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Displaying poinsettias is one of the
many Christmas traditions celebrants of
the holiday practice.
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(MS) - Though Christmas is a holiday
that is deeply rooted in religious as well
as familial traditions, the origin of many of
those traditions remains a mystery to many.
Some such traditions, including the origin
of the holiday's annual date, December 25,
continue to be a topic of debate among even
the most accomplished historians.
To help shed some light on just why it is
many people do what they do around the
festive Christmas season, here's a list of
some of the more common Christmas tradi
tions and their likely origins.
• December 25. Even though Christmas is
about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ,
it's widely accepted that Jesus was not bom
on December 25, or even in that time of year.
Rather, most scholars agree Jesus' actual
birth was closer to the season known as
spring, vvith the likely date occurring some
time in the month of May.
So why December 25? One prominent the
ory suggests the date's origin rests with the
ancient Romans, who had begun a pagan
celebration around the same time. As a
means of squashing that celebration, the
Americas
800 941 21
Roman Catholic Church decided to celebrate
the birth of Christ on December 25 so one
of their most sacred holidays would be in
direct competition with the pagan celebra
tion. If that theory is true, the strategy seems
to have worked.
■ Poinsettias. A common sight through
out the Christmas season, poinsettias are
thought to be flowers, but aren't really.
Though there are flowers in the plants, the
bright red colors that most people recognize
instantly are actually leaves and not petals,
with the flowers not very noticeable in the
center of the leaf bunch.
Though native to Mexico, poinsettias are
named after an American. Joel Poinsett J
was the United States' first ambas- J
sador to Mexico. Upon a trip home “
from America's neighbor to the south
in 1928, Poinsett brought some of the '
beautiful flowers along with him
Legends differ as to why poinsettias
are associated with Christmas. One •
such legend states that Mexicans
felt the poinsettia resembled the
Star of Bethlehem, while another
has to do with an impover-
ished child bringing them to
a church service
as a gift for jA
Jesus un his
birth- - A os.
day-
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(MS) - While these animals may not be able to soar through
the skies (without the help of the jolly fellow in red, that
there are some interesting facts about reindeer to
enjoy.
' Reindeer reside in the Arctic north. They can
be found in North America, Asia and Europe.
• These animals are cousins of the caribou,
which are larger than reindeer. • Reindeer can
( pull a full sleigh at a speed of 12 to 15 miles per hour. • Reindeer
and caribou are the only deer where males, females, and calves
produce antlers. Like other deer, the antlers are shed each year. •
Reindeer hair is extremely dense so that the animals
can survive in the Arctic. This thick coat allows the
|3flU animals to. lav on snow without melting it and get•
ting wet. Large feet in relation to their bodv size
helps reindeer walk on snow.
CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE 2006
• Christmas tree. These have become so
symbolic of the holiday season that many
families who do not even celebrate Christmas
have a Christmas tree in their home.
Typically an evergreen tree, Christmas trees'
origins might date back to pagan beliefs that
stated the evergreen tree was symbolic of the
renewal of life.
While that might have been the seed of
what eventually became the widely prac
ticed tradition of Christmas trees, the more
concrete origin is in 16th century Germany
I when the Germanic people decorated a
small fir tree with apples, paper flowers,
roses and other knick-knacks. Once the
tree was decorated, children would then
collect the goodies on Christmas morn
ing.
f Xmas. Many people ask why
*3 Christmas is abbreviated "Xmas."
® Some even feel the abbreviation is dis
■ respectful to Jesus Christ.
• Though that might have been a
more popular feeling vears ago
than it is today, it probablv was
* never something to get worked
y?, up over anyway. Xmas is of
P* Greek origins, as the name for
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Christ in Greek is
3 Xristos. Much
|| j like people do
w today in e-mails
, or text messages,
) J shorthand was
W popular even way
[7 back when. As a
means of saving
time, Greeks soon
started referring to
Christmas as
Xmas.