Surprising Stories Behind Popular Christmas Decorations (Part 2)

History of candy canes - Believe it or not, the iconic hook-shaped confections that adorn Christmas trees during December weren’t always striped. Candy canes made their debut on American Christmas trees in 1847, when one August Imgard decorated his blue spruce tree with the candies that were, at the time, all white. It wasn’t until the turn of the 20th century that the characteristic red stripes and peppermint flavor emerged. Over the years, many rumors have circulated about the symbolism of the candy, ranging from the candy shape being a nod to Jesus Christ’s first initial, to the color being a symbol of his blood—none of which has been proven.

History of gingerbread houses - As much a decoration as a holiday delicacy, “lebkuchenhaeusle” first emerged in Germany in the 16th century as ornate edible houses decked with gold leaf and foil. But it was the 1812 publication of the children’s fairytale “Hansel and Gretel” that is believed to have mainstreamed the holiday tradition of building gingerbread houses. The cautionary tale of a brave brother-and-sister duo tempted by a witch’s homemade confections has inspired countless real-life gingerbread dwellings that are not nearly as menacing, but just as sweet.

History of poinsettias - Now a hit in holiday table centerpieces and entryway decor, poinsettias first caught the eye of U.S. minister to Mexico Joel R. Poinsett in 1828, when Christmas festivities in the U.S. were beginning to take off. Upon sighting the flowers known as “flor de nochebuena,” or the “Christmas Eve flower,” in Mexico, Poinsett brought the red-and-green flowers home as a symbol of the holiday season. Earning their English name from Poinsett, Poinsettias were synonymous with Christmas by the turn of the 20th century.

History snow globes - Whether you make or buy one, a snow globe acts as interactive holiday decor and guarantees you get a White Christmas no matter where you live. But it might come as a surprise that these handheld wonderlands were the result of an eccentric experiment. In the process of trying to improve the brightness of electric light bulbs in 1900, surgical instrument mechanic Erwin Perzy poured semolina into a glass globe filled with water, creating an artificial snowfall that became the basis of the snow globe. He included a festive miniature diorama, and the rest is history.

Christmas bells history - Long before they donned doors, Christmas trees, and wreaths, handheld bells were used by St. Patrick himself to call local parishioners to prayer. The handheld chimes continued to be sounded on religious days such as Easter, thus earning a biblical connotation. But it wasn’t until the Victorian era, when carolers rang them during the Advent season while crooning, that the ding of a bell became the unofficial sound of Christmas.

History of Christmas holly - Although holly berries are poisonous to people and pets, this didn’t stop Romans from displaying the boughs of the winter-hardy plant in their homes to celebrate Saturnalia, a winter festival honoring the god of agriculture, Saturn, and marking the much-anticipated transition from the darkness of winter to the light of spring. In a tradition that holds to this day, the ancient people fashioned sprigs of the vibrant plant into garlands and even tacked them onto gifts to make the giving season that much brighter.

History of nativity scene - Whether you recreate the nativity scene on your mantle or in the front yard, you have St. Francis of Assisi to thank for these divine dioramas. Assisi created the first real-life nativity scene way back in 1223—but only after he got approval from Pope Honorious III. Staged in a cave in the Italian town of Grecio, Assisi’s living nativity scene featured a manger and an ox and donkey, and drew nearby townspeople to watch as the saint delivered a biblical message. Even so, as The Smithsonian notes, the key players in the typical nativity scene—the three wise men, shepherds, and farm animals—were never featured together in the Bible, making most recreations improvisational but still ingrained as a symbol of the season.

History of Christmas crackers- A festive table topper and party favor in one, a Christmas cracker is a wrapped cardboard tube that reveals a joke or a gift when pulled apart by two people. Merrymakers have been opening them on Christmas Day since the 1850s, when confectioner Tom Smith began adding a small motto inside the twisted packages in which he sold his almond bon-bons. However, the famous crack that sounds when the tubes open—produced by the friction of the chemical-laden paper inside them rubbing together—was only later added after Smith was inspired by the crackle of a fireplace. Eventually, the candies in the aptly-named “crackers” were replaced with small gifts, cementing a Christmas custom observed around the world.

History of Yule logs - Yule logs, named after “jol” (Yule), an old winter solstice festival in Scandinavia, are typically lit on Christmas Eve to produce a festive ambiance and produce warmth. The Yule log is said to have been lit to coax the sun to rise from the south and usher in the rebirth of the land. But unlike the manageable blocks of wood that are burned in hearths today during the holidays, Yule logs of old were full-blown tree trunks. Families would cut down trees and then feed one end of the trunk into the fire, where it would slowly burn for the full 12 days of Christmas. (Source)

Part 1         Part 2