Page 4 - Holiday Traditions Dec 2020

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2020
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE THREE RIVERS EDITION/RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE • HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

Pictures
Santa
Christmas invites popular traditions that are observed in many American homes. From caroling to hanging your stockings with care, the origins behind the celebrations are as im- portant as the actions themselves.
Educate your loved ones about the history that shaped the holiday events we know today.
HANGING STOCKINGS
According to the Smithsonian, the act of hanging stockings over the fireplace mantel is traced to a poem penned in 1823 by Clem- ent Clark Moore. A line from the classic liter- ature, “Visit From St. Nicholas,” is as follows:
“And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.” is famous snippet ultimately led chil-
dren to hang their stockings on Christmas Eve in hopes that St. Nicholas would fill them with presents and candies.
DECORATING THE CHRISTMAS TREE
e History Channel states that the popularization of decorating a Christmas tree occurred in 1846, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert posed with their family tree for the London News. Before that, German Lutherans had been tied to the festivity since the 17th century, and Christmas trees were
spotted in Pennsylvania as early as 1820. Evergreen trees are the traditional option, as they are considered lucky because they remain green even in the winter months.
KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE
Dating back several thousand years, Celtic druids thought the mistletoe plant possessed sacred powers, healed illnesses and some- times predicted the future. Mistletoe became a Christmastime tradition, as the plant was gathered during the summer and displayed around the holidays.
e tradition of kissing under the mistletoe began in ancient Greece. It was first noticed during the festival of Saturnalia and, eventu- ally, in wedding ceremonies.
SINGING CAROLS
e heritage of singing religious carols within groups has roots found in medieval times, when citizens traveled from house to house to wish people good health. Accord- ing to the Library of Congress, the tunes re- ceived a Christmas theme around the 1800s in America.
In the 1900s, cities such as New York; Wash- ington, D.C.; and Philadelphia saw a surge in caroling, leading to the release of commercial- ized songbooks. e caroling events were used to raise money for children’s charities.

CONWAY
Join us for a FREE drive-thru picture with Santa. Families stay safely in the car while Santa greets y

North Conway Banking Center Monday, Dec. 7, 6-7:30pm 1390 Old Morrilton Highway
GREENBRIER
Greenbrier Banking Center Tuesday Dec. 8, 6-7:30pm 7 Wilson Farm Road
CLINTON
Clinton Banking Center Thursday, Dec. 10, 6-7:30pm 112 Volunteers Parkway
VILONIA
Vilonia Banking Center Friday, Dec. 11, 6-7pm 1137 Main Street
Member FDIC
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and waves for your picture. Bring y
to Santa and drop it in his Wish Lis
We’ll have a special holiday treat bag
Masks and social distancing required.
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The tradition of hanging stockings for Christmas can be traced back to Clement Clark Moore’s 1823 poem, “Visit From St. Nicholas.”
Origins of popular traditions