20 Surprising Stories Behind Popular Christmas Decorations
Learn the lore about your favorite festive flair.
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Like clockwork, holiday-happy decorators annually pull their Christmas decor from storage and deck the halls at the end of November and early December. But have you ever stopped to wonder why you trim that tree, or go crazy for Christmas crackers? Read on to learn the fascinating origins—and longstanding legends—behind classic Christmastime decorations.
A medieval play inspired the characteristic colors of Christmas.
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Why do we go gaga for green and red on everything from ribbons to wrapping paper at Christmastime? The colors are thought to be inspired by the Paradise tree, a fir tree with apples that was used as a prop in “The Paradise Play,” an eleventh-century play about the Christian view of Creation. The tree represented the Garden of Eden, its red apples were a symbol of the knowledge that led to Adam’s fall, and the green fir represented eternal life. As for the white wafers that adorned the tree, they represented innocence. The play became associated with Christmas because of its religious themes.
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Never knew that.