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Show From the Editors of Funk & V agnails Neiv Encyclopedia Christmas legends 'round the world The custom of kissing under the mistletoe has its origin in an old Scandinavian myth about Freya, the goddess of love and beauty. Mistletoe was once considered a healing herb; and wearing it hung around the neck was believed to ward off disease. a December the winter solstice has always been a festive time. In ancient Rome, December 17 marked the start of the week-long Saturnalia, a time of festivities fes-tivities in which people gave presents, lighted candles, and adorned their houses with greens. The Twelve Days of Christmas are a carry-over from Roman times: the festivities of the Saturnalia were followed by Twelve Holy Days, which ended on January 1, called the Calends of January. In Spain, tradition has it that children's gifts are left by the Wise Men, passing through on their way to Bethlehem. Youngsters leave their shoes on the window sills, filled with straw for the Magi's horses; next morning, morn-ing, the straw has been replaced with toys and sweets. In Ireland, the church candles lighted at Christmas may be snuffed only by someone whose name is Mary. Children in Holland and Belgium get their Christmas gifts on December 6, which is St. Nicholas Day. Decorations of greenery at Christmas were forbidden by the early church fathers, because of its association with Roman customs. It wasn't until the 16th century that greenery began to be used. The Christmas tree came to England when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert. The Prince brought the custom with him from his native Germany. .'. Christmas carols were banned by the Puritans in 17th century England. But for 200 years, many carols were . kept alive by country people, and finally rediscovered in the 19th century. French peasants believe that daughters born on De-. De-. cember 25 will be wise, witty and virtuous. Our idea of Santa Claus the jolly fat man in the red, ermine-trimmed suit comes from the same source as the GOP elephant and the Democrats' donkey: don-key: the pen of the famous 19th century American cartoonist, Thomas Nast. Polish children receive their gifts not from Santa but from Mother Star, who wears a long white dress and veil, and her companion, Father Star. ' In Italy, children's gifts are supposed to come from La Befana, an old woman of legend. The children hang their clothes in a conspicuous place on Epiphany Eve, and the next morning find their pockets filled with goodies. s In 1644 under Oliver Cromwell's regime, the observance observ-ance of Christmas was forbidden by an act of Parliament. Parlia-ment. ; The Pennsylvania Dutch name for Santa Claus is PelZ7iickel. "Christmas" got its origin from "X," an abbreviation of Christ deriving from the Greek letter X ichi beginning be-ginning His Name. In the Philippines, Christmas is known as Santo Nino ' and children sing carols and parade through the streets ; behind a band. Christmas Seals originated in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1904. It was the idea of a postal clerk named Holboell, who dreamed them up as a benefit for a children's hospital. In Czechoslovakia, fortunes are told after the evening meal on Christmas by pouring melted lead or wax into water and studying the shapes formed. In Puerto Rico, children at Christmas put boxes on the roof instead of hanging stockings. An age-old Christmas custom: Cut an onion in half, peel off 12 layers (1 for each month to comei and fill each with salt. On the next morning, the peelings containing con-taining damp salt indicate rainy months. |