Buzz
Since its inception, Christmas has seen the emergence of countless traditions over the centuries. While many are well-known, newer customs have surfaced, and some age-old practices have been revitalized with creative twists, making them both refreshing and unexpected. The 10 inventive twists on Christmas traditions listed here are undeniably fascinating and original.
10. Electric (Eel) Christmas Lights
In Chattanooga, Tennessee, Miguel Wattson doesn’t rely on singing to earn his keep. Instead, he produces electricity that powers the Christmas tree lights outside his tank at the Tennessee Aquarium.
The eel creates electricity while hunting for food. These low-voltage pulses are channeled to the lights, causing them to flicker and glow. When Miguel is eating or particularly excited, he generates stronger currents, making the lights shine brighter and longer.
Kevin Liska, the director of Tennessee Tech University’s iCube center, which developed the coding system that transforms Miguel’s electric shocks into a 'voice' enabling the eel to exclaim 'SHAZAM!' and 'ka-BLAMEROO!', highlighted that this innovation merges 'electrical engineering' with 'emerging business communication' to achieve these unique effects.
9. Edison Christmas Lights
An early promotional piece for 'Christmas Lighting' by Edison Miniature Lamps emphasized the safety, cleanliness, and lack of odor associated with these lights. They were marketed as posing 'no danger, smoke, or smell.' While available for rent or purchase, their use was restricted to 'homes already equipped with electric lighting.'
These lamps were the brainchild of Thomas Edison. The inaugural strand debuted in 1882, showcased on an 'indoor tree' at the New York City residence of Edward Johnson, vice-president of the Edison Electric Company. This first set featured eighty 'red, white, and blue electric bulbs.'
8. Metallic (and Plastic) Tinsel
Tinsel dates back to 1610. Originating in Germany as a Christmas tree decoration, it initially consisted of silver strands that mirrored the glow of candle flames, the sole light source for trees at the time. Enthusiasts saw the shimmering tinsel as evoking the star-filled sky of the Nativity.
However, silver's tendency to tarnish led to its replacement with other shiny metals. By the early 20th century, aluminum and later lead foil became popular alternatives, as they resisted tarnishing and were more affordable than silver.
In 1972, due to health concerns over lead exposure, tinsel producers and importers ceased manufacturing and distributing lead-based tinsel. Since then, tinsel has been crafted from 'plastic film coated with a metallic finish or Mylar film, cut into slender strips.'
7. Rockefeller Christmas Tree Topper
Crowning the massive 2018 Christmas tree at New York City’s Rockefeller Center was no small feat, but BorgDesign Inc. rose to the occasion. Specializing in custom parts and machinery, the company creates a wide range of products, from medical devices to radar systems, for its diverse clientele.
Orion RED, architect Daniel Libeskind, and Swarovski, a renowned European glassmaker, joined forces to design the star, while BorgDesign was responsible for crafting its 'core.' The endeavor spanned approximately seven months, totaling between 500 and 1,000 hours. 'We began the project around April,' said Andrew Borg, the company’s president. 'Most components were delivered by early October, with the lifting mechanism finalized at the end of the month.'
The lifting mechanism faced a significant challenge: the star stood nine feet, four inches tall, incorporated seventy LED-lit modules, and was adorned with three million Swarovski crystals, giving it a 'unique festive sparkle.'
6. Inverted Christmas Tree
To make a statement, nothing beats the uniqueness of an upside-down Christmas tree. Instagram trends in 2017 revealed their popularity in U.S. shopping malls and homes. Once secured in a custom stand or hung from the ceiling with its tip pointing downward, families or staff decorated the inverted fir or pine, hanging ornaments from its branches and placing gifts beneath the treetop.
However, inverted Christmas trees aren’t a recent trend. Their origins trace back to the Middle Ages, where they symbolized the Holy Trinity and the crucifixion of Christ.
5. Head Ornament
With the help of 3-D printers, your head—or anyone else’s—can be transformed into a Christmas tree ornament. Alongside classic decorations like balls, bells, angels, snowmen, ribbons, and bows, a miniature version of your head, possibly adorned with a red stocking cap and white pompom, can dangle from a tree branch using a ribbon or hook, complete with facial features and even facial hair.
Sony Xperia introduced this unconventional concept in a 2017 campaign titled Bauble Me. At pop-up events across the UK, Sony staff demonstrated the printing process, offering shoppers with Xperia smartphones the chance to have their faces scanned and turned into free Christmas ornaments, with a hundred participants accommodated daily.
4. La Befana
Italian folklore has featured La Befana, a witch, since the eighth century. According to legend, the Magi stayed at her home while following the star to Bethlehem. After enjoying her hospitality, they invited her to join their journey, but she declined, citing the need to clean her house.
After the Magi left, La Befana reconsidered and embarked on her own journey, carrying a basket of gifts for the baby Jesus. She followed the star the Wise Men had spoken of, but on January 6, the Day of the Epiphany, while the Magi found their destination, she did not.
Since then, on the Eve of the Epiphany, she resumes her quest, visiting homes in search of the child and rewarding well-behaved children with treats while leaving coal for the mischievous ones. Elements of her tale have influenced the modern story of Santa Claus’s Christmas Eve travels.
3. Letter Adoption
The United States Postal Service (USPS) receives hundreds of thousands of letters addressed to Santa by children. In response, the USPS launched Operation Santa, now in its 107th year, operating in fifteen cities.
To ensure privacy, last names and personal details such as addresses and contact information are removed from the letters. Gifts are matched to recipients using a unique code. Only letters addressed to 'Santa Claus, 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888' are processed through Operation Santa; others are handled as undeliverable mail.
Instead of discarding the letters, the Postal Service invites volunteers to adopt them. Participants carefully review the letters, each choosing one to fulfill. Acting anonymously, they purchase at least one item from the child’s wish list, package it, and send it to the selected recipient.
Letters are also made available on the USPS website. By registering, volunteers gain access to children’s letters to Santa, which the USPS forwards to them. They then purchase and mail gifts to the children by December 20.
2. NORAD Tracks Santa Program
In the United States, even NASA embraces the Christmas spirit.
On Christmas Eve in 1955, a child dialed Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center (CADCOC) in Colorado, the precursor to NORAD, to ask about Santa’s location. A misprinted phone number in a local newspaper led the child to call. Colonel Shoup reassured the child that CADCOC would safeguard Santa. Throughout the night, more children called, and Shoup’s operator provided updates on Santa’s journey.
When NORAD was established in 1958, it adopted the tradition born from these calls. Tracking Santa is a colossal effort, starting in November and involving seventy 'government and nongovernment contributors' alongside over 1,500 volunteers who answer inquiries. In 2019, the NORAD Tracks Santa program 'handled 126,103 calls, responded to 2,030 emails, and OnStar received 7,477 requests to locate Santa.'
1. Chimney Entrances
There’s a reason Santa chooses chimneys as his entry point into millions of homes on Christmas Eve. Washington Irving, the early American author famous for tales like the Headless Horseman, shaped the modern image of Santa. In his 1809 book *Knickerbocker’s History of New York*, he depicted Saint Nicholas as a figure 'riding merrily among the treetops or over rooftops, occasionally pulling splendid gifts from his pockets and dropping them down the chimneys of his favored households.'
The chimney tradition stems from medieval beliefs that witches entered homes through chimneys and windows. As a result, chimneys became seen as gateways between the earthly and supernatural realms, used by magical beings like Scottish brownies, Irish bodachs, and the Italian witch Le Befana, who delivered treats to good children on her broomstick. Irving drew on this lore for his depiction of St. Nicholas, and Clement C. Moore further cemented the idea of Santa using chimneys in his 1882 poem *The Night Before Christmas*.
