A Wild West Christmas: Celebrating the Season on the Frontier

The Wild West is often romanticized in tales of cowboys, outlaws, and dusty towns, but during the Christmas season, it became a time of warmth, community, and celebration. Picture a small frontier town in the late 1800s, where the air is crisp and filled with the scent of pine and smoke from wood-burning stoves. Let’s take a closer look at how Christmas was celebrated in the Wild West, blending tradition with the rugged realities of frontier life.

Setting the Scene

As December rolled in, the townspeople would begin to feel the holiday spirit. Although many were far from the comforts of their Eastern counterparts, they made do with what they had, drawing on the strength of their communities. Towns like Dodge City, Tombstone, and Deadwood transformed into festive hubs, adorned with makeshift decorations crafted from whatever was available.

Decorating the Town

With no stores like we have today, the people of the Wild West had to get creative. Families would often head into the nearby woods to find a small tree or some evergreen branches. These would be trimmed and decorated with homemade ornaments. Corn husks, strings of popcorn, and bits of colored cloth became popular choices. In more prosperous homes, you might even find hand-painted wooden toys hanging on branches.

The community would come together to decorate the local church or meeting hall, where holiday festivities were often centered. Brightly colored paper chains made from old newspapers and ribbons would hang from the rafters, creating a festive atmosphere that lifted spirits during the long winter months.

Preparing for the Feast

Food was an essential part of any holiday celebration, and Christmas was no exception. While the menu varied depending on the resources available, many families aimed to prepare a hearty meal. Women spent days before the holiday baking pies, bread, and cookies. Gingerbread was a favorite, often shaped into stars or decorated with colorful icing.

Meats, when available, were often smoked or cured, and the community would come together to share whatever they had. A typical feast might include roasted turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, and seasonal vegetables. There was always a big pot of stew simmering, made from whatever game could be hunted or livestock raised.

The Importance of Community

In the spirit of togetherness, neighbors would often gather to help each other prepare. It was a time for camaraderie and connection. The holiday season offered a break from the hardships of frontier life, allowing families to come together to share meals, stories, and laughter.

Children, especially, looked forward to this time of year. They would help with preparations, their excitement palpable as they imagined the presents that might await them. Gifts were often handmade: a new pair of mittens, a carved wooden toy, or a jar of homemade preserves. These gifts, though simple, were treasured because they were made with love.

Christmas Eve Traditions

On Christmas Eve, townspeople would gather for church services, filling the pews with laughter and song. Caroling was common, and hymns would echo through the wooden structures, bringing a sense of peace and hope. The stories of the Nativity were shared, reminding everyone of the true meaning of the holiday.

After the service, families would return home to enjoy a modest supper and share stories by the fire. Children would hang stockings, often repurposed from old fabric, hoping to find small treats like candy or nuts in the morning.

In some families, particularly those with strong ties to Eastern traditions, there might be a ritual of reading "A Christmas Carol" or another classic holiday tale aloud, fostering a sense of nostalgia and warmth.

Christmas Day Celebrations

As the sun rose on Christmas Day, the excitement was palpable. Children would rush to their stockings, their eyes lighting up at the sight of small gifts and treats. It was a magical moment, filled with wonder and joy.

After the morning festivities, families would gather for their Christmas feast. The tables were set with whatever they had, adorned with simple but heartfelt decorations. They would take turns expressing gratitude, reflecting on the blessings of the past year, and sharing hopes for the future.

In many towns, a communal celebration would follow. Neighbors would come together for games, dances, and storytelling. The town hall or community center would be transformed into a festive space, with music filling the air as folks danced and celebrated together.

The Spirit of Giving

In the Wild West, the spirit of giving was alive and well. Many townsfolk would organize charitable efforts to help those less fortunate. Baskets filled with food, blankets, and other essentials were often delivered to families in need. It was a time for generosity, embodying the community’s resilience and unity.

Local churches played a crucial role in these efforts, reminding everyone of the importance of kindness and compassion. Many families would make it a point to help their neighbors, recognizing that a strong community could weather any storm.

Reflecting on the Wild West Christmas

The Christmas season in the Wild West was more than just a holiday; it was a celebration of community, faith, and resilience. Amidst the challenges of frontier life, people found ways to connect and uplift one another. The memories created during these festive times were cherished, passing from one generation to the next.

While the Wild West was known for its rugged individualism, it was also a time when the power of community shone brightly. The traditions and stories from these celebrations remind us of the warmth and joy that can be found even in the most challenging circumstances.

As we reflect on our own holiday traditions, it’s essential to remember the spirit of the Wild West: a celebration of love, hope, and unity, where every little gesture mattered. This Christmas, let’s embrace that spirit in our own lives, creating a tapestry of memories that honors both our past and our future.

So, as the snow falls gently outside, gather your loved ones, share stories, and celebrate the simple joys of the season. After all, it’s not about what we have, but about who we share it with that truly matters.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and whimsy creates worlds of beauty and danger for readers in several genres. 

Learn More.

Western Historical Romance

The stunning epic western historical romance novel, Hills of Nevermore, kicks off Janalyn Voigt's Montana Gold series, which follows the lives and loves of a family of Irish immigrants surviving the Wild West through six novels.

Medieval Epic Fantasy

Beginning with DawnSinger, Janalyn Voigt's medieval epic fantasy series, Tales of Faeraven. carries readers into a land only imagined in dreams. 

Early Americans: To Christmas or Not to Christmas?

by Denise Weimer

As we approach Christmas, we might venture to say that most Americans, certainly those with a Christian heritage, eagerly anticipate the celebration of the holiday. However, in the early days, those of different denominational backgrounds were much more sharply divided about whether to celebrate Christmas or not.

Many early Puritans and later Protestants saw Christmas as a holiday created by the Catholic pope. Plus, the celebration led to unseemly revelry. The Scottish Presbyterians were among the skeptical, although over the years, they began to allow some religious observations after seeing other denominations celebrate. They might sing some hymns by Isaac Watts, even though he was Congregationalist.

Anglicans, Catholics, and those of Germanic descent, especially  the Moravians, were much freer in their celebrations. While Anglicans observed Advent as a time of penitence and expectation, including fasting all but one full meal a day (and that, often without meat), the feast of Christmas on December 25 began a season of the twelve days of Christmas with balls, hunts, and parties until Epiphany. Churches were decorated with boughs of holly, ivy, mountain laurel, and mistletoe hung from the roof, walls, pillars, pews, pulpit, and galleries. This was often done on Christmas Eve in “the sticking of the church.” Anglicans added lavender, rose petals, and rosemary and bay. Carols sung might have included early favorites such as “The Snow Lay on the Ground,” “The First Noel,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “The Holly and the Ivy,” “I Saw Three Ships,” and “Lully Lullay” (the Coventry Carol).

Revelers traveled in noisy groups on Christmas, Second Christmas (the day after), and New Year’s Eve morning. Sometimes these groups were called “fantasticals” or New Year’s Wishers, and they might wear costumes, carry noisemakers, and fire guns. At times, they would set out at midnight on New Year’s Eve and stop outside the windows of neighbors, asking to grant the family a wish. After the spokesman offered a blessing and they group fired guns, they might go inside  for brandy, rum punch, wassail, mince pies, or cakes. Twelfth Night, January fifth, was an occasion for many fancy balls and weddings.

Moravians, an early sect of plain people I wrote about in The Witness Tree, brought some of the earliest Christmas traditions from their native Germany. They were among the first to make use of the Christmas tree, well before Queen Victoria. The Moravian diaries of the Cherokee mission at Springplace, Georgia, state: December 21, 1805, This was a very clear but unusually cold morning. Soon after breakfast we drove about three miles from here to the Conasauga River in our dray wagon with our pupils to fetch small green trees for Christmas as well as cedar wood for delivery. We were successful in finding both, and after we had spent a very pleasant day there, we stopped in at the mill on our way home.

Shortly before Christmas, a room of the house would be closed to children while the adults prepared the putz, a display of moss, evergreen, laurel, and a grotto with a manger scene including the magi and a star.

On Christmas Eve, Moravians held a “love feast,” primarily a song service opened in prayer. Sometimes there would be two, the earlier one for children with a simple lesson and the hymn “Morning Star.” The evening service could include an address by the minister and singing of “Silent Night.” Then coffee or tea was passed in mugs from the aisle, followed by a slightly sweetened bun. Men distributed the mugs, women the baskets of bread. Children would sing verses they memorized, then be presented a gift. Finally, cream-colored candles tied with red ribbons were lit and taken home. Christmas Day heralded another morning service in which string or brass bands might provide music.

Have you had an opportunity to attend a love feast or visit a Moravian historic site? Did your ancestors or settlers in your area pass down unique Christmas traditions? If so, share below! 

Read more about the Moravians in my marriage of convenience romance, The Witness Tree, https://www.amazon.com/Witness-Tree-Denise-Weimer/dp/1645260623/ .

Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance from her home in North Georgia and also serves as a freelance editor and the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A wife and mother of two daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

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Silent Night, Holy Night

 Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht by Martha Rogers

 This is one of the most beloved carols of all time. Over 200 years old, the song is sung by congregations on Christmas Eve all over the world. It all began in a small town in Austria when a young priest by the name of Joseph Mohr was put in charge of the Christmas program at St. Nicholas church in Oberndorf. 

He worked hard on the program and chose the most loved carols of the time for that night. Mohr gave every spare moment of his time to plan the elaborate service. 

He imagined the grand sound in the church with the organ playing to great crescendos of music. However, circumstances kept getting in his way. The weather did not cooperate, the coldest weather in the town's history hit the economy, and members could not get to choir practice because of the ice. 

On Christmas Eve, Mohr went to the church to make sure everything would be read. When he tested the organ, it remained silent. Nothing he did would bring it to life. He rushed from the church to home of his friend Franz Gruber who had once studied organ. However, Gruber had no luck in getting the organ to work, but he offered to play his guitar and accompany the music, but it had to simple works and not the elaborate cantata Mohr had planned. As they leafed through the music, Mohr remembered a poem he had written one cold night in the town of Mariapfarr as he stood on a hill overlooking the peaceful, snow covered village. The majestic silence of the night and the Christmas card scene below inspired him to write of the birth of Jesus and the words flowed from his heart. 

Mohr raced home, found the poem and returned to the church. He gave it to Gruber who composed music for his guitar to play the song. The small church loved the song. 

Franz Gruber: composer of the music for Silent Night

Mohr raced home, found the poem and returned to the church. He gave it to Gruber who composed music for his guitar to play the song. The small church loved the song. 

Weeks later, the organ repair man, Karl Mauracher came to the church. Mohr told him about the Christmas Eve mishap with the organ and how they had used the guitar instead. Mohr then sang the song for Mauracher who was captivated by it. He jotted down the words, learned the melody, and then taught it to choirs all over Europe. Within ten years, thousands of choirs sang the song at Christmas. 

Two well-known families of singers, the Rainers, and the Strassers heard and were captivated by it as well. Both groups added the new song to their Christmas repertoires, and the Strasser sisters sang it across Europe.

This a copy of an early piece of the music.

In 1834, after hearing the carol sung by the Strasser sisters, King Frederick William IV of Prussia liked it so much that he ordered it to be sung by the choir at his cathedral every Christmas Eve. 

Twenty years after song was written, it came to the United States with the Rainers who sang it in German at New York City's Trinity Church.

By 1863 it had been translated in English, and in 1871 made its way into print in Charles Hutchins' Sunday School Hymnal. Today, the beautiful carol is sung around the world in more than 300 different languages.

The original St. Nicholas church was badly 

damaged by a flood in 1899. Because of the wide spread damage in the town, leaders decided to move the  town further away from the river. 

The chapel was demolished, but a cone shape made of debris is on the site today.  

In 1924, the construction of a memorial chapel proceeded slowly because of difficult political and economic conditions of Austria at the time. The chapel was finally completed on August 15, 1937.

Every year at Christmas, thousands of people from around the world visit the chapel and museum. At 5:00 P.M. every Christmas Eve, a memorial mass is held at the church and guests hear the beloved carol in their language. Since 2002, the event is transmitted by means of a local webcam on the internet. 

When I was in Salzburg, Austria on a church choir concert tour, we were only 10 miles away from the town. Our busy schedule did not give time for us to visit, and I've regretted that to this day. Now that I've learned more of the history, I'll think of Salzburg and the little chapel every time we sing the carol at our church's Christmas Eve candlelight service.

Do you have a favorite Christmas carol? This one is mine. 

Two years ago I wrote a Christmas story that was based on the Faith Center of our church. The center has a special Christmas event called the "Christmas Store" every year. In the book it became a party with Santa for the families who come to the center. 

 

Before Garrison Cole can access his inheritance from his grandmother, he must fulfill the stipulations of her will and use thousands of dollars she set aside to make Christmas special for Hope Center of her church and the children's hospital. Along the way he must work with Kelly Graves who only remembers him as the rich jerk back in high school who made fun of those who weren't in the elite circle. Can Christmas provide the magic for them both to discover true love.

Christmas by the Sea in Chincoteague

 By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, we sloshed through the flood waters along the Delmarva Peninsula, and I shared a bit about Pony Penning Day still taking place even with the fairgrounds seeing water levels at nearly a foot deep! If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2021/11/flooding-life-on-peninsula.html. This month, it's December, and I'm in a Christmas mood, so it's time for some island traditions.

CHRISTMAS ON CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND

Inspired by a daily viewing of the Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Christmas," I've decided to pen yet another small-town Christmas story...this time set on Chincoteague Island. Look for it in October next year. If I get it finished early, it might be published in July 2022. Stay tuned!

Voted the #1 beach town in America, Chincoteague Island might not seem like the place to go when the cold weather hits and temperatures start turning to freezing at night. But getting in the water isn't the only appeal about the beach. My family visited the island a few years ago when gathering in Williamsburg with my extended family for Thanksgiving. I thought it would be a great time to take my children there to showcase some of their family heritage. Here is a photo of the two of them posing in front of the movie theater with Misty of Chincoteague's footprints in cement.

Second only to the annual Pony Penning Day festivities at the end of July each summer, the holiday season has been the next best time of year to visit Chincoteague Island for generations. The average air temperature in December is about 50 degrees with sunny skies. Just imagine yourself, in a cozy warm sweater, listening to the laughing gulls while walking along the beach to the rhythm of the ocean waves, gathering shells and driftwood for holiday ornaments.

That's what residents of the island have been doing for over a century, and even today, they invite visitors to join them in the casual and traditional fun. You can experience a beautiful sunset at the dock just like thousands of others before you, and when it disappears on the horizon, you can savor a bowl of clam chowder with warm bread, or feast on roast turkey and oyster stuffing.

The day after Thanksgiving became the start of this holiday season back in 1925 with what is now the annual lighting of the town Christmas tree. Not long after, the island theater began showing It's a Wonderful Life, and that tradition continues today. Residents and visitors alike gather in the historic theater every year to enjoy this classic film on the big screen. Have you ever watched this film?

What Christmas festivities are complete without a good old-fashioned parade? Chincoteague Island does it up in style! Complete with marching bands, floats, color guard, fire department companies from around the area, Saltwater Cowboys, and of course Santa Claus with his "reindeer" ponies leading his sleigh. :) This parade also pays homage to the sea by featuring King Neptune and his Mermaid Queen. For a brief few years, this tribute was left out of the parade, but it returned by popular demand just five years ago and remains.

Another big event is the annual Holiday Treats Sale, where everyone is invited to sample treats and goodies baked by island residents and sold, with the profits benefiting a charity of choice each year.

The second is the Children's Tea Party with Mrs. Claus, where Mrs. Claus and a select group of her favorite elves show the children a scrapbook of her life with Santa. She offers a sing-a-long of Christmas songs, games, and gifts. After the children have had their hot cocoa, kid-sized sandwiches, and Christmas cookies, they have an opportunity to have their photo taken with the Queen of the North Pole. From black-and-white treasures to the more modern digital captures, this tradition has long been enjoyed by children for decades.

Christmas Eve is celebrated with a breakfast offered to anyone on the island and a traditional candlelight service in the evening. Christmas morning is shared with families and friends in the many homes on the island, but you might also find some taking a peaceful stroll along the beach and enjoying a silent night.

The island rounds out the holidays with the annual Pony Island Horseshoe Drop. It's not made of Swarovski Crystals, but it's lighted and it sure does sparkle! And what's more invigorating than starting your new year with a plunge in the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean? That's right. It's called the Polar Pony Plunge. In recent years, it has been commemorated with t-shirts and other souvenirs to brag about your feat!

So, if you want to be part of the festivities and traditions, bring your camera to capture everything, dress warm, wear a hat and gloves for sure, and don comfortable shoes so you can shimmy and dance to the musical beats. Most importantly, bring family and friends with you to enjoy the grand fun that is all Chincoteague!

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* What are some traditions in your own home that have survived generations in your family? What is a new tradition developed by you with the current generation?

* Have you ever experienced a small-town Christmas? If so, where? What were some of the unique things that took place?

* What is your favorite part of the Christmas season?

Leave answers to these questions or any comments on the post below. Next month, it's a new year, and I haven't yet determined my new theme for the year. Come back on the 9th of January to find out. You and I both will be pleasantly surprised. :)

---

BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those skills to become an award-winning, best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help improve their lives in a variety of ways.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children, two dogs, and two cats in Kentucky. She has sold twenty-four (24) books so far and is represented by Tamela Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.

Kings or Wise Men? Who Really Visited Jesus from the East?

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo - Adoration of the Magi ,

                         1655-1660 {PD}

by Kathleen Rouser 

Who were the mysterious magi and where did they come from?

They were possibly Zoroastrian priests from Persia which is modern-day Iran. Zoroastrianism purports belief in a single deity, Ahura Mazda, and that there is a conflict between good and evil. It dates back to the 6th century B.C.

Magi was a term created by those who were skeptical of their religion and is the root word for magician. In a negative terms in means “sorcerer.”

Those referred to as wise men in different biblical accounts were advisors to ancient kings. They would have been astrologers and interpreters of signs. Astrology at that time had closer ties to astronomy. They would have also been educated scholars.

Around 530 B.C. Daniel served in the Persian court of Cyrus. Were advisors to Darius, priests of a monotheistic religion, intrigued by the prophet who worshipped the one true God? Perhaps they had many conversations about scripture and prophecy of the Messiah, who would be the Savior of the world. Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:17 states: "A star will rise from Jacob a scepter will emerge from Israel."(NLT)

One theory some theologians have proposed is that there was evidence that the message of the Gospel was in the stars until it was corrupted by astrology after the Tower of Babel had been built. Is it possible these wise men had searched for such a message in the stars and found the one star that they followed to the Messiah? The wise men came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2, KJV)

The three Magi (Balthasar, Caspar, 
Melchior) !2th Century {PD}

When did they visit the baby Jesus?

When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:10-11, NLT)

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. (Matthew 2:16, NLT)

When wise men are included in the Christmas narrative, they are often depicted visiting the baby Jesus at the site of the of manger where he was born, along with the shepherds who visited on the night of Jesus’ birth. However, two things would indicate that it could have been even a year or more later. Some translations say they entered the house to visit the child, not a place where a manger was kept. Also, Herod, to make sure he had no competition from this prophesied King of the Jews, decided to execute not only newborn infants, but every male child two years and younger. It’s likely that a year or two had passed and by then they were living in a house with a toddler-aged Jesus.

What was the significance of their gifts?

As quoted above, the wise men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to give the child in an act of worship. One interpretation, that originated with Origen, in the time of the early church is that gold was a gift fit for a king, frankincense was a perfume to be offered to a God, and myrrh was an ointment for anointing a dead body, so it was associated with death. The symbolism of virtue is attributed to gold, prayer is attributed to frankincense, and sacrifice is attributed to myrrh. Gold and frankincense reflected the life the child would grow up to live and myrrh reflected the sacrifice He would make for us.

Caspar by Jan van Biljert,Oil on panel. 
Circa 1640–1650, Rau Antiques2018, [cc]

What traditional beliefs have come from the visit of the Wise Men?

Since the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were presented to the Christ child, tradition has it that there were three wise men. However, in the eastern Syriac churches, the traditional number is twelve. The actual number is not mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew.

In western Christian tradition the names attributed to the supposed three wise men are Balthasar, from Arabia, Melchior from Persia, and Gaspar, from India. Eastern Christian traditions ascribe different names and sometimes different countries of origin than in the western church. However, in Matthew 2:12 it says they “returned to their own country.” In the original language this means a single place of origin.

They have also been referred to as kings. This tradition comes from viewing Psalm 72:10b, The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him gifts, as a prophecy of this event. Yet, there is no evidence in the Matthew 2 passage that they were kings.

While the wise men are often pictured as arriving by camel, these wealthy individuals likely covered the eight or nine hundred miles of their journey by riding swift Arabian horses, the preferred method of travel of the day. Camels were used mainly as pack animals.

James Tissot, "The Magi Journeying," c. 1890
Brooklyn Museum [cc]

So as you can see, traditions concerning the wise men from the east have risen and changed over the many centuries since the birth of Jesus. However, we can conclude that these men who gave of their riches and time to travel and seek out the King of Jews, believed He was deity. They truly were very wise men to worship the Messiah of the Jewish people, King of kings and Lord of lords, the Savior of the world. 

Please let me know in the comments if you've learned something new from this article. Or share something I didn't cover here. I would love to find out what others know/think about the wise men who visited Jesus. 

Kathleen Rouser is the multi-published author of the 2017 Bookvana Award winner, Rumors and Promises, her first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan, and its sequel, Secrets and Wishes. She is a longtime member in good standing of American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathleen wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She longs to create characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. She lives in Michigan with her hero and husband of thirty-some years, and continues on the elusive quest to brew the perfect cup of coffee to enjoy while she is writing. Connect with Kathleen on her website at kathleenrouser.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser/, and on Twitter @KathleenRouser.

Bookvana Awards Winner

Sophie Biddle is an heiress on the run with a child in tow. Wary and self-reliant, Sophie is caught off guard when meeting a kind, but meddling and handsome minister at the local mercantile. Believing he has failed God and his former flock, the Reverend Ian McCormick is determined to start anew in Stone Creek, Michigan. While Sophie seeks acceptance for her child and a measure of respect for herself, the rumors swirl about her sordid past. Should Ian show concern for Sophie's plight? If he does, he'll risk losing everything — including his new position as pastor of Stone Creek. Will the scandals of their pasts bind them together, or drive both deeper into a spiral of shame?

HISTORY OF MISTLETOE

Have you been mistletoe-ing correctly all these years?

Mistletoe has white berries. When a couple kisses under the mistletoe, they are to pluck off one of the berries.

I never knew mistletoe had berries. The dried twigs of this kissing plant I’ve gotten in the past didn’t have any berries. Maybe that was the problem.
 But let’s travel back. Where and when did this mistletoe tradition begin?
 
The custom to kiss under the mistletoe dates back to Europe in the 1500s. This romantic act is rooted in Norse mythology, but the plant has had cultural significant far longer.
 
The healing properties of mistletoe was highly regarded by the ancient Druids around the 3rd century bc/bce and used to cure many aliments.
 
The whole kissing tradition didn’t come around until the middle ages from the Scandinavian people and stories of their Nordic gods, but it wasn’t a Christmas thing. Yet.
 
When Oden and Frigg’s son, Baldur, was killed by Loki using a spear made from mistletoe, Frigg decried it never to be used as a weapon again. Instead, it would be a symbol of love, and she vowed to bestow a kiss on anyone who walked under it. After that, arguing people would stand under it to reconcile.
 
So how did we get from Nordic mythology to Christmas?
 
The earliest mentions of mistletoe being used at Christmas was by Charles Dickens and Washington Irving in the days of Victorian England. People would decorate their homes with kissing balls (kissing boughs) made from evergreen boughs, ribbon, and mistletoe. If a young lady was caught under one one of these balls, she couldn’t refuse a kiss or she wouldn’t get married the next year.

Also, a berry was pluck each time a kiss occurred under it. When the berries are gone, so is the kissing power of the flora. So make sure you get a sprig with lots of berries for lots of smooching opportunities
 

FUN FACTS

~Because Mistletoe stays green all winter, it is often used as a symbol of renewal.

~There are 1,300 species of mistletoe worldwide. That’s a lot of kissing!
 
~Mistletoe grows in a round mass and can get up to five feet across and weigh up to fifty pounds.
 

~Mistletoe is a parasite that grows on the branches of other trees and shrubs.
 
~When a mistletoe seed lands on a suitable host plant, it puts down roots that penetrate the host and draws nutrition and water. The infested trees die early.

~Several species of birds and tree squirrels nest in the mistletoe balls or baskets as they are known. Butterflies depend on mistletoe for survival. While the white berries are poisonous to humans, a variety of mammals and birds feed on them when other food is scarce.
 
~One last bit of information: How mistletoe got its name. Ancient Anglo-Saxons observed that mistletoe grew where birds left droppings. Probably because birds ate the berries. “Mistel” means “dung”, and “tan” means “twig”, which equals “dung-on-a-twig.” Not very romantic.
 
Happy Mistletoe-ing!


The MISSADVENTURE BRIDES Collection
Love Is One of Life’s Greatest Adventures
Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures?

Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure, a 1904 road-trip. Zola Calkin sets out on an adventure to be the first woman to drive across the country. Will the journalist tasked to report her presumed failure sabotage her efforts? Or will he steal her heart?

#ChristianRomance #HistoricalRomance #Romance

MARY DAVIS is a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. She has five titles releasing in 2018; "Holly & Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection in January, Courting Her Amish Heart in March, The Widow’s Plight in July, Courting Her Secret Heart September, & “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in MISSAdventure Brides Collection in December. Coming in January 2019, Courting Her Prodigal Heart (Book 3 in the Prodigal Daughter's series). She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and one incredibly adorable grandchild. Find her online at:
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Historical Christmas Traditions We Don’t Question

Christmas is full of small mysteries, including a number passed down through history. Christmas traditions with little-known origins can seem lame -- even slightly deranged. Who first thought it would be a good idea to cut down a perfectly good tree and haul it inside to bedeck the floor with needles? Why, exactly, do folks find it romantic to kiss beneath a noxious parasitic weed tied with ribbon? And what’s with the stripes on candy canes?

Don’t get me wrong – I love Christmas as well as the next person. But I mean, really… Really? Let’s look into this, shall we? 

Where Did Christmas Trees Originate?

Martin Luther, the renowned 16th-century German theologian and scholar, is said to have started the Christmas-tree tradition. While walking home through the woods late one night, he admired the stars shining through the trees. Eager to share this experience with his wife, he cut down a fir tree and set it up in his house with lighted candles in the branches.

The first Christmas tree recorded is a sculpture on the keystone of a home in Turckheim, Alsace. The sculpture dates from 1576. Use of Christmas trees spread across Europe. It flourished in England due to the influence of Queen Victoria, who adored them.

Why Do We Kiss Beneath the Mistletoe?

British servants started the Christmas tradition of Kissing beneath the mistletoe, but the practice orginated in response to a legend in Norse mythology. The unromantic truth is that mistletoe is a parasitic plant that robs the nutrients of its tree host. However, in ancient times it was valued as a healing herb. Because the plant is evergreen, it was seen as a symbol of vitality.

Why are Candy Canes Striped?

The first candy canes, made about 350 years ago, had no hook, were white, and contained no added flavors. Legend holds that in 1670 a choirmaster at Germany’s Cologne Cathedral bent the white candy sticks to represent shepherd's hooks for the children who attended the church’s ceremonies.

The first use of candy canes at Christmas was documented in 1847 when August Imgard, an immigrant living in Ohio, hung candy canes to decorate a tree. By the early 18th Century, Christmas cards contained white sugar canes.

It wasn’t until the turn of the 19th Century that the white-and-red striped peppermint candy canes appeared. These weren’t used to commemorate Christmas until Bob McCormack from Atlanta gave them to his friends and family in the 1920’s.

Candy canes were made laboriously by hand through the 1950’s, when Gregory Keller of Bob’s Candies invented a machine that automated the process. This led to worldwide distribution.

Many believe that candy canes are formed to hold special meanings. The red stripes are thought to represent the blood of Christ, and the white stripes to symbolize Jesus’s purity. The three fine stripes stand for the Trinity. The candy’s shape resembles the first letter of ‘Jesus’ or a shepherd’s hook. The candy is hard like the bedrock foundation of the Church. Peppermint stems from hyssop, a Biblical herb symbolic of purity and sacrifice.

These meanings are nice to think about, but we can’t state them for certain. What we do know is that the candy cane, like the other traditional items we discussed, is an indelible part of Christmas.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and whimsy creates breathtaking fictional worlds for readers. Known for her vivid writing, this multi-faceted author writes in the western historical romance, medieval epic fantasy, and romantic suspense genres.

Janalyn is represented by Wordserve Literary Agency. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she's not writing, she loves to garden and explore the great outdoors with her family.

Explore Janalyn Voigt's interactive website.

Christmas Traditions in the 1700s

By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Last month, I shared about the history of the New York Symphony. If you missed that post, you can read it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2018/11/new-york-symphony-debuts.html.

Now, let's go from the crafted instruments of music to holiday traditions.

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Christmas Traditions - 1700s

I wavered and pondered and struggled over the topic I'd select for today's post. With Christmas right around the corner, I didn't want anything to feel "contrived." On the other hand, the theme seemed perfect.

So, today, I'm going to cover Christmas traditions in the 1700's.

Christmas wasn't always celebrated the way it is today. In fact, the Puritans of Massachusetts banned any observance of Christmas, and anyone caught observing the holiday had to pay a fine. Connecticut had a law forbidding the celebration of Christmas and the baking of mincemeat pies! A few of the earliest settlers did celebrate Christmas, but it was far from a common holiday in the colonial era.

The first record of Christmas trees in America was for children in the German Moravian Church's settlement in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Christmas 1747. Actual trees were not decorated, but wooden pyramids covered with evergreen branches were decorated with candles.

The custom of the Christmas tree was introduced in the United States during the War of Independence by Hessian troops. Decorations included lace, ribbon, tin, food items and lit candles. Most other early accounts in the United States were among the German settlers in eastern Pennsylvania. Just as the first trees introduced into Britain did not immediately take off, the early trees introduced into America by the Hessian soldiers were not recorded in any particular quantity. Even so, it is known that the Pennsylvanian German settlements had community trees as early as 1747.

Decorations were still of a 'home-made' variety. Young Ladies spent hours at Christmas Crafts, quilling snowflakes and stars, sewing little pouches for secret gifts and paper baskets with sugared almonds in them. Small bead decorations, fine drawn out silver tinsel came from Germany together with beautiful Angels to sit at the top of the tree. Candles were often placed into wooden hoops for safety.

One of the primary reasons Christmas wasn't celebrated is due to its pagan association. Puritans and Protestants alike frowned upon any connection to this celebration. Any observance was made primarly by German and Dutch colonists in the Middle Colonies. German gifts such as nuts and apples were given to needy children by St. Martin and St. Nicholas know to be the forefathers of Santa Claus as we know him today. Kris Kringle evolved from the German name for the Christ Child (Christkindlein). Dutch settlers coming to America changed St. Nicholas to Sintr Claes who became the gift giver.

However, as the dawning of a new century approached, we begin to see a greater occurrence of the traditions so many celebrate and enjoy today.

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NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Do you have any German or Dutch ancestry/roots that have influenced what you do today?

* What traditions are special in your home?

* What traditions did you have a child that you continued with your own family?

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an author and speaker who also works as a force for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. On the side, she dabbles in the health & wellness and personal development industry, helping others become their best from the inside out.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children and two dogs: Nova, a Shiba-Inu/Besenji mix and Nugget a Corgi/Chihuahua mix, in Colorado. She has sold twenty (21) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, and LinkedIn.