents the blood Christ spilled for us at the Crucifixion. Thus one little flower symbolizes the birth and death of the Messiah.

Who?

Despite being the most famous of Santa’s reindeer now, Rudolph was not always so well known. Robert Lewis May, a copywriter, wrote the reindeer’s story down in a book meant to be given away free as a Christmas promotion.

Robert Lewis May’s brother-in-law Johnny Marks was a songwriter with a special talent for writing Christmas songs. He took May’s story and turned it into one of the most successful Christmas songs ever.

The “singing cowboy” Gene Autry had his biggest ever chart hit when “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” took him to number one in the music charts.

Rudolph himself is, of course, Santa’s ninth and leading reindeer!

What?

Rudolph is a reindeer, but a very special one! Not many people knew that flying reindeer pulled Santa’s sleigh until Clement Clarke Moore let the secret out in his 1823 poem “ ‘Twas the Night before Christmas.”

While “ordinary” flying reindeer are quite capable of pulling a sleigh loaded with toys all around the world, they struggle a little in foggy weather—especially when the fog is so thick that Santa can’t even see the reindeer at the front of his team.

Thankfully Rudolph has a nose that glows in the dark! This peculiar feature, which used to get him teased, proved to be just what Santa needed. Now Rudolph leads his team!

Where?

Reindeer, also known as caribou, are found around the world in arctic and subarctic environs. In some countries, because of climate change and population expansion, reindeer are finding it harder to survive these days. But in Santa’s North Pole compound the reindeer are as happy as ever.

Robert Lewis May, who put Rudolph’s story into print for the first time, lived in Illinois. His brother-in-law Johnny Marks, who wrote the song that took Rudolph into the music charts, was a New York City–based songwriter. He had a fondness for Christmas songs and also wrote another song about our favorite reindeer, “Run Rudolph Run,” which was recorded by Chuck Berry.

When?

Rudolph’s story first appeared in print (in poetic form) in 1939. That first Christmas the Montgomery Ward chain gave away 2.5 million free copies, which would have made a lot of children very happy!

After the end of World War II, publishing houses looked to cash in on the story’s popularity and offered to buy the tale from Montgomery Ward. In 1947 the chairman of Montgomery Ward generously returned the copyright to Robert Lewis May, and the book was then published and made available to everyone.

The Gene Autry recording of the song based on the book was the first number-one song of the 1950s.

Why?

Rudolph never went in search of fame! Robert Lewis May was working for the department store and mail-order organization Montgomery Ward. They had a tradition of giving away coloring books to their customers’ children at Christmastime. But it cost more money than they liked to spend to buy these books. So they asked May to come up with a story so they could produce their own books. May must have heard about Rudolph and decided to write his story. The book was a huge success and is still in print today.

Rudolph does his continuing good work for the love of Santa and love of the world’s children.

Who?

Santa Claus, as everyone should know, is a kindly old gentleman who lives at the North Pole with his herd of reindeer and his elf friends. They spend the year making toys for good little children and getting ready for Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Eve the elves and Mrs. Claus wave good-bye to Santa as he and his reindeer begin their epic journey around the world. They visit every house in the world where little children live (including several houses where the “children” are quite a bit older) and leave gifts.

A “stout” gentleman, he has the surprising ability to get into some houses by dropping down their chimney!

What?

Santa Claus has seen many incarnations, and even today he appears in different guises. Since pre-Christian times he has been depicted as an elderly, white-bearded paternal figure, often larger in stature than the modern Santa. He would bring gifts and cheer at a time of year (in northern Europe at least) when the land was frozen and food was hard to come by. He may also have been an embodiment of the promise of spring, being dressed in green as he often was.

In modern times Santa has refined and developed his business until he has become a worldwide operation, visiting children everywhere.

Where?

In pre-Christian northern Europe, Odin was the bearded father figure said to fly across the sky in a great hunt. His image was later mixed with that of Saint Nicholas, a bishop in Asia Minor.

In England Father Christmas was the midwinter cheer bringer, although his robes were green and he wore wreaths of laurel or holly in his hair.

The Dutch took
Sinterklass
(Saint Nicholas) to America with them, and America gave the world the modern interpretation of Santa Claus when Clement Clarke Moore, who lived in Troy, New York, described him as a fur-dressed, round-bellied, “jolly old elf” in his much-loved poem “ ‘Twas the Night before Christmas.”

When?

When Christianity reached Europe, it began the tradition of Saint Nicholas, who was famous for giving presents (sometimes left in stockings) and who probably also had a long, white beard. His red robes may have influenced later depictions of Santa.

In the 1600s the English had the tradition of Father Christmas.

In 1825 a book called
A New-Year’s Present to the Little Ones from Five to Twelve
mentioned a character called “Old Santeclaus” who apparently rode a sleigh and left anonymous gifts.

Our modern ideas of Santa Claus were formed, in large part, by the 1823 poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas,” better known now as “ ‘Twas the Night before Christmas.”

Why?

In the agricultural communities of northern Europe, midwinter must have been a very quiet time—except for the midwinter festivals. Families would travel to be together, and, of course, they brought gifts. Children received presents from relatives who were busy working the rest of the year.

When Christianity arrived, with its idea of Christ as a gift to the world and Him being presented with gifts from Wise Men who had traveled “from afar,” it must all have seemed so very familiar and right.

Santa Claus is a beautiful mix of Christian and pre-Christian traditions, and as such, he brings a lot of joy to a lot of children!

Who?

There are countless Secret Santas each year during the festive period; individuals helping others anonymously in the finest traditions of Christmas. Every once in a while one of them will come to the attention of the wider world—like Larry Stewart. Stewart is estimated to have given away $1.3 million. Dressed in white dungarees, red shirt, and red hat, Stewart personally handed out hundred-dollar bills to people in need over a twenty-five-year period.

Before he died, in 2007, he trained other Secret Santas to follow in his footsteps.

Stewart eventually, reluctantly, made the headlines, but often the best work done each Christmas is done by really secret Santas!

What?

A Secret Santa is one who follows in the footsteps of the first Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas. He sneaked into a house at night to leave his gifts anonymously (starting the tradition that Santa comes down the chimney). Secret Santas also work in the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said, “But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret” (Matthew 6:3-4).

The Secret Santa idea may have begun as a convenient solution to a workplace problem, but it actually taps into the very best traditions of the season.

Where?

Most Secret Santas happen in the workplace. Rather than each person feeling obligated to buy individual gifts for all of their colleagues, everyone’s name is put into a box or a bowl; then each person draws out one name at random. The Secret Santa buys a gift for that person, usually without indicating who it came from. There is often a price limit put on the gifts, and the pleasure comes more from the sense of camaraderie and mutual silliness than the gift itself.

Larry Stewart did most of his good work in Kansas City, but Secret Santas are at work everywhere—secretly!

When?

The first Santa to carry his work out in secret was Saint Nicholas, who did his good works in the early fourth century AD.

The act of kindness that inspired Larry Stewart’s years of Secret Santa work happened in 1979, when Ted Horn “found” a twenty-dollar bill on the floor of a Dixie Diner and handed it to him, saying he must have dropped it (knowing that he hadn’t!).