December 25th is the celebration of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. It is often overshadowed by commercialism. In fact the gifts we give each other are symbolic of the gift God gave to mankind. This is truly the "Festival of the Holy Birth."
Page 3 of Christmas Symbols & Traditions
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Camels: The wise men who visited Christ most likely
traveled on camels. In Puerto Rico the children leave a gift for the
camels of the wise men on January 6, "three kings' day." Often the gift is a basket filled with flowers. 
Candles: After Christ's birth when the mid-winter
festival became a celebration of Christ's birth, candles were used for
many purposes. Candles were used by Martin Luther on his Christmas
tree to represent the stars shining through the evergreens in the forest
on Christmas Eve. 
Carols: These originated from the custom of joyfully
celebrating various festivals which have been held through the
centuries. As the mid-winter observance of the Roman Saturnalia gave
way to the more universally observed Christmas, a great wealth of songs
with the Christmas theme sprang into being. Some of these carols, or
songs, are of "folk song" origin, which came from the hearts of
those who wanted to express their emotions in song. They were
recorded on paper for permanent use at a later date by those who were
interested in preserving them. 
Carrots: These are sometimes left by the chimney or tree for
the horse used by Saint Nicholas, or the reindeer used by Santa
Claus. 
Cherries: The cherry tree tells the legend of the journey of
Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. Mary saw a tree filled with ripe
cherries. When she asked Joseph to get some for her he refused. The branches bent down so she could reach the
fruit. When Joseph, now ashamed of himself, attempted to reach the fruit for her,
the branches flew back so that he could not reach them. Or so the legend
goes. We make chocolate-covered cherries each year and give them as
gifts. 
Christmas Cracker: These fun noisemakers originated in
England in the Victorian Era. A confectioner named Thomas Smith became
enchanted with sugared almonds wrapped in brightly colored tissue paper
while on a trip to France. When he returned to England, he was watching a
fire when suddenly a large log cracked. That inspired him to add a sharp
crack to his wrapped bonbons. His idea caught on in 1898. Over the years,
toys, a motto or a paper hat replaced the traditional sugared almonds
inside the cracker. It is a tradition for two people to open a cracker.
You pull at each end and hear a loud pop. 
Christmas
Music: Here are my favorite CD's. 
Christmas Tree: This tradition is relatively new in
America. There are quite a few legends surrounding this tree.
Angels are said to have chosen the evergreen for the Christmas tree
because it symbolized the everlasting life of Christ. Most likely
the first Christmas tree came from the Black Forest in Germany. The
fir tree was most likely decorated with fruits, nuts and candles to mark
the beginning of winter festivals.
Christmas Cookies: Homemade cookies are a part of the
feasting tradition during the holidays. The custom stems from a time when
spices were as costly as gold, frankincense and myrrh. Cooks of the past
could only afford a minute quantity of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, aniseed,
cardamom, mace and vanilla. It was only possible to afford to use these
exotic spices once a year. Today, baking is still a priority in the
holiday season. Kitchens are filled with the delicious scent of cookies
baking or candy simmering on the stove top. The aromas wafting through a
home bring the Christmas Spirit long before the tree has been put up or
the presents have been wrapped. 
Cleaning the House: Tell your kids that Santa only delivers
presents to a clean house! Once the house is all clean, you can
reward the kids by spending quality time baking cookies or making
Christmas decorations. 
