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Traditions, Food & Customs

Where do our Christmas traditions come from?

Our Christmas traditions come from many different times and places, and each has its own story. The town of Sélestat, in Alsace, keeps an account book from 1521 that it counts as the oldest written mention of the Christmas tree custom. Kissing under the mistletoe is thought to be first recorded in an English comic opera of 1784, and, as the Victoria and Albert Museum tells it, the first Christmas card was sent in London in 1843.

Some traditions are easy to trace and some are not. In a poem printed in 1823, the stockings are already hung by the chimney, but we have found no record of when the custom began. This chapter follows each one as far as the record goes: the Christmas tree, stockings, Christmas cards, mistletoe and the first nativity scenes.

True story

A little fir tree in a wooden tub, decorated the old way with red apples, paper roses, gingerbread hearts and small candles.
Plate IV A tree trimmed the old way, with apples and paper roses.

In this chapter

  1. Why do we have Christmas trees? Where the tradition began7 minTrue story
  2. Why do we hang stockings at Christmas?5 minTrue story
  3. Who sent the first Christmas card?5 minTrue story
  4. Why do we kiss under the mistletoe?6 minTrue story
  5. Who made the first nativity scene? Crèches around the world8 minTrue story

Where our facts come from

  1. Sélestat Haut-Koenigsbourg tourist office, "Arbre de Noël, 1ère mention écrite", The page's description of the account register in the Municipal Archives (the entry of December 21, 1521, quoted: "Item 4 schillings den förstern die meygen an sanct thomas tag zu hieten"); the town's claim that it is the oldest written mention of the custom is the entry's title in the copy of this address archived on June 16, 2021 ("The oldest written mention of the Christmas tree"), https://web.archive.org/web/20210616103907/https://www.selestat-haut-koenigsbourg.com/en/lei/detail/75/222004799/1913/arbre-de-noel-1ere-mention-ecrite-selestat.htm; the live page now redirects to the exhibition sheet, which describes the entry but no longer says "oldest"
  2. English Heritage, "A Short History of Christmas Greenery", Mistletoe section: thought to have been first recorded in the comic opera Two to One, 1784
  3. Victoria and Albert Museum, "The first Christmas card", Opening paragraphs: Henry Cole sent the first Christmas card in 1843
  4. Victoria and Albert Museum, collections record O1370293, "Christmas card : to Henry Cole / sent by John Callcott Horsley, 'Xmasse 1843'", Place of origin ("London", published); date ("[1843]", published); the description ("It was first printed in 1843. Commonly recognised as 'the first Christmas card'.")
  5. Academy of American Poets, "A Visit from St. Nicholas", Line 3 and the note on first publication (Troy Sentinel, December 23, 1823)