By Jacqueline Kelly.
The Spirit of Christmas is already upon us. Christmas superstitions are revived every year, and they lend a traditional air to Christmas. According to A.R. Bane, long-lost folk practices and rituals are fascinating, strange, and slightly scary. Most of these superstitions surrounding Christmas traditions come from Europe and Britain and were developed in the Middle Ages, but their actual roots lie much further in the past—in the pre-Christian era of Druids, Celts, and the ancient Norse peoples.
Almost every modern Christmas tradition first started out as a pagan ritual in some form; then, slowly, over centuries, the Church integrated and adapted many of the rituals into Church services and Christian customs as a way to convert the “heathen” peasantry across the West. Later on, these pagan-turned-Christian customs were transformed once again into a complex series of folk beliefs and superstitions, moving from the church pew to the farms and villages and becoming inextricably bound to the daily lives of tens of millions of Europeans.
For instance, did you know that people born on Christmas Day are supposed to have life-long luck? In some countries, it is believed that being born on Christmas Eve bestows upon you the gift of the gab, but those born a day later are less voluble.
In France, Christmas Day babies are supposed to have the gift of prophecy. And in Silesia, unless the boy born on Christmas Day is educated to become a lawyer, he will become a thief. Girls born on Christmas Day are, however, supposed to be intelligent and virtuous.
Then, while being born on Christmas day is considered auspicious, dying is not regarded so favourably. In fact, some old books contain recipes to prevent “ye Christmas dyinge” Death on Christmas Day is supposed to rob one of after-death happiness.
In some parts of England, country lasses of marriageable age have their own special superstitions. Some keep a piece of mistletoe under their pillow on Christmas Eve, as it is said to cause dreams of future husbands. Others bake what is known as the Husband Cake. While farm girls go and knock on the pig-sty door at midnight; should the knock be answered by a grunt, the girl’s husband will be a man much older than her. However, should the knock be answered by the squeal of a piglet, it means the girl’s husband will be a handsome young man. Other’s draw sticks from a wood pile on Christmas Eve. The shape of the stick is supposed to show what type of man the girl will marry: a thin stick means a lean husband, a thick one a fat husband. Girls who have more patience place onions in the corners of their room, giving each the name of a male acquaintance. The one that sprouts before the Twelfth Night, January 6, is destined to marry her.
Continuing in the same vein, it is believed the husband or wife will rule the house depending on whether the prickly male holly or the smooth female holly is brought into the house first. The Scandinavian countries have many superstitions and beliefs. Here people look after the Christmas Candle carefully, fearing ill-luck should it blow out. Some families place their shoes together on Christmas Day, so that the family may stay that way together. Others wish a dark-haired person to enter the house first on the day, for this is supposed to bring prosperity to the house.
Beliefs and superstitions are even connected with clothes. It is considered unlucky to wear clothes with holes in them. Though new clothes are mandatory on Christmas Day, new shoes, or squeaky ones, are not in some countries. Some don’t dare risk misfortune by taking anything out of the house, unless it is intended to be a present. Many others keep a piece of the Christmas cake until the next Christmas for good luck.
A long-established custom at Christmas has been the one that permits boys to kiss girls under the mistletoe. And it is only natural that you find superstitions attached to it. Some girls kissed under the mistletoes, making it a point not to see the mistletoe being taken down, for fear of remaining spinsters forever. Some say the girl who is not kissed under the mistletoe will not marry the following year. The Ancient Greeks considered the mistletoe an aphrodisiac, which is probably why kissing under the mistletoe will bring you luck in your love life.
It is a rather strange belief that men change into ravenous wolves on Christmas night and roam the countryside in search of “victims” on their way for the midnight service. Some people believe that all through the Christmas tide, evil spirits roam the world and carry off people. It was during one such season, several years ago, that a famous passenger liner, Marie Celeste, was found drifting aimlessly on the high seas. The ship was deserted, and there was no trace of the passengers or crew. What was eerie about the entire affair is that the people who found the deserted Marie Celeste discovered a full Christmas dinner, still warm from the oven laid out in the ship’s banquet hall. Where did the crew and passengers disappear? And where did they celebrate their Christmas? The people who disappeared from the Marie Celeste were never heard of again.
In Norway, all the broomsticks in the home are hidden on Christmas Eve to prevent witches and evil spirits from stealing them.
Krampus is a demonic character that wanders the streets with chains and bells looking for misbehaving children. This is one of the scariest Central European Christmas tradition.
Superstition is a departure from the worship of the true God and also expresses itself in various forms of divination, magic, sorcery, and spiritism.
[Is. 44:9-10; Lk. 16:13]
According to Sr. Mary Usha S.N.D. who has been engaged in the Ministry of Inner healing, or the healing of memories, her experiences tell us that the whole world is looking for and searching for peace. There are many people who, in their own little way, are making an effort to promote peace, but they are not achieving it. Many people believe in superstitions. Many others, though personally not drawn to superstition, find themselves under much pressure from people living around them. Some eventually yield to such pressure and indulge in superstitious behaviour or practices. Superstitions vary from State to State, and place to place. Jesus has stated for, believing in and allowing our lives to be governed by superstitions, we cease to trust in God, our Father, and His all-powerful love and believe in untruth, instead.
Christmas is not Christmas unless we see our tokens of love in the light that shines in the cave of Bethlehem. Lord Jesus, save us and the whole world from superstition. Wash us all with Your Precious Blood and fill us with Your Holy Spirit and thus release us from all bondage.
COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.