The Christmas Song

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”

Chestnuts are traditionally from regions in the Mediterranean Sea. The tradition arose in the mid-16^th century in which Romans would roast chestnuts on the holidays. While not being specifically for Christmas, the chestnuts represented chastity, and because they were sold around the Christmas times, chestnuts became a Christmas staple for centuries to come. This tradition is no longer very prevalent today, but the song has kept the idea of the old tradition alive.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

“You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen, Comet, and Cupid, and Donder and Blitzen”

This song assumes that every listener does know the names of Santa’s reindeer, but for most, that is not the case. These names originated from 1823’s Christmas classic The Night Before Christmas, a poem that involves Santa visiting a household on Christmas Eve. Santa calls all of the reindeer out by name, thus establishing the cervines as a Christmas tradition. The reindeer were then mentioned for years to come, including in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

“He’s making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty and nice”

Many people know about Santa’s lists that judge the morality of children, but St. Nick did not always give coal to naughty boys and girls. In the early 19^th century, St. Nicholas was said to have had a demonic companion named Krampus who would kidnap misbehaving children and take them away from their families. Originally, Santa would focus only on rewarding the good children, and Krampus was left with punishing the bad. This died out over the years, but Krampus has appeared in various books and TV shows, and is even the focus of a holiday horror movie that came out in December 2015.

O Christmas Tree

“O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, much pleasure doth thou bring me!”

Christmas trees are one of the most famous traditions tied to the holiday season, but it seems as if no one has stopped to wonder why everyone sets up a tree with decorations annually. Using evergreens dates back to the Pagans, who would decorate their homes with branches during winter solstice. The green branches would remind them that spring is coming soon. Once converted to Christianity, customs of winter solstice and Christmas merged due to being close on the calendar. This led to Christmas trees and greens becoming a staple in any Christmas decoration that is still alive today.