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Why are these things American Christmas symbols?

J.J. McCullough | August 19, 2026



The stories behind gingerbread men, snowmen, holly, stockings, and candy canes.

My other Christmas videos:
Toys:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COXFuw-G-Q8
New traditions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXGdIBL_CZ8

Books seen in this video:
“Santa Claus: A Biography,” by Gerry Bowler
“Hollies: The Genus Ilex,” by Fred C. Galle
“How Carrots Won the Trojan War: Curious (but True) Stories of Common Vegetables” by Rebecca Rupp

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Some music by:
Craig Henderson- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtJbyhf1DnfQoVhwCJ6MIEQ
ComradeF- https://www.youtube.com/c/ComradeF,

HASHTAGS: #christmas #history

Written by J.J. McCullough

Comments

This post currently has 49 comments.

  1. @ihascollabeen

    August 19, 2026 at 7:09 pm

    British here. Growing up I and everyone I knew always posted our letters to Santa through the postbox. I'm 18 though so maybe people older than me did post them through the chimney. First time I've heard of it though

  2. @Bob-jm8kl

    August 19, 2026 at 7:09 pm

    Growing up in San Diego and Phoenix, a lot of Christmas tropes were amusing. Snowmen? Sledding? Hanging stockings on the mantle? Fireplaces? Frosty was on TV every year, not in the front yard. Rudolph was cool. Hot cocoa and hot cider? No, wrap a palm tree with lights, or a cactus with chili pepper lights. Christmas and New Year was when the oranges on the tree in your yard were peak ready. It was the time of tamales then pozole.

  3. @davidpo5517

    August 19, 2026 at 7:09 pm

    I always thought candy canes were supposed to be like the canes from the shepherds in the Christmas story.

    Edit: next year can you do wreaths, sleigh bells (or just bells), popcorn decorations, Christmas pop hits, and wrapping presents (paper?) with bows.

  4. @smwillia

    August 19, 2026 at 7:09 pm

    I love that the eras are categorized under Victorian and Showa, with Showa tickling my fancy more because I could use more things defined by their relation to a Japanese Imperial era.

  5. @davidbrock4605

    August 19, 2026 at 7:09 pm

    The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," also known as "Twas the Night Before Christmas," seems to have popularized some of the common details about Santa and would be worth a deeper look

  6. @josephb.1425

    August 19, 2026 at 7:09 pm

    I heard that stockings were not Pagan, but rather a reference to Saint Nicholas placing gold coins in the socks of young girls to allow their father to pay for them to be married and thus avoid slavery

  7. @BlakeJonesyREAL

    August 19, 2026 at 7:09 pm

    Just gotta say your videos rock. I’ve lived in the USA my entire life so I figured I would know half of the stuff you talk about but I always seem to learn so much new stuff when I watch these.

    Plus the way you deliver your script is very professional and enjoyful

    Awesome work! Keep up the good work 🤝🏼

  8. @Bribridude130

    August 19, 2026 at 7:09 pm

    Ideas for your “What 2024 added to American culture” video:
    – Sabrina Carpenter
    – AI-generated imagery
    – Gender parity in the Olympics
    – Israel vs Gaza dominating American discourse on foreign policy and rising levels of concerns of a Palestinian genocide amongst Americans.
    – Trump became the first president to be a convicted felon. He won the election in spite of the charge, leading to a normalization of criminal behavior in the highest levels of power in the US.

  9. @wattsb38

    August 19, 2026 at 7:09 pm

    JJ, I don’t know if you have done a video on this, but one thing that I think would make an interesting video would be one about the contemporary culture of the Soviet Union/ eastern bloc. I think westerners do not think of Cold War contemporary culture for the eastern bloc because we thought of the Soviet Union as a looming, almost boogie man like figure.

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