Christmas Traditions Archives - American Greetings Blog

Even though we like to think about giving all year long, it’s especially fun to be immersed in the season of giving! Because I like to be able to fully appreciate and enjoy everything that’s magical about the holidays, I need to have my holiday cards ready to start right after Thanksgiving. I do have to plan ahead and be very disciplined about my process, especially since I write a short letter to include…and I LOVE to decorate and hand-letter each envelope. But it really feels good after I’ve finished and the cards are ready to be mailed!

You can find the Kathy Davis line of Christmas cards in a store near you!

Having finished my cards, it’s then time to start decorating our home for the holidays. And because in early December here in the Pennsylvania, the landscape wasn’t yet covered with snow, we could get outside for our annual family “gathering of the greens.” When I was a little girl, my dad and I used to go outside before Christmas every year to search for evergreen boughs. We’d bundle up and clip greens and sprigs of holly berries and bring them inside. Then we’d display them all over the house, from the mantel to the dining room table, to the banister – any place at all that called for a touch of green. The best part was the fragrance. It was so wonderful to come home to that spicy-sweet aroma of pine. We continue our “gathering of the greens” to this day, and it always takes me back to those great holiday memories of time spent with my dad.

What’s your approach to sending holiday cards? And how about your favorite holiday tradition? Every family seems to have a unique way of celebrating that passes through the generations making this time of year so special!

All of us at Kathy Davis Studios wish you and yours a beautiful holiday season and many opportunities to experience the joy and wonder it brings!

Classic Santa Class

It’s Christmas—time for trimmed trees, lights, mistletoe, Santa, and of course, greeting cards. Have you ever wondered how these traditions started? Well, a quick trip around the world can answer that!

Trimming the Tree: In Germany, fir trees were associated with Christmas nearly 500 years ago, with fruit, flowers and candies used as decorations. Prince Albert brought the tree to England when he married Queen Victoria, and the tradition came to America with the Pennsylvania Germans. Along the way, new types of Christmas ornaments were added, from homemade ornaments to little presents and trinkets.

Christmas Lights: It’s said that Martin Luther, a famous German monk, was inspired by the heavenly stars to add candles to a fir tree. A large Christmas candle, symbolizing Christ as the Light of the World, still burns throughout Christmas night, especially in Europe.

Mistletoe: First used by the Norse as a symbol of peace– warriors would meet under it to reconcile. Other cultures saw it as a sign of fertility, and as a blend of both beliefs, today couples kiss under it.

Santa Claus: Most stories link the jolly fellow with St. Nicholas of Myra, (Turkey), who generously gave money and gifts to those in need. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, but it’s Father Frost who visits the children there. In other countries, such as Spain and Mexico, the Three Kings are also givers of gifts.

Greeting Cards: It’s back to England for the first commercial greeting card, created by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 because he was just too busy to write individual messages for his friends! He probably would have loved the time-saving benefit of personalized paper cards and ecards today, especially in sharing his still popular wish:

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You!