Well, it is the Christmas season, and a few days ago, I heard the term “Jimminy Christmas” used. I’ve heard this phase pretty much all my life — more so when I was younger than in recent years. ButI wondered about it and thought some extensive research might be in order….
Jimminy Christmas is a direct reference to Jesus Christ and dates back to 1664, when it was first recorded as “Gemini,” a twist on the Latin phrase Jesu domini. It turns out that the name of the Walt Disney character “Jimminy Cricket” was (probably) based on the same phrase.
And while we’re on the subject of Christmas, what is the origin of “Yuletide?” The word Yuletide originated from the word Yule, which was recorded in Latin writings as early as A.D. 726. At that time, the form of the word was guili. Bothe terms refer to a 12-day pagan feast celebrated around the time of year that has come to be known as the Christmas season.
Evergreen trees have been a traditional symbol of winter festivals for thousands of years — well before Christianity. Plants and trees that remained green all year had a special significance for people that lived in cold winter climates. Ancient people hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. Some believed that evergreens kept witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness away. Romans decorated evergreen trees with trinkets and topped them with an image of their sun god at the festival of Saturnalia. And Christians started using evergreen as a symbol about 400 years ago in Germany as a sign of everlasting life with God.
Have you ever wondered how the custom of giving Christmas gifts originated? Contrary to popular belief, it was not thought up by the department stores. The ancient Romans gave each other gifts on the calends (first day) of January, and the practice spread throughout the Roman Empire.
Christians give gifts at Christmastime to commemorate the visit of the Magi or Wise Men.
Many cultures believe in a “gift giver.” Many countries, especially some in Europe, celebrate Santa Claus or Father Christmas on St. Nicholas Day in December. In the Netherlands, children leave clogs or shoes out on the night of December 5 (St. Nicholas Eve) to be filled with presents by morning. In parts of Germany, they believe that it is the Christkind, an angle who comes on Christmas Eve with gifts. In parts of Italy, there is an old witch called Befana. In Spain, children await the Three Kings’ Day on January 6.
Claire still sends out Christmas cards — these days lots of people don’t. I guess it’s one of those Christmas traditions that is just slowly fading away. People used to write their own cards. The first printed Christmas card is thought to have been printed in England in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. Cole was a prominent educator and patron of the arts — he founded the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Since a man of his position needed to send out lots of cards, he asked a friend to create a design for him. His cards had the “To:” salutation at the top so he could personalize it. The design on the card was of a family party, beneath which were the words “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.” Apparently his cards got mixed reviews, but people realized the time savings of printed cards and started creating, or commissioning their own designs. Those early Christmas cards were very artistic and many became collectors’ items.
And while it maybe isn’t directly related to Christmas, I ran across an interesting explanation of the term “Godspeed.” The term dates back to a 15th-century song sung by English ploughmen on Plough Monday — the first Monday after Twelfth Day, that marked the end of the Christmas holidays. Before farm laborers went back to the fields, they dressed all in white and went from door to door drawing a plough and soliciting “plough money” to spend on a last celebration before returning to work. The song lyric “Godspeed the plough” expressed a wish for success and prosperity and was soon shortened to just “Godspeed.”
So Christmas has generated a lot of traditions over the years — most families have some. I’ve heard it said that tradition is nothing but ancestral peer pressure. I don’t agree — traditions serve as a path for creating lasting memories. Without traditions, our beliefs will get so diluted over time, we won’t remember who we are or where we came from — we’ll open our eyes one day and won’t recognize “our world.”
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