Marc Hoover
Christmas is one of the most unique holidays in America. We exchange gifts and decorate our homes and workspaces to celebrate the Christmas spirit. But do you know why we set up Christmas trees or decorate them with ornaments? If not, I have listed the five most common Christmas traditions.

1. Gift Giving: Many centuries ago, Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. He then received a visit from three wise men, who brought the newborn gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We have since adopted the practice of exchanging gifts with friends, family, and co-workers. Unfortunately, the real meaning of Christmas may have fallen through the cracks. Instead of celebrating the birth of Christ, people have become engrossed and even obsessive about material goods. For retailers, Christmas is all about generating revenue. They play Christmas music and decorate their stores to welcome holiday shoppers. According to Fortune.com, “The National Retail Federation expects sales in November and December to rise 3.7 percent to $630.7 billion.”

2. Christmas Trees: A German reformer named Martin Luther is known to have started the Christmas tree tradition. On a cold winter night in 1536, Luther walked through a pine forest near his Wittenberg home and saw thousands of stars sparkling through the branches of several pine trees. The sight encouraged Luther to set up a candlelit fir tree in his home as a reminder that Jesus Christ was born on a starry night.

3. Elf on a shelf: So where did this famous elf come from? Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell introduced “The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition,” in 2005. The popular children’s book has a simple premise: Santa sent the little elf from the North Pole to watch over our children and monitor their behaviors. At night, the elf takes up a new position in the house. However, there are two rules: do not touch the elf and the elf shall remain silent while children are awake.

4. Santa Claus: The legend of Santa began many centuries ago. Around A.D. 280, a monk named St. Nicholas was born in the village of Patara. Today, the location is in Turkey. History tells us that St. Nicholas was a kind and considerate man. He gave away his wealth and devoted his life to caring for the sick and the poor. He became known as the man who protected children. After his death, Europeans began celebrating his life on the anniversary of his death on December 6. Although Europeans celebrate Saint Nicholas Day, America never adopted the tradition. Saint Nicholas did not become a part of American culture until the late 1700s after a New York newspaper introduced him to Americans. The paper reported a story about Dutch families honoring Saint Nicholas. The Dutch term for Saint Nicholas is Sinter Klaas. Americans adopted Saint Nicholas and “Americanized” his name from Sinter Klaas to Santa Clause.

5. Christmas ornaments: Originally, German families decorated their Christmas trees with fruit or pastry items. Like the Christmas tree, Germany also started the tradition of decorating Christmas trees. As the culture spread through Europe, Christmas tree decorations made its way to America during the Revolutionary War. During the war, German mercenaries called Hessians set up their decorated trees to celebrate Christmas. By 1935, Europe had shipped millions of Christmas ornaments to America. In 1939, an American company began creating ornament balls with a machine that made light bulbs. The tradition of hanging colored bulbs on our Christmas trees continues today.