Its that time of year again. It doesn't seem possible that as I write this, there are only 30 shopping days left until Christmas. That's not counting Thanksgiving Day, of course, when we eat instead of shop, but I guess we can count the day after Thanksgiving twice since that seems to be the biggie.

However, in these modern days, with catalog and internet sales available, one can shop everyday all day… and even all night if you wish! But remember, Christmas shopping can be expensive!

One of the most exciting things coming up in Oak Harbor in December is Christmas Village 2004 at the Blue Fox Drive-In, and that doesn't cost anything. Oak Harbor Soroptimists are busy setting it up now, and it will open at 2 p.m. on Dec. 11. As it has for the past 21 years, it will include Mr. & Mrs. Santa, a Children’s Zoo, entertainment, hot cider, candy canes, and a Choo Choo Train!

And it's free! Don't miss it!

Ever wonder how many of our Christmas traditions started? The word Christmas itself is derived from the Old English “Cristes Maesse” (Christ’s Mass) and was first used in the 11th century.

Christmas cards: The first Christmas card is believed to have been designed in England in 1843. An edition of 1,000 copies was placed on sale in London. The design was of a family party and the following words were inscribed beneath it: “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.”

Evergreens: Because they didn't die during the winter, evergreens were used as symbols of eternal life by the ancient Egyptians, Chinese and Hebrews.

Scandinavians decorated their homes and barns with evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil. A tree was set up for birds at Christmastime. Germans also placed a Yule tree at an entrance or inside the house during mid-winter holidays.

Christmas trees: The modern Christmas tree originated in Germany as the main prop of a medieval play about Adam and Eve. In the play a fir tree was hung with apples, representing the Paradise tree in the Garden of Eden.

The Germans began setting up Paradise trees in their own homes on December 24. They hung wafers on the tree, which were later replaced by cookies of various shapes. Then candles were added as a symbol of Christ.

Also during the Christmas season, Germans decorated a Christmas pyramid with evergreens, candles and a star. By the 16th century the Christmas pyramid and the Paradise tree were merged to become the Christmas tree.

The Christmas tree was introduced in England in 1841 by Prince Albert of Saxony, Queen Victoria’s husband. German immigrants brought the tradition to the United States and was adopted enthusiastically throughout the country. However, the custom of setting up lighted Christmas trees in public places originated in the U.S.

Poinsettias: The link between the poinsettia and Christmas came from Central America, where the plant was called “Flower of the Holy Night.”

Christmas carols: The earliest known hymn honoring the Nativity is “Jesus refulsit omnium” (Jesus, Light of All the Nations), written by Saint Hilary of Poitiers who died in 368 A.D.

Until the 13th century, hymns honoring the Nativity were solemn and strictly religious. The modern Christmas carol, lighter, informal and jovial, was born in Italy among the Franciscans.

Mistletoe: The British Druids believed mistletoe had sacred power. Among the Romans it was a symbol of peace and it was that said when enemies met under it, they discarded their weapons and declared a truce. From this comes our own custom of kissing under the mistletoe. Maybe we ought to send some to our troops overseas.

To most people, mistletoe means an excuse to steal a kiss at Christmas time. But that's just one of many traditions that have been associated with this curious, parasitic plant, according to National Wildlife magazine.

“For centuries, people all over the world have considered mistletoe to be a charm against disease, witchcraft, and infertility,” says the National Wildlife Federation. Mistletoe superstitions probably came about because of the unusual and rather eerie way in which the plant grows.

Mistletoe flourishes in clumps on the trunks and branches of various hardwood trees, where it robs its host tree of water and nutrients. Often, the host tree is so weakened that it dies. But since mistletoe can produce its own food when necessary, the parasite remains green and moist. Because they were unable to explain how mistletoe grew, ancient civilizations believed the plant had supernatural powers.

Peasants in both England and Japan believed that barren women would be able to conceive after eating mistletoe. The Walos of Africa attached mistletoe leaves to their bodies, confident that they would then be protected from injury.

The Swedes carved sword handles from mistletoe branches to ward off witches, while other Europeans wore mistletoe corsages to guarantee a successful hunt.

Mistletoe is not a very tasty plant. In fact, although there are more than a thousand varieties throughout the world, only one animal, the tiny Australian mistletoe bird, relies solely on mistletoe for food. Medical history reveals that despite its taste, mistletoe was often fed to ailing patients by physicians who thought it had curative powers.

French physicians used mistletoe as an antidote for poisons. And one 17th century British physician observed that the plant is “good for the grief of itch, sores, toothache, and the biting of mad dogs and venomous beasts.”

Even as late as the mid-1700s, National Wildlife reports, many European doctors thought mistletoe would cure epilepsy. Since mistletoe attaches itself so firmly to a tree that it cannot be blown down, they reasoned, an epileptic could not fall down if he consumed the plant regularly.

As it was thought that mistletoe possessed magical powers, it's not surprising that the plant was long forbidden in Christian churches. It was thought to be tainted with heathenism.

But the Druids—those woodsy priests of the ancient Celts—considered mistletoe to be a warm refuge for the woodland spirits during the cold weather. They gathered and hung the plant throughout their dwellings. This primeval practice may be the origin of the Western tradition of decorating homes with greenery at Christmas time.

Centuries ago, on the sixth day of a new moon, a white-robed priest armed with a golden sickle could be seen harvesting mistletoe. The Druids believed the plant was too sacred to be collected by just anyone.

Traditions change, of course, and today anyone willing to venture out into the woods can gather mistletoe with a pair of pruning shears. I've never seen it growing on Whidbey Island, but it is available at nurseries and plant stores.

But some traditions change very little. A kiss under the mistletoe dates all the way back to Norse mythology, which dedicated mistletoe to the Goddess of Love.

Lee Brainard moved to Whidbey as a Navy wife in 1961 and worked for the local paper. She moved onto the base in 1970 where she spent the next 15 years as editor and reporter for the Navy Crosswind. During that time she started working for Dorothy Neil, editing and publishing nine of Dorothy books and editing Spindrift Magazine. In 1990 she and her husband published the Town Crier, an Oak Harbor community newspaper. She is also an active member of the Oak Harbor Soroptimist club.