The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning "Christ's mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038. "Cristes" is from Greek christos and "mæsse" is from Latin missa. In early Greek versions of the New Testament, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ. Since the mid-16th century Χ has been used as an abbreviation for Christ. Therefore, Xmas is often used as an abbreviation for Christmas.
Christmas Cards, Stamps and Letters to Santa
Christmas Cards were introduced in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. Postage for the cards was one penny in the 1840s. Christmas cards in the United States were first produced for businesses to send to their customers as a form of advertising.
The first Christmas stamp was printed by Canada post in 1898. The practice of regularly issuing Christmas stamps began in Australia in the 1950s. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the United States began the practice.
Children all over the world can send letters for Santa to: Santa Claus; North Pole H0H 0H0; Canada. The letters are delivered to Montreal where they are answered in over 20 languages with replies printed in "Santa's handwriting" on "Santa's personal stationary".
Classic Christmas Stories
Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843. He depicted Christmas as a one-day family event held in the home rather than a 12-day public holiday which, in turn, changed the way Christmas was celebrated.
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” was first introduced as a picture-book by Dr. Seuss in 1957 and later made into a holiday special for television. In 2001, Jim Carey depicted the Grinch in the movie version of the popular holiday classic.
Playing Santa
The image of Santa Claus was created by the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast who drew a new image annually, beginning in 1863. By the 1880s, Nast's Santa had evolved into the form we now recognize. Katherine Lee Bates is credited with the invention of Mrs. Santa Claus in a poem written in 1899.
The first department store Santa Claus was at J.W. Parkinson's store in Philadelphia in 1881. The second department store to feature a Santa was in Massachusetts in 1890. By 1900 dozens of American department stores had Santa’s.
In 1905 Eaton's department store sponsored its first Santa Claus Parade in Toronto, Canada, which remains the largest in North America. In the 1920s Gimbel's department store in Philadelphia, Macy's in New York, Hudson's in Detroit and many other department stores sponsored Thanksgiving parades that featured Santa Claus.
Christmas Trees and Traditional Decorations
Victoria became Queen of England in 1837. Albert provided the first Christmas tree to his family at Windsor Castle for the Christmas of 1841. He also distributed Christmas trees to schools and army barracks.
The placing of tinsel on Christmas trees began in Germany -- originally as beaten silver strips. Other traditional decorations include bells, candles, candy canes, stockings, wreaths, and angels.
In 1882 Edward Johnson, a colleague of Thomas Edison, became the first person to light a Christmas tree with electric light. In 1903 the Ever-Ready Company offered the first string of ready-made lights.
The first American President to have a Christmas tree in the White House was Franklin Pierce in 1856. Woodrow Wilson presided over the first national Christmas tree in 1913.
Christmas has long been a time of celebration around the world and has become, above all, a celebration of family. Turkeys were first introduced to Europe in 1519 by the Spanish and has now become the traditional family meal.
