The Surprising History Behind Hanging Mistletoe (and 10 Other Popular Christmas Symbols)

Many of us decorate for the holidays without really thinking about what each Christmas symbol means. When I was growing up, my mom used to participate in an annual wreath competition with her garden club; each member would construct a beautiful holiday door decoration on an agreed-upon theme and win ribbons based on creativity, adherence to the motif, and overall excellence. We loved her creations, but never gave much thought to why Christmas wreaths existed in the first place. The same goes for the ribbons I meticulously curl around my gifts each year, the pretty silver tinsel we hang on our tree, or even the tree itself.

Especially where the holidays are concerned, it's so easy to fall into a habit and just pull the same decorations out year after year without stopping to consider why we celebrate the way we do. Christmas celebrations are actually rife with tradition and symbolism. We dug deep to find out the background behind the Christmas symbols we all know and love, to inject a little extra meaning into the holiday. So take a minute to slow down and consider the reason for the season. It may help you appreciate it in a whole new way.