Know Your Christmas Traditions
By Nate Webster IMH
Each
Christmas people everywhere engage in dozens if not hundreds of different
traditions. From drinking eggnog, to the mistletoe, to socks over the fire
place and much, much, more. But how many of us actually know the origins of
these timeless traditions? Learning about the history of traditions can be
incredibly fun. It reminds us that we are apart of a very long and wonderful
history of people celebrating the holidays. So lets look into the origins of
three popular traditions.
Eggnog:
Many of us drink eggnog, and can’t resist its thick eggy
goodness, but if we are honest, it is a strange drink. There are very few
drinks similar to it, so where does this random eggnog drink come from. Well
according to Elizabeth Dias of Time Magazine, “While culinary historians debate
its exact lineage, most agree eggnog originated from the early medieval Britain
“posset,” a hot, milky, ale-like drink. By the 13th century, monks were known
to drink a posset with eggs and figs. Milk, eggs, and sherry were foods of the
wealthy, so eggnog was often used in toasts to prosperity and good health.
Eggnog
became tied to the holidays when the drink hopped the pond in the 1700s.
American colonies were full of farms—and chickens and cows—and cheaper rum, a
soon-signature ingredient. Mexico adopted the very eggnog varietal “rompope,”
and Puerto Rico enjoys the “coquito,” which adds coconut milk. The English
name’s etymology however remains a mystery. Some say “nog” comes from “noggin,”
meaning a wooden cup, or “grog,” a strong beer. By the late 18th century, the
combined term “eggnog” stuck.”
Mistletoe:
The mistletoe
is a funny and endearing tradition around the holidays. Mostly enjoyed by those
already in a relationship, it is also occasionally enjoyed by those who are
interested in one another and would like to smooch. In truth the missletoe is
quite a random tradition among the many others we celebrate around Christmas,
so where did it come from? Rob Dunn of Smithsonian gives three sources, but
I’ll only be mentioning one, “Druids
who viewed the mistletoe as magical and hung it above their doors for luck.
Others say it is hung for fertility…. The modern story of mistletoe is one of
kisses. As Washington Irving wrote in the 1800s, “young men have the privilege
of kissing the girls under [mistletoe], plucking each time a berry from the
bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases.”
Stockings:
Stockings like
eggnog and mistletoes are unique and random in their own way. Why socks over
the fireplace for Santa to place all the smaller gifts into? Just keep the
elf’s work simple and wrap everything! Well according to Emily Spivack of
Smithsonian, “The most popular legend about why stockings are hung at Christmas
goes something like this: A recently widowed man and father of three
girls was having a tough time making ends meet. Even though his daughters were
beautiful, he worried that their impoverished status would make it impossible
for them to marry. St. Nicholas was wandering through the town where the man
lived and heard villagers discussing that family’s plight. He wanted to help
but knew the man would refuse any kind of charity directly. Instead, one
night, he slid down the chimney of the family’s house and filled the girls’
recently laundered stockings, which happened to be drying by the fire, with
gold coins. And then he disappeared. The girls awoke in the morning, overjoyed
upon discovering the bounty. Because of St. Nick’s generosity, the daughters
were now eligible to wed and their father could rest easy that they wouldn’t
fall into lonely despair.”
I hope your Christmas season is filled with Merry and Cheer and
maybe start your own tradition this year. Traditions help us remember and
connect with the joy of holidays past. They allow us to connect with all the
times we celebrated and all the times to come!
Nate Webster is a Mental Health Intern at the Life Works Group in Winter
Park, Florida. He works with young people between 12 and 35 and specializes
specifically in Millennials and families with teenagers.
To schedule an appointment with Nate Webster,
Please call our office at 407-647-7005.