In case you've ever wondered about how we've come to enjoy some of our treasured holiday/Christmas traditions, here is some history behind them.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE                                                                                                           Decorating trees for Christmas dates back to the Middle Ages in Germany and was brought to the United  States in the early 19th century by Europeans. The idea comes from decorating a "paradise tree" to celebrate the feast day of Adam and Eve. The first tree lot in America was opened in New York in 1851.

ADVENT CALENDARS                                                                                                           People of all ages can find fun in advent calendars, opening a new gift each day leading up to Christmas.  The tradition started in 19th century Germany, when German Protestants began counting down to Christmas in creative ways like opening a "door" or "window" to reveal a poem, Bible passage or small treat.  The practice gained popularity in the 1920's and now secular advent calendars of all kinds are commonplace.

LEAVING MILK AND COOKIES FOR SANTA                                                                       While many variations of mythology surround the tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa, it became a widespread American tradition during the Great Depression. During this time of great hardship, parents wanted to teach their children the importance of gratitude during hard times.

WREATHS                                                                                                                          Wreaths have been common since the times of the ancient Romans and Greeks. During Yule, wreaths were first used as decoration to mark the winter solstice and by ancient Germans as a symbol of spring. Romans used wreaths in a similar celebration to workship Saturn, the god of agriculture.  The Christmas wreath decorated with holly took on a Christian meaning in the 16th century to represent Christ's eternal life.

MEETING SANTA AT THE MALL                                                                                         One of the most popular Chritmas memories people have is getting a photo taken on Santa's lap, usually at a department store.  This practice started in 1890, when Massachusetts resident James Edgar had a Santa suit made for him and dressed up as Santa at his dry good store.  It caught on and a year later many stores in America featured their own Santas.  Today, millions of families in America bring their children to the mall to meet Santa.