Santa Claus needs lots of help to deliver presents to good children all over the world. Among his helpers, perhaps best known are the eight reindeer who pull his sleigh. They are: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. But there is one more - the most famous reindeer of all. One Christmas eve, the sky was so foggy that Santa and his eight reindeer were not able to start off their journey to bring presents to the children. But then, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer appeared, his nose so bright that it lit the way on that dark night! Rudolph had always been ashamed of his red nose, but it was thanks to this nose that Santa was able to deliver the presents safely.
The Christmas tree originates from Germany. There are many stories that talk of its origin, but it is widely known that evergreens, which withstand the hard cold winters of Europe, are regarded as a "symbol of eternal life." German people also believed that elves living in fir trees brought people happiness. Therefore, they decorated fir trees with flowers and candles so that the elves would stay with the tree and bring them strength. There is also a story which claims that Martin Luther, the historical church reformer, was so touched by the beauty of the stars glittering between the evergreens on his way home from worship that he decided to reproduce such beauty for the children. He brought back a fir tree and decorated it with lit candles. This, as the story goes, is how Christmas tree lights originated. Decorating trees at Christmas became common practice in Germany and soon, electric Christmas lights and various other ornaments took the place of candles. The star placed on top of the Christmas tree symbolizes the shining star that guided the three wise men to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Christ.
Since long ago, people believed that both the Almighty and demons came to our world during Advent (the four weeks before Christmas). Therefore, they began to decorate their homes and front doors with evergreen leaves (fir, juniper, etc.) which contain strong antiseptic and antibacterial properties, in a hope to ward off evil spirits. Also, we often see wreaths decorated with ears of wheat, grapevines, pine cones, and apples, which symbolize people's prayers for a rich harvest.
Holly is considered the most noble tree in northern Europe. The leaves represent the crown of thorns that was placed on Christ's head when he was crucified, and the red berries represent His blood. It is said that if you decorate your house with the holly that was used to decorate a church at Christmas, that certain room will be filled with happiness all year long.
We often see red, green, and white as Christmas colors, but there is a meaning behind each of these. Red represents "Christ's blood" as well as love and generosity. Green is the color for "eternal life," and white represents "purity."
