The Germans do like to think that they came up with Christmas or rather the traditions around it but then us English say the same thing so which nation has contributed the most to the Christmas traditions we do each year?
Advent Calendar (German) These began when a German, Gerhard Lang, or more specifically, Gerhard Lang’s mum, attached twenty-four cookies onto a square of cardboard for the young Gerhard to scoff in the days leading up to the festive season and thanked her by nicking her idea and manufacturing it but introduced the concept of concealing pictures hidden behind little closed doors so when you open the cardboard doors and look at the suspicious-looking bits of whiteish, year-old chocolate lurking there, blame the Germans.
Boxing Day (British) Boxing Day isn't celebrated everywhere but it is a British invention and it is actually about boxes full of money, gifts or food which is what the Lords would give to their servants to take home to their families on their day off the day after the celebrations. Well done us Brits.
Christmas Cards (British) The first card showed a whole family knocking back wine but this British invention was a bit weird to start with, the original cards didn't have snowmen or pleasant wintry scenes, they showed children riding giant bats, dead robins, and a bloody battle between sword-wielding insects.
Christmas Crackers (British) Us Brits again, a sweet maker Tom Smith sat by a crackling log fire and imagined how fun it would be if his wrapped sweets made the same sound when opened so that what he did and invented the Christmas Cracker full of his own sweets. The naff trinkets were added later.
Christmas Movies (British) A hundred years before Hallmark and Candace Cameron Bure who seems to be in most of them, was George Albert Smith who in 1898 made the 90 second long 'Santa Claus' film with two children eagerly awaiting Father Christmas but fall asleep and miss him coming down the chimney. It's not as gripping as it sounds but it was the first Christmas Movie and set in motion spending December watching a woman return to her town of birth and falling for the hunky handyman before giving up her high powered job in the city for him, like you do.
Christmas Pudding (British) This was a British delicacy called frumenty which included mutton and beef mixed with raisins and currants, spices and wine which became known as Plum Pudding with less meat and more assorted dried fruits and coins stirred into the mix and then drenched in brandy and set alight before serving and Uncle George choking on the hidden money inside.
Carol Singers (British) We called it Wassailing and involved groups of people singing and being handed gifts, money and drink for their efforts so remember to thank us next time you get some spotty herbert knocking your door and then singing the first line of We Wish You A Merry Christmas and then holding their hand out for a quid.
Christmas Tree (German) During the time of the winter solstice, the Scandinavians would decorated the evergreen trees branches with small carvings of the gods and food in the hope of scaring away evil spirits and would bring branches and sprigs of holly, bay, laurel, ivy and mistletoe into their homes but the Germans went one better and dragged a whole tree into their homes so German's, when we step on pine needles in our barefeet this one is on you.
December 25th (Romans) Obviously there was a December 25th long before the Christians pasted their guy into a pagan mid-winter festival and most people know that Saturnalia was a Roman festival celebrating their God Saturn but as there is no mention anywhere in the Bible of when Jesus was born, Pope Julius I convenintly tagged Jesus's Birthday onto the end of the Festival and December 25th became his Birthday which the Christians loved because it meant they could join in the drinking and groping the servants with the rest of the Roman's.
Elf's (Scandinavian) We have the Scandinavians to thank for these Christmas stalwart's, the Elf or Nisse were equipped with magical powers and looked like a short and red pointy hat wearing garden gnome who lived in the stables and barns of the homestead, guarding the property and those dwelling within but if you didn't respect them, they would create mischief around your house.
Father Christmas (Scandinavian)) He breaks into our houses every year to the delight of good children everywhere but he didn't start out delivering presents to kids, he began life as the Norse God Odin riding his eight-legged horse Sleipnir across the midwinter night's sky, delivering gifts to those down below who would leave out food and drink for him as a sacrifice to him.
Mince Pies (British) I always got confused by Mince Pies as a kid as it wasn't the Mince i thought although i was 500 years late because the Mince was once the meaty mince with anything from rabbit to mutton, pigeon to pheasant produced for the British Tudor Royal Family but over time mince pies gradually became a bit sweeter and less meaty, until the late 19th century when they started to become just sweet and without any meat, they just never bothered to change the name, typical Brits.
Mistletoe (Scandinavian) Stems back to a Norse myth involving the God Loki who killed another God, Baldr, with an arrow made of mistletoe and the tears of his Mother, Frigg, fell onto the red mistletoe berries turning them white, which resurrected her son. Mistletoe came to represent renewal, love and peace with Frigg promising to kiss anyone who passed beneath it. Another one for the Scandinavians and for pervy men everywhere.
Pantomime (Italian) The word is Greek (Oh no, it isn't, oh yes it is) but it was the Italians who came up with the idea of incorporating fairy tales into the slapstick plays with the gender reversal we know today so good one Italians, washed up TV stars thank you.
Saint Nicholas (Turkey) AKA the Bishop of Myra in Turkey during the 3rd Century, St Nicholas was known to travel around give gifts to the poor and on one occasion threw bags of gold coins down a mans chimneys to stop him sending his daughters into a life of prostitution to escape financial hardship so despite being a largely Muslim country that doesn't celebrate Christmas, Turkey get this one.
Santa Claus Name (Nrtherlands/USA) Saint Nicholas in Dutch is Sinterklaas and when they traveled to the New World they took their name with them but as America is a land that mangles other peoples languages, it changed into Santa Claus so half each to the Netherlands and the dictionary-less Americans.
Santa's Red Suit (USA) The orginal Santa wore green to represent the coming of spring and his attire included a long green hooded cloak, as well as a wreath made of holly, mistletoe or ivy but mid 19th Century an American cartoonist, Thomas Nast, drew him in Scarlet which was the colours of the religious robes for the Bishop of Myra in Turkey in the 3rd Century and the colour stuck. That's America on the scoreboard then.
Sleigh Pulling Reindeer (Scandinavian) The idea of a present giving man with a long white beard sat in a sleigh being pulled by reindeer goes back to Odin who would hand out gifts to the well behaved and the first time they are named is in Clement Moore's poem and then Rudolph is handed the job of the lead reindeer when he is created by an advertising copywriter, Robert L May, who created him to sell colouring books so the origins are Scandinavian.
Turkey (British) The same Royals who loved a Minced Pie also liked Peacock on their Christmas Dinner plates but Henry VIII (who ate pretty much anything that walked or squawked), wanted something even more exotic and indulgent and as Turkey was regarded as a 16th Century luxury, that's what he got and the nobilty who were keen to show they were just as exotic as the much married King, did the same and it soon became the thing to have for Christmas Dinner so thanks Henry VIII, another one for us Brits.
Ugly Sweater (Canada) Christmas jumpers have been a thing ever since Christmas and Jumpers have been around but it was the Canadians who had the idea of putting the two together and stopped being chased by Polar Bears and laughing at their uncouth American neighbours long enough to make them a thing and now everyone has at least one hanging in their wardrobe so their maple syrup may not have caught on but their chunky knitwear did.
Wreaths (Scandinavian) The Germans may have had the idea of chopping down a whole tree and dragging it into their living room but that's just one up and a bigger and better version of the Scandinavian wreaths which were bits of the Evergreen Tree with a candle in the centre to provide protection in the long, dark nights of winter where spirits were also thought to be out and about.
Xmas (Greek) The X comes from the Greek letter 'chi' which means Christ. Not the most Christmassy place but that's one for the Greeks.
Yule Log (Scandinavian) Although today we tend to think of it as a chocolatey sponge cake to stuff into our faces in the rare moments we’re not gorging on mince pies and Quality Street, in Nordic tradition, the Yule log was a carefully selected log that was ceremonially brought into the house and burnt in a fireplace during the time of Yule to protect the home and bring good luck.
Totting it all up on my Calculator, it's Frohe Weihnachten German's and God Jul Scandi's but i make it us Brits have introduced the most to the modern day Festive period which hopefully goes some way for making up for also introducing the Spice Girls and Piers Morgan to the World.
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