How 25 Christmas Traditions Got Their Start

From its Puritan roots to complaints of rampant commercialism (“What is it you want?” Charlie Brown asks Lucy in A Charlie Brown Christmas. “Real Estate.”), Christmas in America has been filled with traditions, old and new.

According to a Pew Research Center survey, nine in 10 Americans say they celebrate the holiday, and while it’s true that many Christmas traditions date back to 16th-century Germany or even ancient Greek times, others have caught on in modern times.

Here’s a look at 25 ways Americans have celebrated the Christmas season, from singing songs and reciting poems to decorating trees and swapping cookies to guzzling eggnog and wearing ugly sweaters.

Christmas Trees - Decorated trees date back to Germany in the Middle Ages, with German and other European settlers popularizing Christmas trees in America by the early 19th century. A New York woodsman named Mark Carr is credited with opening the first U.S. Christmas tree lot in 1851. A 2019 survey by the American Christmas Tree Association, predicted that 77 percent of U.S. households would display a Christmas tree in their home. Among those trees on display, an estimated 81 percent were artificial and 19 percent were real.

The Rockettes - Since 1925, first known as the Missouri Rockets, this iconic dance troupe has been kicking up its heels, officially becoming the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes in 1934. From performing at movie openings to entertaining troops to making TV appearances, they’re perhaps best-known for their annual Christmas Spectacular.