Christmas Traditions

Inspired by the gospels of Matthew and Luke, nativity scenes depict the birth of Jesus Christ. They have played a symbolic role in the lives of Christians for centuries, but St. Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first living version played out in Rome in 1224. These early nativities presented a simple depiction of the miracle birth with only a manger, an ox and a donkey.

While most modern nativity scenes, whether live performances or tabletop sets, display all the characters at one time, this is not how nativities began. Traditional nativity scenes followed the teachings of the gospels of Matthew and Luke with charac...

Many think of Christmas as a time for Santa Clause, Christmas tree ornaments, and tinsel. But, one major sign of Christmas appreciated by Christians around the world is the Nativity Scenes.

Nativity Scenes are often used as decoration, but can also be performed live.

Here, you can read about both the history of the Nativity along with ways to incorporate the scene into your Christmas festivities.

After his return to Italy from a voyage to Egypt in 1220, Saint Francis of Assis introduced the first three-dimensional nativity scene.  He only used a straw-filled manger set between a real ox and donkey.  It was said to be beautiful in its simplicity.It wasn't until 1562 when a crib was added to scene by the Jesuits in Prague.  It was considered the first crib of the modern kind.

In 1670, the choir director at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany began handing out candy canes to reward his young singers for their good behavior during the living creche procession. Back then, candy canes were basically a pure white (no stripes!) su...

FranceWhile Americans save the big feast for Christmas day, the French can't wait that long. Le Reveillon is a feast held after the Christmas Eve midnight mass (la Messe de Minuit) that serves to symbolically awaken participants to Jesus' birth, acco...

Nice Claim: The legend of Santa Claus can be traced to a Turkish monastery.Facts: The legend of Santa Claus first began in 280 A.D. with a monk named St. Nicholas. Much admired for his kindness and benevolence, Nicholas, is said to have given away al...

Tell the story of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Have 12 battery operated candles, but only allow your child to "light "one each night. On Christmas night, ceremoniously light the twelfth candle as a family to signify unity.

The legend of Santa Claus is thought by many to be inspired by a real man named Saint Nicholas. Born in what we now call Turkey in 280 AD, this bishop was known for his love of children and generosity.

One story...

It is widely thought that Germans started the tradition of an indoor Christmas tree in the 16th century, and Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, was the first make it shine. On his way home one winter evening Luther was awestruck by the twinkling sta...