On June 23rd this year, 51.9 per cent of those who voted in the UK referendum voted in favour of leaving the European Union. Some 48.1 per cent voted in favour of remaining.
As the season to be jolly approaches, the British are putting up their trees and reaching for the tinsel, but are they just trying to have their Christmas cake and eat it?
Is it time for the Brexiters to put away festive things? What did Europe ever do for them at Christmas anyway?
We’ve made a list and we’ve checked it – twice. Turns out that leaving Europe might leave the United Kingdom out in the cold for Christmas.
The Tree
It is German. Entschuldigung.
When Britain’s Queen Victoria married the very German Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, he brought over his country’s habit of decorating a tree at Christmas.
Victoria’s German mother had already introduced her to the tradition. On Christmas Eve, 1832, a 13-year-old princess Victoria wrote: “After dinner. . . we then went into the drawing-room. . . There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees. . .”
So, in 1841, when Albert wanted a Christmas tree for Windsor Castle, he was pushing an open door. The habit caught on.
And, more bad news for ultra-Brexiters: the Polish decorated the branches of their trees before the Christmas tree was even a twinkle in Britain’s German immigrant prince’s eye.
The Big Man
You know who we are talking about. Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle or simply Santy. Sorry, Britain, but you can't just up and leave the European Union and take him with you.
Santa, or Father Christmas, as the British seem to prefer, is arguably a Greek, anyway. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a 4th-century Greek Christian Byzantine bishop. He was famous for his generous gifts (see stockings).
One man's Father Christmas is another woman's Sinterklass or Père Noël of course, and Santa has been bearing gifts for Dutch, Belgian, French – even Irish – children for centuries. Only when those children were good, of course. Stockings Stockings conjure many things for many people, but Britain is not where the Christmas stocking first reared its head. There are many popular legends in Europe that tell the story of the stocking.
It is said that in a place a long way from Britain, a long time ago, lived a poor man and his three gorgeous (naturally) daughters. Legend has it that a passing St Nicholas gave dowries to the three poor sisters so they didn’t have to become prostitutes. (This seemed to be the only option open to women other than marriage in those days.)
Saint Nicholas knew that the old man wouldn’t accept charity, so he decided to help in secret. After dark, he threw three bags of gold through an open window and one landed in a stocking. When the girls and their father woke up the next morning, they found the bags of gold and were able to get married and lived happily ever after – naturally. (See satsumas).
So the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas was born. It just gets worse, Britain, doesn’t it? First no tree, then no Santa, now no presents.
Tinsel
Tinsel was invented in Nuremberg in Germany around 1610. Until the first World War, France was the leader in its manufacture. Yes France. How is Christmas looking now England?
Advent Calendars
By now you will have opened many of the doors on your Advent calendar. Shut them now Brexiters. It is a special calendar used to count or celebrate the days in anticipation of Christmas. The Advent calendar was first used by German Lutherans in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is not for you.
Mistletoe
Ancient druids believed mistletoe could cure illness, aid fertility and protect against witchcraft. Yes, for the English too. However, the tradition of kissing underneath mistletoe originated in Scandinavia. According to a Norse legend, evil god Loki made an arrow out of mistletoe and used it to kill Balder, the sun god. The mistletoe repented and was planted on a tree so it could do no more harm. It became a symbol of love. Satsumas
A great British tradition? As if? (see Stockings)
Nollaig Shona Duit. . .
Or to use one of the other 23 official languages of the European Union (we are not counting English as it could be on its way out). . . Joyeux Noël, Fröhliche Weihnachten, Chestita Koleda, Glædelig Jul, Feliz Navidad, Roomsaid Joulu Puhi, Iloista Joulua, Kala Christouyenna, Kellemes Karácsonyi Ünnepeket, Buon Natale, Priecigus Ziemassvetkus, Linksmu Kaledu, Il-Milied It-Tajjeb, Vrolijk Kerstfeest, Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia, Feliz Natal, Craciun Fericit, Veselé Vianoce, Vesel Bozic, God Jul, Veselé Vánoce, Sretan Božic.
