Just for fun I decided to see what kind of legends I could find about Christmas.

The Legend of the snowflake is about a Snowflake Angel that falls put of the sky and brings a piece of God's handiwork with her. If you are lucky and a Snowflake Angel she will bring you snowflake kisses and wishes. This is why we hang snowflakes in our windows and trees. I have beautiful snowflakes in my home year round.

Would you believe the pickle also has a legend?
   I did not know until I found this: an ornament shaped like a pickle is a sign of good luck. A long time ago in Germany the pickle ornament was the last ornament to be place on the tree on Christmas Eve. The first child to find the glass pickle would receive a very special gift. Why not add a pickle to your Christmas tree and let your children find it.

The Christmas Wreath also has a legend.
   I found many legends about the wreath; they derive from early Olympic Game champions who were crowned with laurel wreaths. Or they are a symbol of Christ's crown of holly and thorns. Also that they originated from early Germans who gathered wreaths and burned them as a sign of coming spring and renewed light. Today the wreath symbolizes the circle of family, the eternal life of Jesus and a welcome to all who see one on the door.

The legend of the candy cane is very pretty.
   A humble candy maker wanted to make a candy that would be a special gift for the King of Kings. He set out incorporating several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He made a stick of pure white hard candy to symbolize the Virgin Birth and sinless nature of Christ, the hardness of the candy represented God's promises are a firm foundation. He formed the candy in the shape of the letter -J- to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. Then he added three small red stripes to represent the scourging Jesus suffered on His way to the cross.
One large red stripe would remind those with eyes to see and ears to hear of the promise of eternal life. It would be a gift of love that would tell His story - the greatest story ever told. He made the Christmas Candy Cane.

Even a spider has a legend at Christmas time.
   The on Christmas Eve, a long time ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year... Christmas day, the day on which the little Christ child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner on the ceiling. They had fled to the farthest corner of the attic.
    The Christmas tree was beautifully decorated. The poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the little Christ child's visit. Then the oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could wait until everyone went to bed and then get a closer look. When the house was dark and silent, the spiders crept out of their hiding place. When they neared the Christmas tree, they were delighted with the beauty of it.
   The spiders crept all over the tree, up and down, over the branches and twigs and saw every one of the pretty things. The spiders loved the Christmas tree. All night long they danced in the branches, leaving them covered with spider webs. In the morning, when the little Christ child came to bless the house, he was dismayed! He loved the little spiders for they were God's creatures, but he knew the mother, who had worked so hard to make everything perfect, would not be pleased when she saw what the spiders had done. With love in his heart and a smile on his lips, the little Christ child reached out and gently touched the spider webs.
   The spider webs started to sparkle and shine! They had all turned into sparkling, shimmering silver and gold. According to legend, ever since this happened, people have hung tinsel on their Christmas trees. It has also become a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the Christmas tree.

There is the Legend of the Christmas Tree
   The Christmas tree, which is an evergreen with its boughs stretched toward heaven, reminds us of the everlasting life that Christ came to bring sinners.
The candles or lights on the tree remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. "Let this be called the tree of the Christ Child." The modern Christmas tree goes back to 16th century Germany. There it was decorated with paper roses, apples, wafers, gilt, and sugar.
   In medieval religious plays, the Paradise tree hung with apples. The decorations could symbolize the Christian hosts. I like to buy a keepsake ornament each year. Let your children each have a special ornament just their own to place on the tree. Watch their smiles grow as they hand it on the tree. I have a special tree all trimed in snowflakes and snowmen!
(Aside: Using pines as Christmas trees originates from the Wotan cult of the ancient Germans. At the shorhest night of the Northern Hemisphere year Germans burnt pine trees on mountaintops and part of the aim behind this ritual was calling back the souls of heroic warriors who died for their people an departed for the Walhalla, the ancient Geram Heaven nowadays of ten used derisively in the English-speaking world.)

   I love snowmen and they decorate my home from November to March! The Legend of the Snowman
   It was late December in the land of the Northern Star. The streets and stores were crowded with tired, harried, curt people. The lone remainder of "Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men" were the new toys, already broken and discarded, lying near heaps of dried trees still glowing with the delight of a child's Christmas morning.
Only in North St. Paul were smiles to be seen, but already the first signs of unhappiness were crowding into this valiant village from the encircling lands.
   Oh, the citizens tried to be happy and pleasant, for that is their nature, but it was hard to remain cheerful when their neighboring towns frowned. already the hot winds from the Southwest were felt, presaging the arrival of destructive elements. In answer to these blustering winds the skies glazed and the Polar legions marched to rescue their subjects. With lightning and thunder they fought the invading gales until victory was won and the cold, pure Northern winds purged the land. Riding on these winds were the snow messengers, bank after bank of blue cloud ready to cleanse the land.
   Straight to North St. Paul they ran, then stopped, and from the sky fell one snowflake. It was not an ordinary snowflake, for it grew in size until it seemed to cover the sky, and then it danced and tumbled and twinkled until it landed in the park in the middle of town. For a minute it lay there and the citizens gasped at its size and beauty. Then it broke - it broke into piles and pile of fine pure white snow, more snow than anyone had ever seen. And out of the piles climbed six of the happiest, jolliest, most lovable snowmen in the world.

   "Hello!" said the roundest, Merry, waving at the teenagers. "Hello!" said the fattest, Pinata, tossing a handful of candy to children. "Hello!" said the whitest, Yule, the Pilot of the snowcraft. "Hello!" said the funniest, Fidelas, cheering some old folks with his smile. "Hello!" said the biggest, Noel, the spokesman for the group. "Hello!" said the smallest, Kris, waving his diplomatic credentials.
   "We are here to help you to be happy," said Noel. "Leave the snow. Wait for us at the snow pile in a few days and we shall lead your snow frolics in the snow, help you in your work, and assist you in your charity."
   And with that they left, pausing to play with a child, to share a joke, to bring a smile.

   Any always they said, "Meet us at the snow pile. Wait for us. We shall show you our ways, our games. We shall lead you in Snow Frolics." They scattered far, searching the surrounding lands for those who would be happy, helping those in need. "Come to the snow pile! Come to our Snow Frolics!"

   Early in January the townsmen gathered at the snow pile. From many miles they came, people happy in their hearts, friendly to their neighbors. Then the snowmen arrived.
    "We know you," said Kris. "You are people who care, people who live Christmas the whole year. We know how hard it is to be happy when so many are so cruel. So we have come to help you." "For eleven days we shall live among you. We shall lead you in games. We have chosen the young men among you as our lieutenants, and with their help we shall build you a symbol."
   And the Snowmen and their helpers began molding the snow pile and soon they had built the biggest, happiest, nicest snowman in the world. It loomed over the city, standing guard against unhappiness, spreading smiles and good cheer among the citizens.
   "We shall be with you for eleven days," said Noel. "For we have treasures hidden for you to seek. Those of gold are here for all. Seek joy and good-will and you shall find the greatest riches known to man.

   "And let the children build snowmen and contest for prizes," chirped Pinata, bouncing a youngster on his fat tummy. Now let the bands gather! Call your friends and neighbors. We shall parade and fill the town with happiness."
   Noel and Fidelas took up the chant. "The First day, Saturday, belongs to the young people for dancing, parades and parties, for their love and joy of life shall mark the pattern of our Snow Frolics."
   "Sunday belongs to the family. We shall skate and sleigh; feast and play.
   "The next day will bring together the maidens of the land. Choose the fairest as our queen. Let pageantry and royalty rule the rest of our stay until we meet at the silvery lake."

   In the days that followed, the snowmen were everywhere. Singing on the corners, helping in the shops, presenting candy and chuckles to children, bringing smiles and aid to the needy. They skated and danced and sang for eleven days. Soon the flickering flame of goodwill became a roaring blaze in the hearts of the citizens. On the eleventh day the snowmen gathered at the silvery lake. Everywhere were happy people, and no longer was there a threat to goodwill.

   "We must go now," said Merry, "but we shall leave our snowman monument with you. Let it stand until the spring. Then it will water the flowers and grasses which also shall bring happiness. We shall return next winter to again help those who seek goodwill. Goodbye, and watch for our snowflake!"
   Then they scattered candy to the children, passed their leadership to royalty and their merry lieutenants, and then the Snowmen left on their journey still spreading joy and goodwill. Behind them they left a happy village, the memory of their Snow Frolics, and their promise to return.
   This story is taken from "A Century of Good Living North St. Paul" by Rosemary Palmer. Available from the North St. Paul Historical Society's museum.

The Reindeer Legend
Ordinary reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and flying ones play a role in Santa Claus story. The legend of flying reindeers (eight of them) was probably originated by Clement Clarke Moore in early 19th century poem "That was the Night Before Christmas".

   Then just as quickly as she had appeared, the angel was gone, leaving Maria and Pablo on the road looking up into the dark sky.Confused but excited, the children filled their arms with large bunches of the green weeds and hurried to the church. When the children entered the church, many of the villagers turned to stare.

   As Maria and Pablo began placing the weeds around the manger, some of the villagers laughed at them.

"Why are those children putting weeds by the manger?" they asked each other.

   Maria and Pablo began to feel embarrassed and ashamed of their gift to the Baby Jesus, but they stood bravely near the manger, placing the plants on the soft hay, as the angel had instructed. Suddenly, the dull green leaves on the tops of the plants began to turn a beautiful shade of red, surrounding the Baby with blooms.
   The laughing villagers became silent as they watched the green plants transform into the lovely star-shaped crimson flowers we call Poinsettia. As they watched the weeds bloom before their eyes. Maria and Pablo knew they had no reason to be ashamed anymore. The had given the Baby Jesus the only gift they could-and it was the most beautiful gift of all. Today poinsettias are a traditional symbol of Christmas, thanks to young Maria and Pablo and their special gifts to the Baby Jesus.

   The symbols used to decorate and celebrate Christmas all have a specific meaning.
The Star - is the heavenly sign of promise.
God sent a Savior to the world and the star of Bethlehem was the sign of that promise, as it led the Wise Men to the birthplace of Jesus.

(Aside: Since time immemorial the five-pointed star is the symbol of the planet in our contemporary culture named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love.
   While most planets rotate anticlockwise around the Sun, Venus rotates clockwise in "retrograde" direction and "overtakes" the Earth every 584 days as it orbits the Sun. As it does so, it goes from being the 'Evening star', visible after sunset, to being the 'Morning star', visible before sunrise.
   These phenomena lit the phantasy of even the prehistoric man and connecting them to the eternal cycles of darkness-light, death-rebirth, complementary pairs of notions and so on predate Christianity by millennia. The celestial phenomena shown by this planet are preserved up to today for example even in the name of a city named after this planet: Jerusalem....)
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Red - is the first color of Christmas.
    It was first used by those of faith to remind them of the blood that was shed by the Savior. Christ gave His life and shed His blood that every man/woman might have God's gift of Eternal Life.
Green - is the second color of Christmas.
   The tree became the perfect background for the red ornament. The pure green color of the evergreen tree remains this color all year round. Green is youthful, hopeful, and the abundant color of nature.
   The needles on the tree point heavenward - symbols of man's prayers as they go toward heaven. Trees have been man's best friends. They have sheltered him, warmed him, and made beauty for him.
The Bell - was used to find lost sheep.
   It will ring for every person too, as they find their way back to the Father. It means guidance and return. It further signifies that all are precious in the eyes of the Lord.
   Candles - were placed on Christmas trees. They glowed brightly against the dark green branches showing man's appreciation for the star of long ago. Now strings of lights have taken their place in remembrance of Christ's birth.
A Bow -- is placed on a present to remind us of the spirit of brotherhood of man - as the bow is tied all of us should be tied together with the bonds of good will toward each other. Good will forever is the message of the bow and the gift - a gift of love.
  The Cane - represents the Shepherd's staff.
The crook on the staff was used to help bring back sheep that have strayed away from the fold. The red and white (and other colors) used in the spiral design is a symbol that we are our brother's keepers.
   The Wreath - symbolizes the eternal nature of love: it never ceases, stops, or ends.
It is one continuous circle that only grows greater and greater when expressed. The circle of love wreath is made of many things and many colors. It reminds us of God's unconditional love and the true reason for Christmas.