Dispelling Myths about Christmas

Christmas is the only holiday that is both a legal federal holiday and a Christian celebration. That’s probably because Christmas is two holidays in one; it has a secular component that includes Santa Claus, presents, decorations, and parties. It also has a religious component, which includes church services and the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

But both sides of the Christmas holiday are fraught with myths and urban legends. So I thought I’d dig a little deeper into the history of the season to uncover my top 10 myths about Christmas. I’ll start with five urban legends about secular Christmas.

Myth 1 – The image of Santa Claus as a fat jolly man with a white beard and red suit and driving a sleigh pulled by reindeer has always been associated with Christmas.

Actually, Santa Claus is loosely based on St. Nicholas of Turkey. He was the patron saint of children and sailors. He was very pious and generous, but he was not fat. He was a very thin man. He drove no sleigh that anyone knows about, and certainly there are no reindeer in Turkey. The poem usually attributed to Clement C. Moore, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” was published in 1823 and is the source of the modern conception of Santa Claus.

Myth 2 – The candy cane was invented by a candy maker in Indiana around the turn of the last century.

Candy canes were invented in France in the 1400s. They were solid white. A German cleric put the crook in the cane to make it look like a shepherd’s staff for the kids of the church. The red stripes were added in the early 1900s.

Myth 3 – Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem, “’Twas the Night before Christmas.”

Actually, the title of the poem is “A Visit from Saint Nicholas.” And there is considerable doubt as to who its author is. Evidence also points to Henry Livingston Jr. as the author. Moore, himself, originally denied authorship.

Myth 4 – Poinsettias, the red-leafed houseplant that decorates many-a-home on Christmas, is poisonous.

Although it is not meant to be eaten, and it might give you an upset stomach if you did eat it, as would most other houseplants, the poinsettia is not particularly toxic. Mistletoe berries, however, are poisonous.

Myth 5 – Commercialism has spoiled Christmas.

Well, when you consider that prior to the Civil War, Christmas was a rather obscure holiday in America, which was scantly celebrated and at best was considered a minor holiday, commercialism may have actually saved Christmas. After the war, commercial interests found that by hyping Christmas as a time of giving, decorating, and having fun, they could increase their profit margins substantially. So, far from being ruined by commercialism, the fact that Christmas is now by far the most celebrated season of the year is thanks to commercial interests.

Now for the religious myths surrounding Christmas:

Myth 6 – Jesus was born on December 25 in the year 1.

Actually, no one knows when Jesus was born, nor even where he was born. The bible says that there was a census for the entire world, called by Emperor Caesar. In fact historically, there never was such a census, so it can’t be used to narrow down the date. Most historians believe he was born sometime between 7 and 1 BCE. And he was not born in December. Since shepherds didn’t watch their flocks by night in the winter, he was surely born sometime between April and October. The early church decided to hijack the pagan solstice celebration, which occurred in late December, and Christianize it.

Myth 7 – A bright star in the sky hung directly over the stable where Jesus was born.

There have been several hypotheses put forth as to what the star actually was. These include a comet, a supernova, and a planetary conjunction. But there are no astronomical events on record that could account for the star. The closest one is a planetary conjunction that took place in 7 BCE, but the conjunction did not hang in the sky over Bethlehem.

Myth 8 – Three wise men from the East visited the baby Jesus.

Actually, the bible doesn’t say how many visitors from the East there were. And biblical accounts (Matt. 2:11) suggest the visits were to a small child in a house, not a baby in a manger. So the visit must have occurred much later.

Myth 9 – The term Xmas is disrespectful to Christians because it leaves out “Christ.”

In fact, Xmas is derived from the Greek term, Xristos, which does begin with an X and is, indeed, a reference to Christ.

Myth 10 – Christmas has always been the biggest Christian holiday.

People always say, “Let’s put Christ back into Christmas.” But until the nineteenth century, Christmas was shunned in America. Early Protestants almost never celebrated it. In fact, for 25 years in the 1700s, it was against the law to celebrate Christmas openly in Massachusetts.

What's Christmas without Traditions?

This is the season of paradoxes. Christmas is a time for joy, warmth, and family coziness. The key word in most Christmas traditions is family. It is the second time within the span of a month when families get together to eat, play parlor games, and re-bond with each other.

On the other hand, Christmas is a stressful time. Shoppers who love to shop are thrilled with all the bargains that abound this time of year. But reluctant shoppers who would just as soon avoid the hustle and bustle of the malls often become stressed. Thankfully, Internet shopping has helped those who hate getting out.

And then there are those people who have no families or who are unable to connect with their families during the holidays. Few things are more depressing than being alone during the time of year when you’re supposed to be with loved ones and friends. Is it any wonder that the holiday season elicits more suicides than any other time of year?

I am fortunate enough to have a large family, and a large extended family. Typically, on the first Sunday in December, we all take a road trip down to Kentucky where we have a large dinner and mingle with, well, mostly strangers. I assume most of them are my relatives of one sort or another, but they are strangers to me.

When I was a young adult, we had a lot of Christmas traditions going on. Dad loved to decorate the house. It was very festive, if somewhat tacky. A few of us would gather on Christmas Eve for hot chocolate and snacks, looking forward to the big family get-together the next day.

Our tradition was for a huge Christmas breakfast, even though we held it closer to noon. Then, after we stuffed ourselves with scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, and pancakes we would drag ourselves into the living room to open up the huge pile of presents that surrounded a tree that was once visible.

We would spend the rest of the day sleeping or playing with some of the toys the kids got from Santa. We might end the evening with some kind of game, such as Trivial Pursuit.

Most years, the guys would get together one day between Christmas and New Years and have a night on the town. My brothers and I along with a friend or two and perhaps Dad would crowd into someone’s vehicle, usually our school bus camper, and head to the Circle City for dinner, followed by a visit to some entertainment venue.

But, alas, traditions are usually not forever. People get older, some die, others just get tired. We haven’t had a boys’ night out in years. Our huge pile of presents has grown much smaller, since we all realized we could save money by just drawing names. And all the grandchildren have grown up. That also means fewer cool toys for us adults to play with on Christmas, too.

Christmas is still a wonderful time of year for me. There are lots of great memories, and some of our traditions are still going strong, like breakfast. But it is also melancholy as I hark back to the days when Mom’s house was filled with grandchildren, Dad was still with us, and I could enjoy my long vacation from college or, later, teaching high school.

In spite of all the changes that are obligatory parts of growing older, the time between Thanksgiving and New Years Day is still my favorite time of year. I enjoy listening to Christmas carols; I enjoy all the beautiful decorations, and I still enjoy what remains of our family holiday traditions.

Indiana Day is Next Week, but Will Anyone Notice?

Are you ready for next week’s big celebration? Ok, so I’m being sarcastic. And, no, it has nothing to do with this month’s other big holiday, Christmas. December 11 is Indiana Admission Day, as will presumably be proclaimed by the governor.

When I was in the sixth grade, I remember being taught a subject called Indiana History. The whole course lasted only a couple of weeks and was part of our regular history class, except we used a different text.

I enjoyed the class. I liked learning about the corduroy roads that were built in the state back in the 1800s, or the fact that two of the nation's most important highways, the Michigan Road and the National Road, intersected in Indianapolis. That's one reason why Indiana was called the "Crossroads of America."

One of the things I learned in that sixth-grade history class was that Indiana became a state in 1816, on December 11. It took two attempts, but we finally made statehood.

It began in 1811 as a petition to Congress for admission. The original petition got lost in the shuffle due to the War of 1812. But then, in 1815 another petition was sent to Congress. That time, Congress acted and President Madison signed the enabling act in April of that year.

After the first Indiana Constitutional Convention in June of 1816, Indiana officially became a state on December 11, when Madison signed the Congressional resolution formally admitting Indiana into the Union.

Indiana's population at the time was only 63,000. Today, Indiana is still known as the Crossroads of America. Although in area it is the smallest state west of the Appalachians (except for Hawaii), it is an important state for manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation.

Unlike many other states, however, Indiana does not do much to commemorate its admission into the union. Some states take their admission day very seriously. Hawaii, for example, has declared it an official state holiday. And Nevada even holds a three-day celebration honoring its admission day.

Even though the governor is supposed to proclaim every December 11 as Indiana Day, few Hoosiers ever give it a thought. It will soon be Indiana Day again, but see if anyone notices.

For many years, from the 1960s up until 1991, Indiana Day did not officially exist, even though it was supposed to, as directed by the Indiana General Assembly in the 1920s. Former Gov. Evan Bayh began issuing the proclamation again in 1991 after a phone call from me to his staff reminded him of his legal obligations on the matter.

Since then, governors have been upholding the law by proclaiming Indiana Day. But the proclamation alone does nothing to make the day special to the state's citizens.

Indiana Day would have more meaning if more school children were required to take an Indiana History class. Some high schools offer the class, but only as an elective. It should be a required part of the curriculum of all high schools or middle schools. And students should be required to take it.

In addition, instead of requiring the governor to proclaim Indiana Day each year, the General Assembly should pass legislation permanently marking December 11 on the calendar as Indiana Day, not as a paid holiday, but as a day of recognition of Indiana's history. It’s part of our Hoosier heritage.