9 popular customs at Christmas

Christmas Cards: The first cards were created by Henry Cole and John Horsley in 1843 to encourage people to use the postal service. Each card cost 1 shilling (equivalent to £5.75 today), while the stamp cost 1 pence (equivalent to 40 pence today). Advances in printing technology brought prices down, and cards became popular in the 1860s. By 1900, the custom of sending Christmas cards had spread throughout Europe.

Christmas Trees: The first appeared in England after the 1830s, when Prince Albert erected a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle (England) in 1841.

Mince Pie: The first mince pies were made with meat, fruit, and spices, inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine brought back by the Crusaders. They typically had 13 ingredients, representing Christ and the apostles, and were shaped like a manger. By the Victorian era, meat had disappeared from the pie, but beef fat was still used.

Hanging Stockings: This custom originated from the legend of St. Nicholas. He once sent a bag of gold down the chimney of a poor old man who had no dowries for his unmarried daughters. The bag of gold fell into the stockings that were hanging out to dry. The Dutch later called St. Nicholas Sinterklaas, which in English became Santa Claus.

Christmas sparklers: Tom Smith, a London (England) confectioner, invented Christmas sparklers in the late 1840s, inspired by French paper-wrapped candy.

Turkey: Originally from Mexico, turkeys were first brought to England in 1526 by William Strickland. King Henry VIII loved turkeys, and although poultry was a high-class food in the late 19th century, he made it a popular Christmas dish for the middle class. Even so, a turkey cost as much as a week's wages.

Pudding: A medieval pudding made from wheat. By the mid-17th century, the pudding had become thicker and was used as a dessert consisting of eggs, dried fruit, and wine.

Mistletoe: Hanging mistletoe in the home is an ancient Christian tradition, helping to bring good luck to the homeowner and ward off evil spirits. Starting in England, Catholics also had the custom of kissing under mistletoe branches because this plant was also identified with the image of the goddess of love.

Christmas songs: Christmas songs have been written over the centuries, but the most famous are from the time of Queen Victoria (England). The song Jingle Bells was composed by musician J. Pierpont but placed in a collection of songs in the list of famous American folk songs called American song bag. The song Silent Night, Holy Night originated from Germany with the title Stille Natch, Heiligo Natch and was composed by priest Joseph Mohr at the end of the German-Austrian-Prussian war.

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