Ever wonder where some of the things we see and do each and every Christmas got their start?
Maybe the Christmas pickle for example? According to history.com, the practice of hiding a pickle ornament on a Christmas tree started in the late 1800s after a Woolworths marketing gimmick. The retailer received imported German ornaments shaped like a pickle and needed a sales pitch. It’s now turned into an American tradition and the first child to find the green ornament in the tree wins a gift or gets to open the first present on Christmas morning!
How long has snapping photos of kids on Santa’s lap at the mall been a thing? Well, it dates back to 1890 actually, when James Edgar of Brockton, Massachusetts, had a Santa suit made for him, and he wore it at his dry goods store. It caught on a year later, and more Santa’s started popping up at stores across the country. While Edgar is said to have started it all, Macy’s in New York claims it has been hosting Santa since 1862.
Leaving treats for Santa and his reindeer goes way back too. Americans began to leave cookies and milk during the Great Depression in the 1930s to show a sign of gratitude during a time of struggle.
Did you know the first official Christmas card debuted in 1843 in England? It had a simple message, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.” The idea of mailing holiday greetings caught on later in Britain and the U.S. Kansas City-based Hall Brothers (now Hallmark) created a folded card sold with an envelope in 1915. Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, more than 1.6 billion holiday cards are sold each year.
What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Let us know in the comments!
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