and decorating. Children love to write letters to Santa and

get a reply with an envelope stamped "North Pole". But even

more fascinating is the origins of many of our beloved

Christmas traditions.

Exchanging Gifts: In ancient times holiday meals were

shared with family, friends, and the poor. It was believed

that in order to have a prosperous year, one must not be

selfish for to hoard what they already had would guarantee

that they would never be blessed with more. This is why we

exchange gifts today.

Tree decorating: In olden times trees represented life

triumphant over death. The Romans trimmed trees with

trinkets, candles, and toys. The Druids tied polished

apples and other offerings on tree branches. In Munich,

even trees in cemeteries were decked with holly and

mistletoe. Therefore, the evergreen tree, which decorates

our homes today, has come to signify the ever living Christ.

Yule Logs: The ancient Druids and other cultures believed

that the sparks from a burning log carried their wishes for

a prosperous New Year to the gods. Today, fireplaces with

burning logs recapture this ancient custom with the belief

that the firelight is symbolic of the light that came from

Heaven when Christ was born.

Candles: In England, large candles were burned in

conjunction with the yule log. In America today, the

candles represent the Star of Bethlehem.

Holly: The Druids believed that holly was favored by the

sun because it was always green. Today holly represents the

ever living Christ. The white flowers, purity; the red

berries, his blood; the leaves, his crown of thorns, and the

bitter bark, his sorrow.

Mistletoe: Comes from a Norse legend. Freyja, a goddess,

had arranged for her son to be protected from all earthly

dangers. When he was shot with an arrow made from

mistletoe, Freyja made mistletoe promise never to harm

anyone ever again. So today, mistletoe is a symbol of peace

and love. It's winter blossoms bring promise of bounty for

the coming spring.

Caroling: In Scandinavian custom, every Christmas, a party

was given to the god Thor, represented by a goat. After

much singing and dancing the goat would pretend to die and

return to life. Today, carolers go from door to door

singing and this represents the life of Christ.

Santa Claus: Santa actually started out as a version of

Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. Sailors feared him because

he could bring terrible storms or grant them safe journeys.

Because he could save them from angry waters, he became

known as "giver of all good things". Due to the rise of

Christianity, the old custom was changed to honor Nicholas

of Myra, an Asian bishop. Nicholas wore red clothing, rode

a white horse who could fly, and delivered gifts

anonymously. Today, he is Santa with his flying reindeer!

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