Origins of Christmas Customs

Steve Brooks and the Lobster Trap Tree built by members of the community. It contains 152 new lobster traps as well as lights and buoys. It honors lobstermen, Rockland's heritage and its place as lobster capital of the world. Brooks Trap in Thomaston, Maine provided the traps. The Traps are raffled after New Year. 100 traps-$50/ticket-300 tickets. ©Photo by Sam Murfitt

* Handed down from Druids, burning Yule Log as a good luck charm was part of the ancient 12-day Christmas celebration.

* In medieval times, ‘Hot cockles’ was a popular Christmas game until Victorian era. In this game, other players give a blow to the blindfolded player, who had to guess the name of the person who gave the blow.

* In the Middle Ages, Boar’s head used to be a traditional Christmas dish. This custom started when a bear attacked a university student and he saved himself by ramming a book of Aristotle’s writings down its throat. The bear choked to death and then he cut off its head and brought it back to his college.

* Some people connect modern traditions related to Father Christmas to ancient Celtic or pagan religion. Santa’ elves are considered to be the modernization of the Nature folk while reindeers are believed to represent the Horned God, which was one of the Pagan deities. ramming a book of Aristotle’s writings down its throat. The bear choked to death and then he cut off its head and brought it back to his college.

* Originated from a Celtic legend about the harvest god Dagda, who stirred a porridge made up of all the good things of the Earth, Frumenty was a spiced porridge, enjoyed by both rich and poor, which is now replaced by modern Christmas puddings.