What is Christmas?
Here I have investigated into what Christmas actually is, where it originated from and the traditions that are still ongoing or have been lost over the decades. As my brief is to de-commercialise Christmas and encourage people to come together for quality time and keep up old traditions I thought this was a good direction to start off my research. As the main focus at Christmas is Santa Claus, Christmas trees and gift giving I have found from various sources of other traditions that used to be important and appreciated back when people could not afford to be so extravagant at gift giving.
Web research:
Source: http://wuwm.com/post/5-christmas-traditions-centuries-old-origins#stream/0
Christmas Trees: German immigrants brought them to America in the 1600s and 1700s, but they didn't catch on until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria put up a Christmas tree for her German husband, Prince Albert. Since celebrities were just as influential then as now, average Americans decided they had to have them in their homes. Trees were originally for table tops, though today they usually stand full-grown. If you couldn't afford one of your own, there were always "community trees," which neighbors would decorate with presents to hand out to their families after church services.
Santa Claus: St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, Joulupukki. Santa went by a lot of different names, before the character got the Clement Moore treatment. In his famous poem, “The Night Before Christmas,” Moore gave the man his trademark jolly, happy disposition. But even before that, political cartoonistThomas Nast was commissioned to draw Santa, eschewing traditional depictions of a thin, somewhat mean-looking figure for the now familiar round, short, stout man donning a burgundy-red suit lined with white fur. Ultimately, it was Coca-Cola that gave him his current image and his bright red clothes.
Stockings: English and Welsh immigrants brought the stockings tradition to Vermont and upper New York when they arrived. If families did not have a fireplace mantle, then the stockings were hung at the end of the bed. As immigrants moved across the country, so did this formerly New England tradition spread westward. Typically, the stockings would be filled with small gifts, such as oranges, little candies, or a pair of mittens.
A-wassailing: Back in the 16th and 17th century, the English had a tradition in which they would go to their neighbors' homes and sing carols. When they finished singing, they were to be invited in for a beverage, otherwise known as wassail. This was a spiced, hard (alcoholic) apple cider or a beer.
Sugar Plums: Dating back to Elizabethan times, sugar plums were either nuts or herb seeds (like fennel) that would be given a hard candy shell, similar to a Jordan almond.
Christmas greenery:
Source: http://www.lifeway.com/Article/Christmas-traditions-rooted-in-ancient-culture
Christmas festivities often include the hanging of the greens. Christmas trees, mistletoe, holly, and poinsettias grace homes, businesses, and churches.
Many traditions involving greenery originated in Druid, Celt, Norse, and Roman civilizations, which celebrated the winter solstice around December 21. Because the colour green represented eternal life, plants that remained green throughout the year played an important role in these celebrations.
The Romans celebrated the solstice with a mid-winter holiday called the Saturnalia, honouring the Roman god Saturn. They lit candles in their homes, spent time with friends and family, decorated their homes with wreaths and garlands, exchanged gifts, and feasted.
As pagan cultures converted to Christianity, they continued many of their traditional winter solstice activities. Because the use of greenery had pagan origins, early church leaders often objected to its use. However, the traditions were so deeply ingrained that the customs continued - but from a Christian frame of reference.
My analysis: After researching Christmas it is clear that the colour green has always been represented through different religions and cultures as a symbol for eternal life and strength/togetherness. This will be something I will use in my own work as in modern day society the colours red and green are still dominant throughout any christmas related piece of design. However I would like to find a different shade or tone of green which would represent the evolving times of christmas but still try to keep the traditional nostalgic colours that would hit both young and old target audiences.
Christmas Cards:
Source: http://www.lifeway.com/Article/Christmas-traditions-rooted-in-ancient-culture
The custom of sending Christmas cards probably began with the English "schoolpieces" or "Christmas pieces," simple pen-and-ink designs on sheets of writing paper. The first formal card was designed by an Englishman, J.C. Horsley, in 1843. It was lithographed on stiff, dark cardboard and depicted in color a party of grownups and children with glasses raised in a toast over the words "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you."
Americans relied on expensive imported Christmas cards until 1874, when Boston lithographer Louis Prang offered a selection of cards featuring reproductions of contemporary paintings with printed sentiments on the reverse side. Within 10 years, Prang's print shop was producing more than five million cards each year.
My Analysis: Having never researched into old christmas cards before this was very interesting to find. It was designed by an Englishman in 1843 called J.C Horsley. The visuals are of what looks like a family at a gathering all sharing a drink and enjoying one another's company. The other illustrations left and right to the centre image look like they're sharing food and giving gifts, more christmas traditions. As the livelihood will have been much lower than todays society, Christmas will have been more on togetherness and having a good time with your family, not just giving gifts. The card represents what christmas should be like, this is something I am keeping in mind when it comes to the outcome for my brief.
Source: http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/uk.shtml
