Christmas Legends
Christmas legends range from Jesus Christ to Charles Dickens to Santa Claus. Christmas legends are born, made, crafted and passed on. Some are real while many grow in reality with each passing season. From Santa Claus to St. Nicholas, from Abraham — the father of the nations — to Abraham Lincoln, from George Bailey to Irving Berlin, the heroes and legends of Christmas are many and diverse.


Christmas legends are also sometimes not people but also traditions — the Yule Log, mistletoe, and even Christmas trees are born of legends of Christmas in antiquity.


Of Christmas legends come great debate. Which is more important on your tree — the angel or the star? Which came first and why? Both are legendary elements of the season and both have a place in Christmas.


Christmas legends are a fascinating part of the history of Christmas.

Santa's List Day
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The History of Santa’s List Day

The legend of Santa Claus has many elements, one of the oldest being a letter or a wish list sent to Santa to share what one wants for Christmas. The idea has ancient roots in the origin story of Saint Nicholas, the benevolent 4th century…
Norman Rockwell Christmas
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Norman Rockwell and Christmas

Norman Rockwell was an artist who captured American life and culture on his canvas like no one else. Born at the end of the Victorian era his works documented a time when Christmas had evolved tremendously. By the time he passed in 1978 nothing…
Charles Dickens
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The Tears of Charles Dickens

It is said the tears of Charles Dickens were shed as he wrote A Christmas Carol. During a brief period in the fall of 1843 Dickens would take late-night strolls on the streets of London as he mulled the story he was creating over and over in…
A Visit from St. Nicholas
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The Story of A Visit from St. Nicholas

A Visit from St. Nicholas is both a story and a poem that has survived nearly two centuries of Christmas celebration. It is arguably the only published work that can even come close to rivaling Dicken's A Christmas Carol in both fame and annual…
Mistletoe Ghost Story
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The Ghost Story of Mistletoe

The ancient roots of mistletoe have nothing on the 19th century popularity of mistletoe. It was, for all intents and purposes, a great fad of Christmas. It began with a poem, as many things popular with Christmas of the 19th century did.…
Retro Christmas
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History of the Tradition of Elves

Lost in the romance, fantasy and some would say mystery and myth of Christmas is the concept of elves. Most folks today think of Santa’s helpers, often in the form of little people, who work at the North Pole busily making toys for good…
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Christmas at Sea

When thinking of Christmas at sea one immediately turns to the traditional carol “I Saw Three Ships”. The song, repeatedly made popular by interpretations in modern recording ranging from Sting to Amy Grant to traditional orchestras, is…
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Friendly Beasts

There are tales and legends aplenty of the animals present at the Nativity. In a great telling of some of those legends in song is Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, star of stage and a voice known from many films. Dubbed "The Last…
Christmas food
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Legend of the Christmas Orange

Nicholas, as you know, was a Bishop long before he ever was a Saint. This story is but one of many that make up his legend and it is sacred to those who consider him a saint. He had heard of a family that lived closed by -- not even members…
Vintage Christmas
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The Controversy of Who Wrote A Visit from St. Nicholas

One of the more romantic notions associated with Santa Claus and Christmas comes in the form of an early 19th century poem titled A Visit from St. Nicholas. As the legend goes, college professor and devout church man Clement Clarke Moore…
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Animals in the Story of Christmas

Animals play a prominent role a Christmas, regardless of whether or not religious beliefs are behind it. The story of Rudolph is but one example of an animal that has become an icon of the season. The truth is that there are many animals…
White Christmas
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The Legendary Bing Crosby

He was born the middle of seven children in the great American northwest. His father was an English-American bookkeeper and his mother a second-generation Irish American, making young Harry about as American as apple pie. The rest of his story…
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A Masterful Telling of Luke 2

There is not a Christmas lover anywhere who does not know well the text of the Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2, from the New Testament. But never have you heard it with such precise storytelling ability as we see in this video of John Rhys-Davies…
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The Misunderstood Legend of Krampus

High in the snowy back country of Germany children everywhere look forward to the early December feast day of St. Nicholas, that kindly gift bringer of ancient origin. But unlike other children German kids have not only to be on the lookout…
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Clement Clarke Moore Day

Today is July 15th and there are only 163 days left until Christmas. Today marks the 236th birthday of Clement Clarke Moore, author of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" or, as it is better known, Twas the Night Before Christmas. Moore doesn't get…