‘Twas the night before finals and little old me,

was dreaming of Christmas and how it would be.

When all of a sudden, a thought crossed my mind:

was Christmas exciting for ancestors of mine?

How long has Christmas been such a joy,

and how has it changed for young girls and boys?

To my computer, I went with a dash

to read about decades and centuries past!

Christmas has long been the best holiday,

with traditions much older than the U.S.A.

Christmas pastimes, I’ve listed below

to spread Christmas cheer, to make your minds glow.

Some are unnerving, some goofy, some dark,

but perhaps you'll find a tradition to start!

Maybe your mind is on finals or work,

but take a few moments to read these bizerk

Christmas traditions, all through the years

and let your stresses be

replaced with good cheers.

1. Yule Log: Believe it or not, Christmas has been around even before the birth of Jesus. For centuries, Europeans have celebrated light on the darkest days of winter. This celebration of Winter Solstice was called Yule for early Scandinavians. They would chop down a tree or large logs and set them on a fire in their houses. They would then feast until the log completely burned up. This could last approximately 12 days. In case you were ever wondering the meaning of the lyric, “yuletide carols being sung by the fire,” now ya know.
2. The Ashen Faggot: It turns out that burning things has been a part of Christmas for a long time. Around the time of the Yule Log, it also became popular to burn a bundle of ash sticks, then called a “faggot.”The bundle was bound by green ash bands from the same tree. Everyone would gather around to watch the bundle burn for good luck. Unmarried girls would all select a green ash band. The girl whose band burned first would be the first to get married. When this tradition was adopted by Christianity, the ashen bundle was said to represent the type of wood that Mary burned in order to bathe baby Jesus.
3. Twelfth Night: In 15th century England, Christmas was celebrated for twelve days. The twelfth night was celebrated with a special cake. This fruit cake contained hidden items like a bean, a clove, a twig, and even a rag. If you received a bean in your slice of cake, you became the King/Queen of the Bean and got to tell everyone what to do for the rest of the night. This tradition is actually still celebrated today in some parts of the UK. Is it worth being the Bean Queen if you break a tooth biting into your bean?
4. NO CHRISTMAS: What’s that you say? NO CHRISTMAS? It turns out that American settlers did not celebrate Christmas! In fact, the Christmas tradition was not widely accepted in America until after the American Revolution when Americans moved away from English customs. When the first British settlers moved to America, they brought very Puritan beliefs with them; leaving no room for such a pagan concept as Christmas. From 1659-1681, an individual was charged five shillings for even showing Christmas spirit in Boston. The tradition to not celebrate Christmas is the only one on this list that I fully resent. Come on, pilgrims. Get it together.
5. Ghost Stories: Ever wonder why A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is randomly interjected by ghosts? Apparently, ghost stories used to be a big part of Christmas. Families used to gather around on Christmas Eve to break out their very spookiest tales of murder and doom. Christmas spirit or nah?
6. Krampus: Okay, so this tradition is actually almost as disturbing as #4. For a long time, Krampus was the horrifically menacing demon that accompanied Santa Claus. While Santa emptied his bag of toys for the good children, Krampus collected a bag of naughty children to take with him to Hell. He was also known to whip children with chains. Talk about incentive to make it on Santa’s nice list... Thankfully, the idea of a lump of coal for naughty children is all that's left of ol' Krampus. However, there is a movie currently in theaters about this creepy, Christmas demon. If you're brave enough to go see it, be prepared not to sleep on Christmas Eve.
7. Christmas Pudding: Fast forward to the 20th century where we find some more familiar and pleasant Christmas traditions. Although the Christmas pudding can be traced back to the 15th century, it was still quite popular in America in the 30's and 40s. A good luck charm, like a silver coin, was often hidden in the pudding. Which would you rather bite into: a bean or a silver coin?
8. The Queen’s Speech: The queen of England makes a Christmas broadcast to the commonwealth each Christmas Day. In the 50s and 60's, it was still popular for an American family to gather around in the living room on Christmas Day and listen to the Queen’s address. As technology has increased and channels have become ample, listening to the queen speak is no longer the average American's Christmas Day priority. I honestly didn’t even know this was a thing. Maybe I’ll tune in this year!
9. Bonfires for Papa Noel: Now we’re all caught up to interesting Christmas traditions of the modern day. Each year in Southern Louisiana, the Christmas season is filled with bonfires. Why? Well, to light the way for Papa Noel (AKA Santa), of course! Riverside bonfires are enjoyed on Christmas Eve along with booming fireworks and toasty hot cocoa. I wonder why Papa Noel doesn’t just bring Rudolph with him to Southern Louisiana….
10. SantaCon: This huge Santa Claus convention originated in San Francisco in 1994. Thousands of men and women gather in various locations across the nation to dress up as Santa Claus. At this red-themed event, wearing green is highly discouraged. SantaCon is a secular tradition that has blown up in the United States for no reason at all other than the idea that it’s fun to dress up as Santa Claus! I can’t argue with that.
11. Elf on the Shelf: Last but not least, let’s discuss this increasingly popular new tradition. My mom and I decided to purchase an Elf on the Shelf for my adopted brother who will be spending his first Christmas with us this year. We have yet to determine whether or not this was a good move. The poor boy is already scared of it. Elves can be purchased at stores like Walmart or Target. They come with a storybook explaining their purpose; to watch kids leading up to Christmas and send last-minute behavior reports back to the big man at the North Pole. These mischievous elves are hidden in a different place each morning and not allowed to be moved by the children of the household. The Internet is littered with creative hiding suggestions. Elf on the Shelf has recently become more commercialized. I even saw Elf on the Shelf pajamas at Target. Will these little guys become a big part of future Christmas culture in America?