How Christmas Traditions Came To Be
Elf On The Shelf
The Elf On The Shelf tradition started in 2005 when a woman named Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell, wrote a book that came with a little elf doll. The idea was that the elf is a scout sent by Santa, and every night it flies back to the north pole, then returns, hiding in a new spot each time before anyone wakes up. Once this was posted online, the whole thing soon became a big holiday trend. People began becoming more creative and began putting their elves in creative positions, like an elf eating a cookie, or zip lining across the room, making them a fun and cheerful tradition.
Gingerbread Houses
The idea of Gingerbread Houses started in Germany after the Grimm brothers published the famous book, Hansel and Gretel, where the kids discover a house completely made out of candy and gingerbread. People were so inspired by that story they started building their own mini gingerbread houses. Over the years it soon became a fun, family holiday activity, with icing, candy, and other edible decorations, turning them into tiny creative, and sometimes hilarious pieces of art.
Ugly Sweaters
The tradition of Ugly Christmas Sweaters began in the 1980s-1990s, when festive sweaters became popular gifts. At first people wore them seriously, but eventually they started creating silly designs, making it hilarious and fun. By the early 2000s, the trend evolved into ugly sweaters, and contests where people competed to wear the most outrageous, overdecorated sweaters ever. Today the tradition has grown even more popular, with sweaters with lights, and pop culture references, making them a hilarious, and creative Christmas tradition.
Christmas Trees
We all know what Christmas trees are, but have you ever wondered why they stand in your house every Christmas? The tradition of bringing these large trees into houses and decorating them began in Germany way back in the 1500s, when people brought evergreens indoors and decorated them with things such as candles, fruit, and nuts to symbolize life during the winter. The tradition became more and more popular and soon spread across Europe, and then later on became popular in England, and the U.S. in the 1800s, and is now probably the most popular Christmas tradition ever.
“How 25 Christmas Traditions Got Their Start.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 27 May 2025, www.history.com/articles/christmas-traditions-history.
Armstrong, Paige. “The Ancient Roots of Christmas Traditions.” Loudoun Museum, Loudoun Museum, 18 Dec. 2021, www.loudounmuseum.org/post/the-ancient-roots-of-christmas-traditions.
EmilyDeCiccio. “How the Elf on the Shelf Tradition Started.” CNBC, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2020, www.cnbc.com/2020/12/18/how-the-elf-on-the-shelf-tradition-started-.html.
Waxman, Olivia B. “The Real History of Christmas Trees.” Time, Time, 21 Dec. 2020, time.com/5736523/history-of-christmas-trees/.
