Christmas Traditions

"An angel of the Lord appeared
to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were
terrified. But the angel said to them "Do not be afraid. I bring you
good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the
town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths
and lying in a manger." ~ Luke 2: 9-12 ~

1/2 cup Hugs	4 tsp Kisses
4 cups Love	1 cup Special Holiday Cheer
1/2 cup Peace on Earth	3 tsp Christmas Spirits
2 cups Goodwill Toward Man	1 Sprig of Mistletoe
1 medium-size bag of Christmas Snowflakes
(the regular kind just won't do!)
Mix hugs, kisses, smiles and love until consistent. Blend in holiday cheer, peace on earth, Christmas spirits and good will toward men. Use the mixture to fill a large, warm heart, where it can be stored for a lifetime, (it never goes bad!). Serve as desired under mistletoe, sprinkled liberally with special Christmas Snowflakes. It is especially good when accompanied by Christmas Carols and family get-togethers. Serve to one and all. ~ Author Unknown ~

Have a Christmas Caroling Party

Read one chapter a night of a Christmas Story to your children

Make an Advent Wreath, an Advent Calendar

Start a Family Christmas Cookie Exchange

Buy matching pj's for the whole family and open on Christmas Eve ~ This is something we do every year :o)

Attend a midnight Mass or church service

On Christmas morning wish Jesus a Happy Birthday!!

The twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6th), which is when the three wise men supposedly arrived on the scene. It is NOT the twelve days before Christmas as many erroneously believe.

An Underground Catechism (**an urban myth**)
Most folks, are familiar with the Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas". If you listen to the words carefully, it seems like nonsence set to rhyme and music. However, it was written with a serious purpose.

It is more than just a list of twelve silly gifts. Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829 were prohibited by law to practice their faith either in public or private. It was illegal to be Catholic. [Note: Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England in 1829.]

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the basics of their faith. In short, it was a memory aid. Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense, young catholics could sing the song without fear of imprisonment. The authorities would not know that it was a religious song. Actually, the catecism to which it referred was rather ecumenical so could probably be claimed to be protestant if cornered.

The song's gifts had hidden meanings to the teachings of the Catholic faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, but it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. i.e. the church. The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so..."

Here is a complete list of the 12 symbols with their meanings*:

Partridge in a pear tree -- The One true God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ
Two turtle doves--Old and New Testament
Three French hens--Faith, Hope and Charity
Four calling birds--Four Gospels
Five golden rings--The Pentateuch
Six geese a-laying--Six days of creation
Seven swans a-swimming--Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
Eight maids a-milking--Eight Beatitudes
Nine ladies dancing--Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Ten lords a-leaping--Ten Commandments
Eleven pipers piping--Eleven faithful disciples
Twelve drummers drumming--Twelve points of belief in the Apostles Creed

Christmas Wreaths
House decorations like holly and mistletoe are also an important part of Christmas. Holly was once a pagan symbol to ward off evil spirits. Legend says that the crown of thorns Christ wore at his crucifixion had holly in it, but holly with white berries. As Christ's blood touched the white berries, they turned red. From that moment on, holly berries have been red. The same legend is also believed to have originated the Christmas Wreath, since wreaths are round like a crown and usually have holly woven through them too.

The Nativity
The nativity scene probably has the most religious value in the modern Christmas. Saint Francis of Assisi, Italy, wanted to show the humanity and humility of Jesus, so he created a reenactment of Christ's birth. The church was a very rigid institution, insisting that life was a place of sorrow and sin. St. Francis created the nativity scene to send a positive message of hope and God's love. The first nativity scene used real animals and people. A church choir stood around the scene singing the scriptures, the first known act of caroling.

My gorgeous personalized Christmas tree ornaments
were a gift created by Lisa from The Graphics Cupboard
Thank you Lisa!!