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Christmas Traditions in America and How They All Started

Last Modified: July 5, 2023 //  by  Anda //   17 Comments

Christmas season is undoubtedly the most joyous and tradition-filled time of the year in America. Families all throughout the country gather around their trees, sing carols and hang their stockings, hoping to find them filled with gifts on Christmas Day.

Neighborhoods brighten up with glowing lights, people seem merrier and even the cold winter nights feel cozier. There’s something about the holiday spirit that gives people hope and joy.

Just like anywhere else in the Christian world, we celebrate Christmas on December 24-25 in the USA. But celebrations start much earlier than that and customs go far beyond exchanging gifts and decorating the Christmas tree.

Table of Contents

Counting Down the Days Till Christmas (Advent Calendar)

Setting up the christmas tree, christmas stocking, home decorating, leaving cookies for santa claus, watching christmas movies, attending a christmas parade, opening up a gift on christmas eve, traditional christmas concerts, kissing under the mistletoe, watching the nutcracker ballet, a final thought, beloved christmas traditions in america.

America is a land of big cultural diversity. So not surprisingly, it also has a mix of customs and traditions from almost every region of the world. But despite the fact that nearly every Christmas custom we have in the USA has come from another country, America has some its own holiday traditions as well.

Having lived on two continents, our family has adopted both the American and the Romanian Christmas traditions alike. So here are some family Christmas traditions that make our holiday special.

The custom of counting the days until Christmas on an Advent calendar has started in Germany, back in the 19th century.

Although the name of the original inventor is still contested, Gerhard Lang seems the most likely contender. When he was a child, Gerhard’s creating mother stuffed twenty-four cookies into a square of cardboard to symbolize the days leading up to Christmas.

As an adult, Gerhard remembered his mom’s idea and started manufacturing his very own advent calendars.

Advent calendars are particularly liked by kids, who love counting down the days till Santa Claus will bring them gifts. Not surprisingly, the custom was totally embraced by Americans since the early 1900s.

The count-down tradition is usually celebrated with an inexpensive chocolate Advent calendar that you can buy in almost any store at Christmas time. For those with bigger budgets, there are all sorts of other clever creations. Like wooden Advent calendars with small drawers, or wooden sleighs that light up.

Each day throughout December the children open up one drawer to discover what’s hiding inside. This is a great gift for any child, in celebration of the exciting days leading up to Christmas.

The practice of decorating fir trees with candles and ornaments was brought to America by the German settlers, in the 18th and 19th century. At first, the Puritanical religious groups promptly rejected the custom because of its pagan connotations. 

However, in 1840 when an English publication depicted Queen Victoria celebrating Christmas around a decorated ever-green tree, the wealthy Americans started replicating the lifestyle of the British upper class.

In the beginning, the ritual of setting up a Christmas tree was limited to immigrant communities and to wealthy people. One group decorated for tradition, the other for status.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the Christmas tree popularity began to grow in the United States. Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and other European countries. But as the custom of decorating fir trees spread throughout the country, many Americans started creating their own Christmas ornaments.

Today, having a Christmas tree in your home became one of the most beloved American tradition.

Christmas stocking is one of the characteristic symbols of Christmas.   In homes all across America, people embrace the tradition of hanging their sock-shaped bag above the fireplaces, bedposts or doorknobs, on Christmas Eve. When Santa arrives that’s where he leaves the gifts, which are usually candy or small items that fit inside.

The tradition of the Christmas stocking originated in Europe back in the 4th century, and was inspired by the life of the Bishop Saint Nicolas of Myra.

According to the legend, Saint Nicholas heard about the predicament of a poor widower and his three daughters. He snuck into the house and saw the girls’ recently washed stockings drying by the fire. Wanting to help the poor family, he filled the stockings with gold coins before disappearing into the night. 

In America, the custom of stuffing Christmas stockings started from a 19th century poem “ A Visit from St. Nicholas .” The poem mentioned that “ the stockings were hung by the chimney with care / In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there .” 

As the poem was read every Christmas in homes across the country, the tradition of hanging stockings spread with it.

Americans love to Deck the Halls like no other nation. People on this continent are clearly passionate about the aesthetics of Christmas! Before moving to the USA, I have never seen so many whimsical decorations.

Come December, the city squares, streets, and buildings begin glowing with vibrant decorations. Lights hang from every storefront and lamppost, hotel lobbies display perfectly trimmed trees, and parks turn into temporary ice skating rinks. 

Private homes compete for the glory of Christmas decorating as well, building displays that leave you speechless. And when it comes to Christmas lights, the more the merrier. 

Entire neighborhood become a Winter Wonderland, with block after block having its own holiday theme. Passers-by line up to to admire the dazzling light display and fanciful figurines representing Santa Claus, Snowmen, and Nativity scenes.

Apparently, the home decorating tradition started in Germany, in the 17th century. However, this custom wasn’t as wide spread in Europe when we lived there, so I think this is more an American tradition.

Leaving out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa is a well-established custom among American families with small children. Some families even extend the giving to Santa’s flying reindeer, leaving out carrots or apples.

The tradition began in the 1930s during the Great Depression, when parents were trying to instill a sense of thankfulness in their children. In that time of great economic hardship, it was important to give to others and to show gratitude for the gifts you receive on Christmas. 

When it’s cold outside and the fire flickers inside, we like to make ourselves comfortable with a hot cup of apple cider and watch movies. Heading out (or staying in) to watch movies together on Christmas is one of the most popular family traditions in the United States. A recent survey revealed that 72% of Americans agreed that watching holiday movies brings them comfort. Some start the tradition even before Thanksgiving.

Holiday movies are popular not simply because they are “escapes.” They also give us a glimpse into the world as it should be. Classics such as “A Christmas Carol” (1938), “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947), or “The Holiday” (2006) offer hope in believing it all might turn out alright in the end.

Nothing gets Americans into the holiday spirit as much as the Christmas parades. They mark the official opening of the Christmas Season. There are floats and boats dripping with shimmering lights, marching bands, and photo ops with Santa Claus.

The tradition of Christmas parades began back in 1887. The first parade took place on the Illinois River to celebrate the completion of the Upper Free Bridge. So Santa made his first appearance on a river barge, long before he got his own sleigh and reindeer float. 

Whether it’s the Grinch that stole Christmas at the Mayor’s Annual Parade in Baltimore, the Holiday Boat Parade in Honolulu, or the Hollywood Christmas Parade, America gets into a parade frenzy at this time of year.

One of America’s most famous parades in the USA is the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena , California. The event, which is also known as the Rose Parade , takes place every year on January 1st, in celebration of the New Year.

One of the best things about Christmas is giving and receiving gifts. Traditionally, people in America open their gifts on Christmas morning. However, some American families have the tradition of opening one present is on Christmas Eve, and the rest on Christmas Day.

The tradition is rooted in the European culture, where people open their presents on Christmas Eve, after attending mass. In Europe, Christmas Eve is a day with its own traditions and for many is just as important as Christmas Day. 

The ritual of opening one gift on Christmas Eve was most likely invented to help kids cope with the excitement and impatience building up towards Christmas Day. Tearing off the wrapping paper of a single present surely helps release some of the suspense! 

READ NEXT : Best European Cities to Visit in December

The custom of listening to Christmas music came to America together with the first settlers who wanted to keep their traditions alive.

Although in the beginning most of the songs they sang were from Europe, during the Great Depression era a new wave of American written songs appeared.

The popularity of Christmas music exploded in the 20th century, with the appearance of radio, television, and film. Today, we can’t even imagine Christmas without our traditional songs, be they old or new, religious or secular. All throughout December, amateur and professional choirs and orchestras give holiday concerts in venues all around the country.

Among of the most popular holiday traditions in America are the Tuba Christmas concerts. Bassoon and tuba players – young and old, amateurs and professionals – gather to perform an annual concert of holiday music. The free performances are usually held in malls or public squares all around in the country.

Another treasured musical event is the Messiah Sing-along concert takes place in many towns and cities across America. The most famous Messiah Sing-along is the one at the Wall Disney Hall. Attending this concert is one of the most fun things to do in Los Angeles in December . Over 2000 people gather here every year to sing Handel’s famous work.

The ritual of kissing beneath a bunch of mistletoe is an old Christmas tradition that has been known to Americans since the 19th-century. As part of the custom, men can steal a kiss from any woman standing under the mistletoe. Refusing the kiss will bring bad luck.

Back then, the only way to get mistletoe was by climbing up a tree, and cutting it off with an ax. Today however, you can walk right into any Trader Joe’s or garden supply shop and buy a nicely boxed swatch. Which is why you’ll see mistletoe hanging up in many houses at Christmas time. But the ritual of kissing under it is less practiced.

Ever since 1944, when the San Francisco Ballet company performed Tchaikovsky’s  Nutcracker  on Christmas Eve, the ballet became one of America’s most beloved holiday traditions. Over time, many other companies throughout the US started performing the ballet during the Christmas season.

Today, the Nutcracker is a ritual in many of US cities where snow doesn’t even fall, like Hawaii or Florida. The ballet is very popular because speaks to everyone. Particularly children, who love the story. Many of them get their first exposure both to ballet and to classical music through this work.

For many people, Christmas is not Christmas without these customs and traditions. But why do we love our Holiday rituals so much? It’s most likely because they remind us of our loved ones, of our childhood, and of happy times.

Rituals and traditions mark some of the most important moments in our lives. They are the glue that holds the family together. And when we share them, they bring us close to one another.

We are wishing all our readers a blessed Christmas, complete with the excitement of giving and receiving presents. A Christmas inspired by its spiritual beauty. May the coming year bring this blessed land of ours a little closer to that day of eternal Christmas. The day when it will be peace on Earth!

READ NEXT : How to Spend a Magical Holiday in Budapest in Winte r

Anda is an award winning travel writer, avid globetrotter and passionate photographer. She is the voice behind "Travel Notes & Beyond," a collection of stories and travel impressions from her wanderings around the world. When she is not busy writing, traveling, or editing photographs, you can find her hiking in the foothills behind her house together with her husband and their dog.

Reader Interactions

April 28, 2022 at 7:28 am

One tradition that we enjoy, is reading from the New Testament the account of the birth of Jesus Christ. It helps keep the celebration in focus.

April 28, 2022 at 11:51 am

Absolutely. Religious families in America do that, of course.

Puloma Bhattacharya

January 18, 2022 at 4:18 pm

Very lovely post on Christmas traditions around the world. Watching Christmas decorations in the neighborhood and watching Christmas movies is our favourite hobby. But I would love to watch the Nutcracker ballet by Tchaikovsky’s.Also loved to know about the sweet milk and cookies treat for Santa Claus.

January 16, 2022 at 9:30 pm

Pretty interesting to read about the various traditions followed. Was quite familiar with a few like the stockings and cookies. However, it was nice reading about a few of the others like the Advent calendar. I wish I had known earlier, would have bought one for my daughter who counts down to Xmas (more cos its her bday). Cheers

January 17, 2022 at 1:05 am

You can buy one for next Christmas, Ami.

January 16, 2022 at 1:45 pm

I love Christmas and it’s nice to learn more about the different traditions. We actually just started having advent calendars and it is actually fun. It just made the countdown so much fun.

Ambica Gulati

January 15, 2022 at 8:05 pm

This was an interesting read. Though, we do celebrate Christmas in India, I didn’t know about many of these rituals such as the advent calendar or leaving cookies for Santa. It’s also good to know about the Nutcracker ballet, would love to watch that.

January 16, 2022 at 2:39 pm

I am not surprised to hear that your Christmas traditions in India are different from the ones in the USA. Each country around the globe has its own.

January 15, 2022 at 7:53 am

We did all these but the Nutcracker. How I missed leaving a cookie and a glass of milk for Santa though. And of course my husband had to wake up early to make sure the cookie and milk were eaten by ‘Santa’. One Christmas Eve my son decided to leave a sandwich. Haha…

January 16, 2022 at 2:40 pm

That’s funny! Your husband had an early breakfast that morning, I imagine.

December 23, 2023 at 11:56 pm

You should at least point the dangerous sexism and the encouragement of male sexual aggression with the mistletoe tradition,I’m disgusted to find that even my favorite holiday is entrenched in patriarchy and female oppression. Everything is centered around men,the culture of demanding and pressuring women into sexual submission,is stomach turning. While I appreciate you for spreading the honest history,you should make a point to condemn it for literally promoting assault.When,when will our society realize men refusing to accept no,is causing real life r*pes?Another tradition invented by patriarchy.

Linda (LD Holland)

January 14, 2022 at 4:16 pm

What an interesting look at the various Christmas traditions. I really never knew where many of them came from. We always love to head out and see the neighbourhoods all lit up with colour. I must say that I was told that my Santa wanted beer and not milk!!!! And I loved the idea of getting one gift on Christmas Eve.

January 14, 2022 at 2:49 pm

All of those are my traditions, growing up in Canada with a German heritage, we have a even blend of holiday traditions. I wondered how the tradition of mistletoe got started, and will now never refuse a kiss!

January 14, 2022 at 3:38 pm

Hahaha, better play it safe and kiss even a frog, than having ‘gad luck!’

January 13, 2022 at 1:49 am

Ineteresting read about the Christmas tradtions in the US. We have most of them in Germany too. But this was the first time I read about the Christmas parades. I would love to see one, also the life-sized nutcrackers look a bit scary….

January 12, 2022 at 11:53 am

What a lovely article focusing on the traditions of Christmas! Our family’s traditions make the holiday so much more meaningful for us, and we love to hear how others celebrate.

January 12, 2022 at 2:08 pm

Indeed we do, Tami.

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How 25 Christmas Traditions Got Their Start

By: Lesley Kennedy

Updated: July 21, 2023 | Original: December 17, 2019

From its Puritan roots to complaints of rampant commercialism (“What is it you want?” Charlie Brown asks Lucy in A Charlie Brown Christmas . “Real Estate.”), Christmas in America has been filled with traditions, old and new. Some date back to 16th-century Germany or even ancient Greek times, while others have caught on in modern times.

Here’s a look at 25 ways Americans have celebrated the Christmas season, from singing songs and reciting poems to decorating trees and swapping cookies to drinking eggnog and wearing ugly sweaters.

Christmas Trees

Decorated trees date back to Germany in the Middle Ages, with German and other European settlers popularizing Christmas trees in America by the early 19th century. A New York woodsman named Mark Carr is credited with opening the first U.S. Christmas tree lot in 1851. A 2019 survey by the American Christmas Tree Association , predicted that 77 percent of U.S. households displayed a Christmas tree in their home. Among the trees on display, an estimated 81 percent were artificial and 19 percent were real.

The Rockettes

Since 1925, first known as the Missouri Rockets, this iconic dance troupe has been kicking up its heels, officially becoming the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes in 1934. From performing at movie openings to entertaining troops to making TV appearances, they’re perhaps best known for their annual Christmas Spectacular .

' A Charlie Brown Christmas '

Decades later, it may be hard to imagine that this beloved TV special inspired by Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip was first rejected by CBS executives. But when it finally aired on December 9, 1965, almost half of all U.S. TV sets were tuned to the broadcast, and the show went on to win an Emmy, a Peabody, an enduring following and even a trend of “Charlie Brown” Christmas trees. “I never thought it was such a bad little tree,” Linus says in the special. “It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.”

Christmas Pickles

If there’s a pickle among your snowman, angel and reindeer ornaments, you’re likely taking part in the American tradition of hiding the green ornament on the tree, so that the first child to find it wins a gift, or gets to open the first present Christmas morning. The practice’s origins are a bit murky (or should that be briny?), but, it’s likely it grew from a Woolworths marketing gimmick from the late 1800s, when the retailer received imported German ornaments shaped like a pickle and needed a sales pitch.

Elf on the Shelf

Some of the Earliest Christmas Cards Were Morbid and Creepy

Santa kidnapping children and murderous mice were par for the course in the Victorian‑era Christmas card tradition.

Who Was St. Nicholas?

Behind the jolly, red‑suited, shopping mall Santa of today lies a real person—St. Nicholas of Myra, a Christian monk who lived in the third century A.D., in what is now Turkey.

How Christmas Was Celebrated in the Middle Ages

In medieval times, Christmas celebrations carried on for multiple raucous days and nights.

Love it or loathe it, since 2005, moms and dads have either joyously or begrudgingly been hiding a toy elf each night from Thanksgiving to Christmas. More than 13 million elves have been “adopted” since 2005 when Carol Aebersold and her daughter, Chanda Bell, published the book Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition that comes with the toy. Social media has even inspired some parents to set up elaborate scenarios for their elves—as in: He TP’d the tree! She filled the sink with marshmallows!

Yule logs were part of ancient winter solstice celebrations, but it was Americans who turned the wood burning into must-see TV. Back in 1966, WPIX-TV in New York City aired a continuous 17-second loop of a fireplace for three hours along with holiday music. That led to eventual better production and nearly 20 years of annual viewing. Today, you can view the yule log on demand and on the web. (In fact, HISTORY offers its own yule log themed to the series Forged in Fire. )

Advent Calendars

Early versions of this tradition, started in Germany in 1903 by publisher Gerhard Land, offered a way for children to count down to Christmas by opening one “door” or “window” a day to reveal a Bible passage, poem or small gift. Since gaining mass popularity by 1920, the calendars have evolved to secular calendars that include daily gifts from mini bottles of wine to nail polish to chocolates to action figures.

Gingerbread Houses

Although Queen Elizabeth I gets credit for the early decorating of gingerbread cookies, once again, it’s the Germans who lay claim to starting the gingerbread house tradition. And when the German Brothers Grimm wrote “Hansel and Gretel” a new holiday tradition was born. Today, the edible decorations are available in a slew of pre-packed kits.

The Nutcracker

For many, the holiday season is not complete without a trip to watch this ballet. With music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and originally choreographed by Marius Petipa, the romantic tale of the young Clara’s Christmas Eve premiered Dec. 18, 1892 , in St. Petersburg, Russia. It was performed for the first time outside of Russia in 1934 in England and made its way to the United States in 1944 when it was performed by the San Francisco Ballet. It became a must-see event in America in the 1960s, as performances spread across the nation.

Ugly Christmas Sweaters

You can blame our neighbors to the north for this silly, ironic tradition that really gained steam in the 1980s. According to the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Book , sweaters became a party trend in Vancouver, Canada in 2001. And the trend is seemingly here to stay. According to Fox Business , the ugly sweater industry is a multi-million business, with websites such as Tipsy Elves , retailers including Macy’s, Kohl’s and Target, and even food chains jumping on the ugly bandwagon.

Cookies and Milk for Santa

While leaving treats for Santa and his reindeer dates back to ancient Norse mythology, Americans began to sweeten up to the tradition during the Great Depression in the 1930s, as a sign of showing gratitude during a time of struggle.

Candy Canes

Whether devoured as a treat or hung on the tree as decoration, candy canes are the No. 1-selling non-chocolate candy during December, and date back to 1670 Germany. The red and white peppermint sticks arrived stateside in 1847, when a German-Swedish immigrant in Wooster, Ohio placed them on a tree. By the 1950s, an automated candy cane-making machine was invented , cementing their mass appeal.

Boozy Eggnog

Nothing makes the holidays like a glass of spiked eggnog. Although the yuletide cocktail stems from posset, a drink made with hot curdled milk and ale or wine from medieval England, American colonists get credit for making it popular and adding rum. Even George Washington had a special recipe .

Door Wreaths

Wreaths have been around since the ancient Greek and Roman times, but the evergreen Christmas wreath, often adorned with boughs of holly, eventually took on Christian meaning, with the circular shape representing eternal life and the holly leaves and berries symbolic of Christ’s crown of thorns and blood, according to the New York Times . Today’s wreaths, which come in all varieties, from flowers and fruit to glass balls and ribbon to artificial and themed, are most often seen as a secular winter tradition.

Christmas Cards

The first official Christmas card debuted in 1843 England with the simple message, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” The idea of a mailed winter holiday greeting gradually caught on in both Britain and the U.S., with the Kansas City-based Hall Brothers (now Hallmark) creating a folded card sold with an envelope in 1915. Today, according to the Greeting Card Association , more than 1.6 billion holiday cards are sold annually.

It’s a Wonderful Life

Frank Capra’s classic Christmas film debuted in 1946 , with Jimmy Stewart playing George Bailey, a suicidal man who is shown what life would be like without him by an angel. But before becoming an annual TV-viewing tradition, the movie was a bit of a flop at the box office when it premiered, although it did receive five Oscar nominations (but no wins). A lapsed copyright in the 1970s allowed TV stations to air the movie for free. It has aired exclusively on NBC and USA since 1994.

Christmas Lights

Thomas Edison may be famous for the light bulb, but it was his partner and friend, Edward Hibberd Johnson , who had the bright idea of stringing bulbs around a Christmas tree in New York in 1882. By 1914, the lights were being mass-produced and now some 150 million sets of lights are sold in the U.S. each year.

Department Store Santa

Lining up at the mall to snap a photo of the kids on Santa’s lap may seem like a modern Christmas tradition, but it dates back to 1890, when James Edgar of Brockton, Massachusetts had a Santa suit made for him and dressed as the jolly fellow at his dry goods store. The gimmick caught on and a year later Santas could be found in many stores. While many point to Edgar as the original store Santa, Macy’s in New York claims it has been hosting Santa since 1862.

Making Fun of Fruitcake

A favorite of the Brits (both Princess Diana and Kate Middleton served it at their weddings), fruitcake—that much-maligned mix of dried fruit, nuts and brandy—has been the subject of long-running American holiday jokes. Truman Capote wrote a short story about “fruitcake weather” in 1956, the small town of Manitou Springs, Colorado holds an annual Fruitcake Toss Day on January 3, and the dessert has become fodder for many a comedian. For example, in 1985 Johnny Carson cracked, “The worst Christmas gift is fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other.”

Cookie Swaps

For more than 100 years, Americans have spent time baking up a storm to exchange cookies at one of these events where participants bring a dozen of their favorite cookies, then guests trade and head home with an array of goodies. In her book, The Cookie Party Cookbook , Robin Olson writes that she found references to “cookie parties” dating back to the late 1800s and that they began to be called “cookie exchanges” by the 1930s, and “cookie swaps” in the ’50s. "Historically, cookie exchange parties have been a ladies-only event. Exchanges were hosted by friends, relatives, neighbors, social groups, clubs, office co-workers, teams, schools and churches," she writes. Now, they often include children and men and are frequently used as fund-raisers.

A Visit from Saint Nick

Best known as The Night Before Christmas , the reading of this classic by poet Clement Moore is an American holiday tradition. Believed to have been written on Christmas Eve of 1822, the New Yorker is said to have been inspired by his sleigh ride home. According to the U.S. Library of Congress , Clement, a professor at the General Theological Seminary in Manhattan, was “embarrassed by the work, which was made public without his knowledge in December 1823. Moore did not publish it under his name until 1844.”

Simple, folded brown bags filled with sand and lit by votive candles are particularly popular in the Southwest. Dating back more than 300 years, they line sidewalks and churches in places such as Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. In Phoenix, the annual Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden features more than 8,000 luminaria bags.

12 Days of Christmas

Even though most hear the song between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, the Christian 12 days of Christmas , which span the birth of Jesus and the visit of the Magi, actually take place from December 25 to January 6. The earliest version of the poem-turned-song is thought to have been published in Mirth With-out Mischief , a children’s book from 1780, with the modern version credited to English composer Frederic Austin who set the poem to music. Each year the PNC Christmas Price Index totals up the total cost of the 12 gifts named in the song based on current markets. For 2019, everything from a partridge in a pear tree to 12 drummers drumming would run up a bill of $38,993.59.

Poinsettias

America’s Christmas flower, these plants native to Central America were brought to the United States (and given their name) by the country’s first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, in the 1820s. It was a California horticulturist named Paul Ecke who brought the traditionally red and green plants to the masses 100 years later. He donated the plants to TV shows, and, according to the Los Angeles Times , the poinsettia became the best-selling potted plant in the nation by 1986.

Salvation Army Bell Ringers

Come December, bell-ringers span out to accept donations in their iconic red kettles. Collecting money for the needy since 1891, the tradition started with San Francisco Salvation Army Capt. Joseph McFee wanted to raise money to offer a free Christmas dinner to 1,000 of the city’s most destitute. Inspired by a kettle he had seen in England in which people tossed in coins for the poor, he set up his own version, and the idea quickly spread across the country and the world. Today, the Salvation Army helps more than 4.5 million people during the holiday season and they don’t only accept cash—donations can be made via smartphones. 

HISTORY Vault: the Christmas Truce

World War I was a brutal slog. But on Christmas Eve 1914, something remarkable happened: British and German troops stopped fighting, and came together to share holiday cheer.

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Christmas in the UK

Subject: Understanding the world

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Assembly

Last updated

15 July 2024

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This resource contains a fully editable and informative 50-slide PowerPoint presentation on Christmas celebrations, customs, and traditions in the United Kingdom.

The PowerPoint focuses on:

traditions and customs the influence of the Victorians on Christmas traditions and customs Christmas preparations and decorations the traditional Christmas dinner Christmas crackers Queen Elizabeth II Christmas Day speech the Christmas pantomime the significance of Boxing Day

The presentation also contains a hyperlink to one of Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Day speeches.

This is an ideal presentation for the Christmas period and will contribute to the students’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural learning and will help to actively promote the values of mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

If you buy this resource and are pleased with your purchase, I would be extremely grateful if you could leave a review. As a token of appreciation, you can have a free resource of your choice up to the same value as your purchased resource. Just email [email protected] with your user name, the resource you have reviewed and the resource you would like for free.

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This resource contains nine 30+ slide PowerPoint presentations on how Christmas is celebrated in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. The presentations focus on: Christmas customs and traditions Christmas food and drink Christmas preparations Each presentation contains at least one hyperlink to areas of interest. Click on the individual links for further details. These are ideal assemblies for the Christmas period and will contribute to the pupils’ ‘spiritual, moral, social and cultural’ learning (SMSC) and will help to actively promote the British Values of mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. *If you buy this resource and are pleased with your purchase, I would be extremely grateful if you could leave a review. As a token of appreciation, you can have a free resource of your choice up to the same value as your purchased resource. Just email [email protected] with your user name, the resource you have reviewed and the resource you would like for free.* **[More Christmas Resources](https://www.tes.com/resources/search/?authorId=884045&q=christmas&shop=Krazikas)**

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Christmas Around the World

Find out how christmas traditions and how christmas is celebrated in lots of different countries and cultures around the world.

• Christmas isn't Celebrated Everywhere

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Christmas Traditions

Jul 19, 2014

160 likes | 487 Views

Christmas Traditions. Wreaths. Snowmen. Cards. Carols. Santa. Candles. Trees. Advent Calendar. Stockings. Christmas Pudding. Presents. Turkey. Crackers.

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• st nicholas
• christmas puddings christmas
• christmas carol
• sir henry cole

Presentation Transcript

Wreaths Snowmen Cards Carols Santa Candles Trees Advent Calendar Stockings Christmas Pudding Presents Turkey Crackers

Sir Henry Cole had the idea of Christmas Cards and with his friend John Horsley, who was an artist, they designed the first card .The card had three panels. The outer two showed people caring for the poor and the centre panel was a family having a large Christmas dinner! They sold them for 1 shilling each. Some people did not like it because it had a picture of a child being given a glass of wine!It was sold in London1843. back

Presents • People started giving Christmas presents out in Ancient Rome during the feast of Calends. Giving Christmas presents continued in America in the 1820s! back

SantaClaus Another name for Santa is St Nicholas. He was a bishop who lived around 1700 years ago. He became known for helping the poor and needy which is why Santa, or Saint Nicholas, traditionally gives out Christmas presents. The adverts for Coca-Cola have played a big role in giving us the image of Santa we have nowadays. back

History of carols • The word carol actually means song or dance of joy. They were invented in Europe but they weren't Christmas carols. Carols were sung thousands of years ago. The first Christmas carol was written in 1410 but only a small part of it still exists. They were first written to tell the story of Christmas. back

Advent calendar Advent calendars were first found in Germany around 150 years ago. They count down the days until Christmas and traditionally had 24 days to count down. Advent is the time that leads up to Christmas. back

Christmas Tree On top of a Christmas tree there is normally a star or angel, they represent the star and angels in the nativity. In Germany, people had Christmas trees in their homes over 400 years ago. In 1834 Queen Victoria’s German husband brought the custom to Great Britain and so other people in Britain copied the Royal family which is why we have Christmas trees in our homes nowadays. back

Christmas Crackers Christmas crackers were invented by Thomas Smith, in London in 1846.It was during a visit to Paris where he saw sweets wrapped in a twist of paper. He decided to copy them and put a message inside them. Crackers became really popular when they were made with ‘snaps’ inside them. By Molly and Jade back

The Christmas turkey For Centuries it was traditional for UK families to eat goose or the head of a boar. Turkey used to be a luxury. William Strickland gave 6 turkey birds on Christmas day to England in 1526 from the United States of America to say thank you. Now we usually eat it on Christmas day. back

back Christmas Puddings Christmas pudding is traditionally made on stir-up Sunday at the beginning of advent. The pudding is traditionally stirred from east to west in honour of the 3 wise men and each family member gives the pudding a stir and makes a secret wish. Sometimes a clean shilling or six penny piece is stirred into the pudding bringing luck to the finder on Christmas day - as long as it’s not swallowed.

Snowmen • Snowmen have been around for hundreds of years. • Snowmen were probably first made to scare away evil spirits. back

back Wreaths Traditionally wreaths have four candles around the circle and one in the middle to represent the four weeks leading up to Christmas. The candle in the middle is lit on Christmas Eve to represent the arrival of Jesus. The wreath is a circle which has no beginning or end, the evergreen leaves are for life everlasting and the prickly holly reminds us of Jesus on the cross.

back Christmas Candles Christmas is the season of lights. For hundreds of years people have lit a candle and placed it in their window on Christmas Eve to show Jesus as the light of the world. It burns through the night to light the way for Mary and Joseph. This still continues today in France and Denmark.

Stockings • Traditionally children hang up stockings by the fire on Christmas Eve because of an old legend. There was a very poor family with three daughters. One night, the daughters hung their washing by the fire to dry. St Nicholas saw the poor family’s house and threw bags of gold down the chimney which landed in the stockings. back

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