And Christmas trees? Decorating evergreens is a German tradition that goes all the way back to the 1500s. But the tradition became popular in the 1860s when England’s Prince Albert would light a tree with candles and string it with candy garlands. As for that poisonous, white berried greenery hanging above your head? Mistletoe was first hung millennia ago to represent immortality. It grew in the darkest times of the year when most other plants lost their leaves and flowers. Inspiring hope, sprigs hung in door jambs to repel evil spirits and disease.
And finally, why December? There are a few ideas. One could be that the longest night of the year, December 21st or 22nd, promises a return of the sun and gradually longer days. This reason for celebration coincides with the harvest calendar and a season when farmers would run out of feed for the winter and so slaughtered their animals for feasts. There is no date written in scripture to mark Jesus’ birth, but because Christian traditions already celebrated the winter solstice, many came to celebrate Jesus’ birth around that time, too.
