10 Collegian Magazine Thursday, Dec. 10, 1981
Yule log, mistletoe and Santa
part of Christmas folklore
By DIANE L. ROWELL
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
The candles will be lit for Hanukkah, the
tree decorated for Christmas and the
champagne will flow on• New Year's Eve.
It's that time of year again— the long
awaited winter holiday season.
The. Santa Clauses invade every street
corner in New York. Perry Como gives his
annual television special even before the
Thanksgiving leftovers are, gone, and
Neiman-Marcus tries to persuade its
customers what a practical gift mink golf
club covers will make.
Despite what many might say is
commercialism and media hype, the
winter holiday season is rich with century
old traditions. Today, an old-fashioned
American holiday still exists in the homes
and hearts of many.
Christmas, which is celebrated all over
the world in various ways and at different -
times of December, has become an
important American tradition. It is a
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tradition that has borrowed from the
Romans, Scindinavians, French,
Germans and English.
The first American Christmas, in 1620
with the Pilgrims, was actually not a
celebration. They chose to work instead,
refusing to acknowledge its existence.
Many, of the Pilgrims believed it was a
pagan ritual and no one who observed Dec
25 was considered a true Christian.
In 1659 in Boston, a fine of five shillings
was imposed on anyone guilty of
celebrating the holiday or anyone who
looked as though they were having a good
time.
As the years passed and the colonies
became more established, European
immigrants came to America with their
holiday customs which the Americans
eventually accepted and then elaborated
upon.
Sending Christmas cards, one way to
keep up with old friends and family and
remember the ones you neglected all year
started in England. Young schoolboys
away from home would send elaborately
decorated holiday notes to their.parent,s to
tell about their progress in school in the
hope of receiving gifts:
Even though no one is quite sure who
sent the first Christmas card in America,
the idea of the card became a popular
event during the winter holidays in the
1860 s and '7os. .
Cards would sometimes be considered
as gifts since many were handpainted,
porcelain or illustrated booklets. By the
1880 s, the business of card manufacturing
was in full swing.
Today, as mass produced cards fill
mailboxes, the original intention has
remained the same to remember family
and friends during the holiday season.
Whether they are cut down in the woods,
bought at the nursery or made of plastic,
Christmas trees have become one of the
most important parts of holiday decor.
The first decorating of a Christmas tree
in America was said to have taken place
during the American revolution. The
homesick Hessian soldiers decorated fir
trees to remind them of there:homeland.
Trees, whether they were fir or fruit,
symbolized life and immortality for many
Europeans. The decorating of the trees
was a symbol of reverence for the tree.
The custom of having a Christmas tree,
however, did not become popular until
many years later.
Instead of a tree, the Yule log was often
the center of attention in many American
homes.
Families went to the woods to find the
biggest log possible, pulling it home by
oxen or by rope. The log was lit at one end
and was supposed to last until the 12th day
of Christmas.
The Yule log was a symbol of the light
that came from heaven when Christ Was
. born. Ashes and small pieces of the log
were kept for luck and to light the yule log
from next year.
Mistletoe, that innocent-looking sprig_of
leaves which gives bashful admirers the
opportunity to kiss the object of their
affections, has been around for centuries
for different purposes.
But at Christmas time, legend has it that
a man may kiss a woman under the
mistletoe only if it was cut with a golden
knife. The privilege of kissing under the
'mistletoe only extends to how many
berries are on the plant. After each kiss, a
berry must be picked off.
Legind has it that any woman who
passes beneath mistletoe and is not kissed
will not be married that year.
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The exchanging of gifts between family
and friends has been a strong Christmas
tradition that was derived from various
ancient superstitions. The:trading of gifts
was supposed to protect the gift doner and
receiver from evil for the coming year.
The origins of the most popular gift
bearer in the world are a combination of
different European folklore.' . •
St. , Nicholas, Kris Kringle and Father
Christmas are some of the many names we
call that jolly white bearded man Santa
Claus. •
Different countries explain the origin of
this mysterious gift giver in various ways.
Some say, he was a wealthy bishop who
enjoyed giving gifts to the poor, but was
• Please see CHRISTMAS Page 18.
American Christmas:
By JOYCE WASHNIK
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
Are you aware of how many different. Christmas
traditions are celebrated across the world? Consider the
following:
• In Sweden, Tomte, the "Good Spirit of the House," is
given a dish of food to placate him so that he will keep
watch over the family thrbugh the year.
• In early. Spain, the "Urn of Fate" could decide who
would be devoted friends for the coming year.
• In pre-Revolutionary Russia, a girl would kick her .
slipper up over her head, and depending on where it
landed, she could tell from which direction her husband
would come,
• In Rumania, it was the practice for the housewife to
place grain under the mattress, hoping to inctease the
supply of eggs for the coming year.
• In Holland, houses with many children, could expect
a visit from elders dressed in churchly robes as the Bishop
St. Nicholas.
• In Greece, special loaves of bread are baked for
Christmas with silver coins put inside. He who finds the
coin will have good luck through the year.
These are just some of the hundreds of thousands of
different Christmas traditions and customs that have
been practiced through the years and some are still
practiced today. Whether it is called Kerst-Misse,
Badnjak, Noel, II Natale, Weihnachten'or El Natal,
Christmas is a holiday celebrated all over the world, in
various ways.
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A melting pot of many customs
But what about Christmas in the United States? Our
country is a vast melting pot, with many of our Christmas
favorites, such as Santa Claus, mistletoe, holly and, of
course,•the Christmas tred; brought to this land by
immigrants.
Among the Romans, mistletoe was considered a symbol
of hope and peace. Enemies would lay down their swords
The idea of Santa Claus, also referred to in other' - when meeting under the mistletoe, kiss each other, and
countries as Sankt Nikolaus, Father Christmas, Pere declare a truce until the next day. This could possibly be
Noel, Kriss Kringle, Krist Kindlein or Sinter Klaas, stems the origin of the kissing custom under the mistletoe.
from an early Christian bishop, Saint Nicholas, who lived
during the fourth century . He was supposedly a man of
unusual generosity who gave presents to the poor,
especially to children
• When the Dutch settled "Nieuw Amsterdam" —now
New York they brought the idea of St. Nicholas with
them. However, his image had changed from that of a
robed bishop to a chubby &haractec; in red breeches.
Hence, the figure of our modern Santa Claus.
Another Christmas favorite, holly, was brought to the
United States by the English settlers. Many legends are
connected with holly. For instance, the Druids believed
that holly was sacred due to its eternally green leaves,
which proyed the sun neve - toinptely deserted the
earth.
Holly was also believed to ward off witches and protect
the occupants of a house from bad weather. And if holly
was placed by one's bedpost at night, he would surely
have pleasant dreams.
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Mistletoe, another Christmas tradition, is also known as
"the kissing plant." For instance, in Greek mythology,
mistletoe was thought to be a charm against evil. The
Norse believed this plant possessed healing powers.
The Christmas tree was introduced to America by the
German settlers in the 18th century. Many legends are
also connected with the Christmas tree. Primitive tribes
worshipped nature, and would bring trees into their
homes to "bring the world of nature indoors."
A second legend stems from the story of St. Boniface, an
English missionary in Germany during the Bth century.
Supposedly, after chopping down a sacred oak tree on
Christmas Eve in Germany, a young fir tree grew in its
place. After this incident the saint suggested the fir tree as
a symbol of the new faith he had brought to Germany.
The first decorated Christmas trees in this country are
said to have been those set up by the Hessian soldiers
during the American Revolution. However, the customary
use of Christmas trees did not catch on until years later,
during the 1800's.
As you celebrate this holiday season with family and
friends, consider our Christmas customs and traditions,
and think about their origins.
Hanukkah:
and time
By STEVE BENOWITZ
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
Fighting for freedom in Israel today has
the same meaning as the Hanukkah of old,
said Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat.
Eisenstat, director of Hillel Foundation,
224 Locust Lane, said that historically,
Hanukkah celebrates the victory of a
small number of Jews over a larger
invading Greek army and the rededication
of the second Temple in Palestine in 165
B.C.E.
"There were a group of religious Jews
called the Maccabees who claimed they
did not want to havethe Greek culture, and
therefore they fought for the first time in-
1 , ..11,.:. A
festival of lights
of remembrance
recorded history for religious freedom,"
he said. •
"Judah Maccabee and his followers
were fighting for their way of life. The -
Greeks would not allow them to study
Torah, eat kosher foods or even
circumcise their sons basic philosophies
in Judaism," Eisenstat said.
The Greeks, the greatest known power in
the world at that time, outnumbered the
Maccabees by more than five to one. This
situation required different types of
strategies that had never been used
before, he said.
"It was the first time that guerrilla
warfare was used," he said.
After three years of fighting, the Greeks
were driven out and the Temple was
reclaimed and purified rededicated.
The word'Hanukkah means dedication,
Eisenstat said.
But Hanukkah has taken on an even
- greater meaning to Jews, especially since
1948, the year of Israeli independence.
"There are growing similarities
between the Israeli army and the
Maccabees, the main thing being that they
are constantly outnumbered by their Arab
enemies," Eisenstat said.
"In 1967, when Syria, Lebanon, Jordan,
Egypt and Saudi Arabia attacked Israel,
Israel became victorious in only six days.
And it was at that point that the Israeli
army became likened to the Maccabees,"
he said.
"Today in Israel," he said, "we're
fighting for our homeland. Israel is the
place where all Jews can go and be free to
celebrate their Judaism the way they
want."
Hanukkah is known as the festival of
lights, since its most well-known symbol,
the Menorah (a nine-branched
candelabrum), is often visible from
windows each night the holiday is
celebrated.
"When the victorious Jews entered the
Temple and this is the legend all the
little children are taught they found a
cruse of oil that would light the everlasting
light (representative of the everlasting
presence of God) for one day, until
supplies could arrive. The light lasted for
eight-days," Eisenstat said.
!`The custom is that in honor of the eight
days that the light lasted, we light the
candles of the Menorah for eight nights. At
nightfall we take the shamus, the main
candle, and light the candles in succession,
an additional one each night," he said.
This year Hanukkah lasts_ from Dec. 20
to Dec. 27.
Collegian Magazine Thursday, Dec. 10, 1981 1
Another custom observed during
Hanukkah is giving presents. •
"The idea of getting a present developed
from a different idea, called Hanukkah
gelt," Eisenstat said.
The custom began 2,000 years ago, he
said. A child was given a piece of gold or
some metal —to wish that person a _
prosperous year. The gold coins later were
filled with chocolate.
"Not until the last 75 years, perhaps
from the influence of the December
Christmas shopping season, did kids start
to get presents instead - of gelt," Eisenstat
said.
, The Hanukkah celebration at Hillel will
consist of a party on Dec. 17 where
traditional Hanukkah foods such as potato
pancakes and jelly doughnuts will be
served. There will be games and a
humorist there. Yachad will join Hillel in
sponsoring the activity, he said.
He said the Jewish Community Center is
also having a large Hanukkah party on
Dec. 20 for their students and townspeople.
Hanukkah has always been a family
oriented holiday, as its many observances
demonstrate.
"Hanukkah means sharing with my
family," said Rebecca L. Glass, a 7th
semester religion and Hebrew student at
Temple University in Philadelphia.
"We light the candles of the Menorah
together every night, and usually we all
get together with the extended family for
the celebration," she said. "And of course,
it includes giving gifts," she said.
"It's kind of sad not being with your
family," Cindi Kleeman (11th-accounting)
said. "But last year many of the girls on
my floor were Jewish, so each night we
celebrated we lit the candles in a
different room."
The celebration in Israel differs in some
ways.
Please see HANUKKAH Page 18.