Christmas trees. Is there anything more iconic these days when it comes to holiday decorations? But have you ever paused to actually consider why we bring an entire tree into our house once a year…or even go to the trouble of erecting fake ones?

The tradition can be traced back to Germany in the Middle Ages. Evergreens had long been a symbol of eternal life, in many religions and cultures, including Christianity. The idea of decorating a tree at this particular time of year however is, interestingly enough, not because of the celebration of the birth of Christ. Nope. It’s because it’s also the feast day of Adam and Eve, and in the Middle Ages, this included reenactments of the story for the masses, who couldn’t read it for themselves and wouldn’t have owned any expensive books like the Bible anyway. Well, in Europe, the only trees still green at that time of year were, of course, evergreens. And the only fruit that lasted that long when picked was the apple. So apples were tied to evergreen branches to represent the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

But it wasn’t long before that decorated tree began to be a symbol to Germans of the whole season. Each family began cutting down its own tree and bringing it inside–and this came with some rules. The trees had to be trimmed into a perfect triangular shape, to represent the trinity. They were usually decorated with things like apples, pretzels, wafer cookies, nuts, and straw. (Historically, trees were undecorated on Epiphany and the children got to eat the treats!)

Legend has it that Martin Luther was the first to affix lighted candles to the tree, to try to mimic the beauty of stars viewed through pine boughs.

Christmas trees were unique to the area now called Germany for several centuries. But in the late 1700s and early 1800s, German immigrants brought the tradition to America, and it soon caught on here. In England, Prince Albert brought the tradition with him to the palace, and he and Queen Victoria made it iconic there as well in 1848, when the London Illustrated News published an image of them and their children gathered around the tree…with presents underneath. This is the first published record of gifts under a Christmas tree. By the time Albert died in 1861, the tradition had been cemented in England as well, with him getting the credit for it.

It’s only been in the last five or so years that I learned about Iceland’s Jolabokaflod tradition, but it’s one I absolutely adore! In short, the tradition is to give a book on Christmas Eve and then stay up reading it. 😉 But what’s the history of this TOTALLY AWESOME tradition?

It dates back to WWII, when paper was one of the few things not rationed in Iceland, which meant that books were some of the only things widely available. Which in turn meant they became very popular gifts. The word itself can be translated as “Christmas Book Flood,” when books are everywhere (ah, the bliss)!

This book-giving has become such a staple of Icelandic tradition that their entire publishing industry revolves around it. There’s a giant book fair in November, and a catalogue for it goes out to every single family in November,  they can peruse the pages and choose which books will be perfect for their loved ones that year.

In Iceland, Christmas Eve is the traditional day to give gifts (my family does this too!), so it’s now just expected that you’ll receive a book. And once you have it, well, what better to do than grab a cup of hot chocolate, curl up in a comfy chair, and read through the night? I love that this also means you get to welcome in the arrival of Christmas Day itself.

This tradition is actually credited with turning the entire country into a land of book-lovers. On average, Icelandic people read twice as many books a year as most Americans do, and more of them read as a pastime in general. In America, 25% of people reported not reading a book in the last year (wha??????), while in Iceland, that number is only 7%.

I don’t know about you, but our family has integrated this tradition into our own! (Well, except for my son, who doesn’t enjoy reading like the rest of us. He prefers a game to ring in Christmas Day.)

Know what’s on the top of my grocery list right now? Eggnog. Because we’re out, and this won’t do. As soon as the first cartons appear in the supermarket, my daughter is clamoring for it…and I’m with her. Though it was an acquired taste for me, it’s one I now adore–both the store-bought version, and the homemade variety that I’ll splurge on making for Christmas morning.

But what’s the history of eggnog, and how did it get tied to Christmas?

The beverage itself dates back to the Middle Ages as “posset,” a drink that combined milk, eggs, alcohol, and spices. The egg part of its eventual name, then, is obvious–and it seems that nog was a strong, ale-like drink, though no one’s quite sure on the etymology of that part.  The ingredients, however, were expensive, which meant it was reserved for the wealthy or for times of celebration.

At least until the recipe came to America. Since so many people here had farms, and hence access to cream and eggs and cheap Caribbean rum, eggnog quickly became a favorite beverage for special occasions for everyone. George Washington even shared his favorite recipe (which was quite heavy on the liquor, LOL). The drink became known as eggnog first in America around 1775.

Are you an eggnog fan? Store bought? Homemade? With or without alcohol? (My daughter and I prefer it without, but my husband enjoys the flavors more with a dash of sherry or rum in there.)

Ever wonder how red and green became our Christmas colors? Well, back in the day when I was writing A Heart’s Revolution (which includes Christmas in 1780), I paused to look it up, just to make sure my characters would have been celebrating with familiar colors (they totally would have been!). So of course, I figure I’ll share with you too, as part of my Holiday History series. 😉

The green part of “red and green” I pretty much knew. Since evergreens are the only thing growing in the Western hemisphere this time of year, it was chosen as a decoration–one we could find much significance in, as it’s a symbol of eternal life and/or rebirth. There were, of course, traditions surrounding this before Christianity took root–traditions that were easily integrated into the new faith because of how well they represented our ideals.

But red–that’s the one I wasn’t sure about. And it’s been around long enough that historians aren’t entirely sure about it. But this is their best guess:

Traditionally, the feast day of Adam and Eve is on Christmas Day. As part of the celebration in the Middle Ages, they would put on a play to educate the illiterate masses about Adam and Eve’s story. When they got to the part about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil their options were limited–the only tree still green was the pine. And the only fruit they had stores was the apple. So they’d tie an apple onto a pine bough, and that would represent their Tree.

Over the years, the red apple snuck into Christmas traditions too, appearing on wreaths and garlands. Red and green soon took hold in its own right. Holly became a popular plant to decorate with solely because it combines those two colors (and is an evergreen so, you know, around in December).

And there we have it! A tradition that has been around for somewhere between 500 and 1000 years, and shows no signs of stopping. =)

Ever wonder why this cake has become a holiday staple, despite all the jokes about how much people hate it?

Well, let’s start by stripping off the layers of dislike. Up until they began to be mass-produced, fruitcake was a much-beloved special-occasion treat, made with care and considered a rare treat–and a long-lasting one.

The fruit in fruitcake is dried and candied (soaked in sugar), which means it’s well preserved. The cake itself is often made or stored with alcohol too, which in turn kills bacteria. The result? This cake can last. Up to 25 YEARS is the accepted limit (??) on its shelf-life, and apparently it was often traditional to make a cake one Christmas for eating the next. (Yeah. Sure. Why not.) Cultures around the world have their own varieties of fruitcake, with slight variations but equal presence.

So why did it get tied to Christmas? Well, it was reserved for special occasions for centuries, because the ingredients were costly. Fruit, historically, was not cheap, and neither were sugar and butter. It was a favorite cake for weddings, and of course, that most special day of the year–Christmas! So to give a gift of a fruitcake was thoughtful and would have been well received. People could treasure it, savor it, enjoy a bit here and then a bit there without fear of it spoiling.

Where do you come down on fruitcake? Special treat, or dreaded gift? Have you ever tried a homemade variety, or just the mass-produced kind? (I’d be interested in sampling a homemade one sometime! I’ll have to add it to my eventual-holiday-baking list.)