The History of Random Christmas Things

→ By John Yamamoto (‘23) FEATURE

Christmas is a season riddled with interesting characters and traditions. While the origins of Santa Claus are pretty well-known, few people know how fruitcake became the classic holiday dessert or why the Japanese celebrate Christmas by eating KFC. So if you’re curious or want to brush up on your Christmas trivia, read on to learn more about some random Christmas things!

Mistletoe Fruitcake

Did you know that the name of the beautiful evergreen plant you hope to kiss your lover under this Christmas season translates to “poop stick” in Anglo-Saxon language?

While often overlooked among other Christmas icons, mistletoe actually has a rich history and is quite a peculiar plant. According to CoolGreenScience, mistletoe is a leafy evergreen semi-parasitic plant with waxy white berries that is planted in trees via bird poop. As it grows, the plant attaches itself to its host tree through an appendage that it uses to steal water and nutrients. In a way, the mistletoe “kisses” its host, although it is far from romantic as the host begins to die. The Romans revered mistletoe as a symbol of peace, love, and understanding, and they would hang it over doorways. The first instance of lovers kissing under the mistletoe actually occurred during a Roman celebration called Saturnalia, where you might guess from the name, they honored the god Saturn. According to Ambius.com, the mistletoe tradition also comes from Norse mythology. In those stories, the goddess Figg loses her son Baldur to his weakness, an arrow made from mistletoe. In response to her son’s death, Figg vows to kiss anyone who walks underneath mistletoe, as long as the plant is no longer used as a weapon. Fast forward a few hundred years, mistletoe became a sign of vitality and fertility at Christmas time in early Christianity. This may have been because the parasitic plant stays green and healthy even after its host’s passing. In the 1700s, the lower class people of England brought the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe as a Christmas tradition. The tradition grew in England and soon spread to all classes and America.

Ever took a bite of fruitcake and wondered why it even exists?

Some say that the infamous Christmas dessert was first created as an energy bar made by the Romans who needed sustenance while out in the battlefield. However, according to PBS.com, the modernstyle fruitcake that we now know and mock likely originated from the Early Middle Ages. During this time, baking with sweet spices such as cinnamon alongside fruits and nuts in cakes was a sign of culinary sophistication because spices were expensive. Because of its status, the fruitcake became a popular delicacy in Europe and was later introduced to America by the European colonists. In 1913, with the addition of the Parcel Post Service to the U.S. Post Office, mail-order foods became a common way for people to access oncerare delicacies. Fruitcake’s unrivaled shelf-life made it the perfect food to send through the mail, and this convenience quickly made fruitcake iconic in America. By the 1950s, it became a Christmas tradition; millions of fruitcakes would be sent to friends and family each holiday season.

Fun Fact: Fruitcakes have an extremely long shelf-life without the need for refrigeration. The secret lies in the seasoning: making a fruitcake involves brushing it periodically with a distilled liquor and storing it in a cool dark place for several months. Want to try a fruitcake for yourself this holiday season? Pick one up from your local Costco or Safeway, or for even more of a traditional feel, get a mail order one from Amazon or Goldbelly.com.

Figgy Pudding

Figgy pudding made its debut in the 14th century as a fasting meal eaten to prepare for the Christmas season.

At this time, it was a lot different from our current sweet pudding; it was actually more of a savory soup-like dish, made from cooked meat, dried plums, wine, and spices. It was also known as plum pudding, which actually makes more sense than figgy pudding, as figs weren’t even an essential ingredient during this time. When the 16th century rolled around, fruit became more plentiful, and figgy pudding evolved from a savory meal to sweet dish. It was around this time that poor carolers decided to have some fun when performing at more-affluent houses. They added their own line onto the song “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and the second verse requesting figgy pudding was born. As time went on, the recipe evolved into its modern day recipe—a pudding composed of breadcrumbs, eggs, sugar, suet, raisins, currants, and candied orange peel. The pudding was actually banned in England in 1647. Figgy pudding was a Christmas tradition in Britain at the time and it is said that the thirteen ingredients used to make it represent the twelve disciples plus Jesus. The Puritans who sought to remove any practices not directly associated with the bible, outlawed the flavorful dessert. Figgy pudding lovers later rejoiced when King George I reinstated their beloved food as a Christmas pudding.

Kfc In Japan

In Japan, Christmas is marked by time for family, spectacular Christmas light displays, and Colonel Sanders.

Yup, you heard me right. Each year at Christmas, an estimated 3.6 million Japanese families indulge themselves in the crispy, warm, and flavorful delight of KFC chicken. According to japanRailPass, people pre-order their meals up to six weeks in advance in order to guarantee themselves a finger lickin’ good Christmas. This tasty tradition started with a KFC employee named Takeshi Okawara. It was Christmas in the year 1970. A foreigner had gone into a Japanese KFC to buy chicken because he couldn’t find a turkey to celebrate Christmas with. Okawara overheard the customer’s grievances and came up with the idea for a KFC “Christmas party bucket”. In 1974, KFC did a massive marketing campaign in which they sold a bucket of chicken and a bottle of wine. They proposed the idea that chicken at Christmas is not only for kids, but enjoyable for adults as well. KFC used the slogan “Kentucky for Christmas,” and the Japanese people soon got into it. Colonel statues dressed like Santa would welcome passersby at start of the Christmas season to get people excited for “Kentucky for Christmas.”

History teacher Robert Weismantel and his wife take a break from eating the traditional Japanese osechi ryori during New Year’s to gobble down some finger linkin’ good chicken.

‘Tis the season for irrational fear about our behavior!

This tradition has a number of origin stories out there, but here are a few popular ones.

According to Italian legend, a witch named La Befana sought to give presents to Jesus when he was born. However, she couldn’t find him, and to this day at Christmastime she still travels the earth, searching for the recipient of her gifts. Along the way, she gives good presents to children she deems worthy, and lumps of coal to naughty children. Others believe that the tradition of giving coal to naughty children originated in 19th century England. There was a widespread belief that poverty was punishment for sin. The kids of affluent families would get candy and toys for Christmas, while the impoverished ones would get coal because that was all the parents could afford to give. However, people interpreted that to mean that the children didn’t deserve anything better than coal.

The last story originates from German and Dutch folklore. Sinterkklas, more commonly called St. Nicholas, was a mythic character who left presents in boots and socks left out on Christmas Eve. There was also Krampus, Sinterkklas’ beast-like counterpart who would leave coal in the boots and socks of kids who didn’t deserve Sinterkklas’ gifts. Personally, I would be more afraid of having the Krampus visit my house than finding coal in my stocking.

From page 8 “Michelle Lee”

Lee describes herself as naturally shy and introverted, so overcoming her reserved nature while performing was initially challenging. She said, “As a child, I hated smiling on stage, and I couldn’t stand still, so I would get scolded by other magicians. I was not confident in what I was saying at all. I thought it was fun, but I wasn’t confident.” However, over the years, she learned to recognize the finesse and dedication that magic requires, which helped her to become more confident on stage. Being recognized at competitions, such as the 2017 Brown Bags to Stardom talent show, also boosted her courage. “Standing on stage and being able to do what you can do requires a lot of confidence. And not everybody has that,” she explained. Her father added, “She’s very brave and never afraid of big audiences…I’m very proud of her.” The communication skills Lee exercises while performing have also transferred over into her social life. She credits her magic training with her increased ability to make new friends and confidently navigate conversations instead of feeling hesitant or anxious.

For aspiring magicians, she has these tips to offer: “Be confident in what you want to do, and then don’t perform magic just for the sake of performing it but for your audience. You may think it’s boring, because you know the secret, but you have to remember that the audience doesn’t know.” Though magic is cloaked in secrecy for its spectators, its practitioners simply see it as a way to inspire wonder and delight. Lee added, “I do magic because I want to make people happy. Other performing arts disciplines can do that as well, but for me, there’s just something different about magic.”