ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of 5 favourite Christmas traditions in Nigeria
All you need to know about how Christmas traditions began.
Recommended articles
![Graça Machel was born in 1945 [CGTN]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Graça Machel was born in 1945 [CGTN]")
As one of the biggest festive holidays approaches, there are a few traditions that are a few traditions that are religiously followed every year.
While we fulfill these Christmas traditions, here are the origins of how they came to exist.
1. Christmas cards
ADVERTISEMENT
The custom of sending Christmas cards was started in Britain in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole who had the idea with his friend John Horsley, who was an artist.
Together they designed the first card and went on to print about 1000 more which were sold for 1 shilling each, ever since then giving Christmas cards have become a Christmas tradition.
2. Christmas trees
Christmas trees are a popular Christmas tradition which most people uphold with the approach of the festive period. The Christmas trees may be natural fir trees but most are artificial trees made to look like fir trees.
The modern Christmas tree is mostly traced to the symbolism of trees in winter rites, where Vikings and Saxon worshiped trees. A folklore story says that an evergreen tree grew in place of a felled oak and its triangular shape reminds humanity of the Trinity and how it points to heaven.
ADVERTISEMENT
The first recorded Christmas tree was from 1576 which can be found on the keystone sculpture of a private home in Turckheim, Alsace which was then part of Germany but today France.
3. Christmas stockings
Christmas stockings are a tradition that began somewhere in Europe many years ago with children hanging their everyday socks close to the chimney in order to have it filled with small gifts and sweets overnight.
This tradition has evolved and has seen stockings sold especially for this purpose in shops although it isn’t as popular as Christmas trees or cards.
4. Santa Claus
ADVERTISEMENT
Santa Claus is also known as Father Christmas or just Santa is a fictional character who is believed to deliver presents to well-behaved children on Christmas eve night.
The modern Santa Claus grew out of traditions surrounding the historical Saint Nicholas who was a fourth-century Greek bishop and gift-giver of Myra.
It became popular in the United States and Canada in the 19th century because of the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and cartoonist Thomas Nast.
5. Boxing day
Boxing Day is a holiday which is celebrated the day after Christmas Day on 26 December.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was started in Britain about 800 years ago. It was the day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were traditionally opened so that the contents could be distributed to poor people.
Although now, a lot of people have playfully taken boxing day literally as a day to 'box' peopel.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
Next story
ADVERTISEMENT