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Holly, wreaths, menorahs, and candles: A history of Christmas and Hanukkah traditions

In a lively slide presentation of “The History of Christmas and Hanukkah Traditions” at the Council on Aging Thursday, Dec. 12, Dawn Gomez answered questions like “What does holly symbolize? Why is blue a color for Hanukkah? How did Santa get his name?” She gave facts and anecdotes of customs around the world and engaged the audience by asking questions and evoking memories.

Gomez, who lives in Acton, grew up in close proximity to both of her grandmothers, and after a career in the corporate world, it seemed natural that she would gravitate to work with seniors. In a brief conversation before the program, she said one of her greatest pleasures in leading activities at the assisted living facility where she works was to see people’s faces light up when they made a connection to a personal memory. With that as inspiration, she took what she was doing and created the Reminiscing Round Table, interactive programs she presents to older audiences.

Donning a red jacket trimmed in white, Gomez began her talk with the origin of Christmas and its traditions. Pagan cultures held a festival at the winter solstice, welcoming the return of longer days and the growing season. The Christian church had been working to convert the pagans, and in 595 Pope Gregory allowed converts to continue their pagan festival, with gifts and candles. Both the New Testament books of Matthew and Luke describe the nativity of Jesus, but nowhere is there a date. The pagan and Christian traditions came together when, in 336, Pope Julius I chose Dec. 25 as Christmas—a Mass for Christ—around the time of the winter solstice. There was controversy, and some churches chose to have Jan. 6 as Christmas, and still others chose to celebrate 12 days of Christmas, from Dec. 25 to Jan. 6. In 1836, Alabama was the first state to declare Christmas a legal holiday.

The candles of Advent

A big part of the holiday season is Advent—the weeks leading to the coming of Christmas. One purple candle is lit for each of three weeks, signifying hope, love, and peace. The fourth candle is pink and represents joy and rejoicing. Wreaths, which in pagan cultures represented the idea that spring will return, in Christianity symbolize everlasting life. Greenery brought indoors in pagan times was a sign that spring will come again. Mistletoe was said to have magical powers—if two enemies met under it, they would throw down their weapons and embrace. Today, the magic is in a kiss. Holly, its sharp leaves like Christ’s crown of thorns and the berries the blood of Christ, was said to have supernatural powers. If a woman fashioned a kerchief of it, she would dream of the man she would marry.

Germany is credited with the tradition of a Christmas tree. A story goes that a woodcutter shared his meal with a small child wandering in the woods. The next day the child returned, saying he was the Christ child, and planted a branch of a fir tree to grow in the woodcutter’s yard. Martin Luther is credited with putting candles on an evergreen. German immigrants would have brought the traditions with them to America. A magazine illustration shows Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who was German, gathered with their children around a tree decorated with ornaments, paper garlands, and candies. Franklin Pierce was the first president to set up a Christmas tree in the White House in 1856. This year the White House tree is an 18-foot Fraser fir from North Carolina. The U.S. Capitol Christmas tree is an 80-foot spruce from a national forest in Alaska.

Burning the Yule log

The Yule log was part of the solstice celebration, its burning believed to dispel evil spirits and resolve misunderstandings. A remnant was saved to light a Yule log the next Christmas. Today, burning a log chosen as the Yule log represents warmth and the brightness of the coming season. Buche de Noel, a rich cake shaped as a log, is a favorite Christmas dessert.

Saint Nicholas was a beloved man in Turkey in the third century, known especially for his kindness to children. Inspired by him, the custom of secretly giving gifts became widespread. Dutch immigrants brought with them the belief in St. Nicholas, whose Dutch name is Sinterklaas, and from that comes the name Santa Claus. It was Clement Clarke Moore’s poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” published in 1823, that gave details of Santa—fur trim on his suit, a Mrs. Claus, and eight reindeer. The first Christmas card in America was made in 1873 by a German printer.

Gomez asked the audience what they thought is the most popular carol over time, and a couple of people responded correctly with “White Christmas,” written by Irving Berlin and first sung by Bing Crosby on Dec. 25, 1941. A number of people identified the most popular Christmas movie as “It’s a Wonderful Life,” followed by “Miracle on 34th Street.” One audience member said she had just watched “Elf,” which, with “Home Alone” is a popular newer movie.

The Hanukkah miracle

Changing into a blue jacket, Gomez explained that the color blue is associated with Hanukkah, partly because of the blue Star of David on the flag of Israel. She also alluded to the Biblical passage where God commands Moses to tell the Israelites to put a bright blue thread through the fringe on their garments to remind them of the Ten Commandments. They used a dye made from the ink of a sea snail. This year Hanukkah is Dec. 25 to Jan. 2; it does not come at the same time each year because it is based on the lunar calendar.

In 165 B.C., Judah defeated the Greeks and entered old Jerusalem. There was an eight-day celebration to rededicate the Great Temple. The story goes that a small amount of oil miraculously lasted eight days, enough to keep the Temple’s menorah lit and produce more oil. The eight candles of the Hanukkah menorah symbolize the victory and the miracle of the ancient event. Two rabbis started the tradition in this country—using first oil and then candles to light for eight days. No one in the audience guessed that Jimmy Carter was the first president to have a menorah in the White House.

A game with dreidels is a tradition at Hanukkah. A dreidel is a spinning top, and letters on the four sides of a dreidel translate to the Hebrew phrase “A great miracle happened there.” In the old days, gelt, or gold coins, was given to kids and teachers for Hanukkah. Today some families give gifts, but many do not.

Gomez ended by wishing the audience a happy holiday, whatever it may be.

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