Long before the birth of Jesus Christ, wreaths were commonly used as a symbol of celebration and achievement. Laurel wreaths were used to crown the winners in the early Olympic games, and the tradition of bestowing wreaths upon the winners of sporting events is still followed today in some events, such as horse racing and [...]

Most cultures have some version of a Christmas stocking and there are many theories about the origin of the stockings left out for Santa to fill. History gives us no written records, so let’s look at some of the more interesting legends surrounding Christmas stockings history. One legend surrounding the origins of the Christmas stockings [...]

by Sherry Law Though many people may disagree, it appears that the legend of the German Christmas Pickle is another example of what has come to be known as an “urban legend.” According to several sites spread across the Internet, the German Christmas Pickle is a “very ancient Christmas eve tradition in Germany.” Supposedly generations [...]

Americans send more than 2 billion greeting cards during the holidays, and many of them are adorned with special Christmas postage stamps issued by the US Postal Service just for the occasion. But holiday stamps haven’t always been around. The first Christmas stamp in the United States was released in 1962, the first Hanukkah stamp [...]

These days, images of Santa Claus usually show a jolly rotund fellow wearing a red suit, a fur-trimmed hat and black boots. This image became popular in the 19th century, due largely to political cartoonist Thomas Nast and “The Night Before Christmas” author Clement C. Moore. But behind this red-suited caricature we know so well [...]

Many people believe candy canes were invented to symbolize Jesus’ suffering. History doesn’t actually support this notion (a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany is credited with bending straight white sticks into hook shapes to represent a shepherd’s staff and keep children quiet during the long Christmas services), but much has been written about [...]