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CONTENT
Surprise with 15 'unbelievable and interesting' facts about Christmas
1. Who is celebrating on 25 December?
2. So what’s in a date? When was Jesus born?
3. Christmas trees were first used by ancient Egyptians and Romans
4. Santa Claus was known as Sinterklaas in Dutch
5. Santa Claus did not always dress up in red clothes
6. Rudolph, the ‘Red-Nosed Reindeer’ has helpers too!
7. Carolling is based on the tradition of wassailing
8. Santa Claus gets gifts too!
9. Mistletoe is the symbol of love and laughter!
10. Hanging stockings started by accident
11. "Jingle Bells" was originally a Thanksgiving song
12. Santa has his own Canadian postal code
13. The term "Xmas" dates back to the 1500s
14. The majority of Americans celebrate Christmas
15. Coca-Cola played a part in Santa's image
1. Who is celebrating on 25 December?
Christmas is a Christian holiday, marking the birth of Jesus Christ – the Son of God according to Christianity – so assuming all Christians celebrate, that’s about 31.5% of the world’s population or just a cool 2.2 billion or so people. Christmas is literally the Mass of Christ – when Christians attend mass and remember that Jesus died for us. But not all of them are celebrating on 25 December using the Gregorian calendar.
2. So what's a date? When was Jesus born?
Whilst most of the world’s largest Christian countries mark the occasion on 25 December, most Orthodox and Coptic Churches (think Russia, former Russian States, Ukraine, Serbia, Jerusalem, Ethiopia) use the Julian Calendar, which marks Christmas Day as 7 January; Some mark the holy occasion on 25 December but giftgiving is seen as a separate occasion with its own traditions.
3. Christmas trees were first used by ancient Egyptians and Romans
The origin or the use of Christmas trees goes way back to ancient Egyptians and Romans. They used evergreen trees like fir or pine trees, wreaths, and garlands. And the use of modern Christmas trees started in Germany in the 16th century. Instead of the glitzy decorations that we see on them today, they were decorated with fruits and nuts. Wet bet you didn’t know this interesting fact about the Christmas tree!
4. Santa Claus was known as Sinterklaas in Dutch
For children, Christmas is all about receiving gifts from Santa Claus. But how did Santa Claus come into existence? The character of Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas. As per a legend, St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who provided for the poor and needy. He also loved children and enjoyed giving gifts to them secretly. As his story spread, he was called Sinterklaas in Dutch, which later became Santa Claus.
5. Santa Claus did not always dress up in red clothes
Santa Claus initially wore clothes that were in green, purple, or blue. For many years, this was the common theme for the jolly old man at the North Pole. However, Coca Cola decided to dress him up in colours that match their brand and that stuck. So this is why he is always in red clothes now!
6. Rudolph, the ‘Red-Nosed Reindeer’ has helpers too!
So you and your kids probably know Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, who pulls Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. But do you know other reindeers? It would be impossible for Rudolph alone to pull Santa’s sled, don’t you think? It is filled with gifts to the brim for every good child in the world, and Rudolph can’t pull that all alone. Rudolph, the rednosed reindeer, is in fact, Santa’s ninth reindeer. And there are eight other reindeers who help him. These eight reindeers are Cupid, Dancer, Vixen, Dunder, Comet, Dasher, Prancer, and Blixem.
7. Carolling is based on the tradition of wassailing
Have you ever wondered why people go door to door singing carols? The tradition is based on the English custom of wassailing, which was a tradition to toast to someone’s good health and fortune. St. Francis of Assisi took this tradition and converted it to the modern form of carolling.
8. Santa Claus gets gifts too!
Santa comes bearing gifts for the children who have been good throughout the year. But do you know that Santa gets gifts too? Who gives presents to Santa? It’s us! Yes, you can even give gifts to Santa! And no, the jolly old man does not want traditional gifts, but he is a bit partial to cookies and milk to keep him satisfied during his trip around the world. So this Christmas, ask your children to help you while you make cookies for them and for Santa. Santa will love eating cookies made with love!
9. Mistletoe is the symbol of love and laughter!
Mistletoe is supposed to be a symbol of love, laughter, and compassion. And the tradition of a kiss under the mistletoe is supposed to be a way of asking for the blessings of the spirits of Christmas through the mistletoe.
10. Hanging stockings started by accident
According to legend, we hang stockings by the chimney with care thanks to a poor man who didn't have enough money for his three daughters' dowries. Generous old St. Nick (remember, that's his trademark!) dropped a bag of gold down their chimney one night, where the girls had hung their stockings to dry. That's where the gold ended up, and how the tradition began.
11. "Jingle Bells" was originally a Thanksgiving song
Turns out, we were originally dashing through the snow for an entirely different holiday. James Lord Pierpont wrote a song called "One Horse Open Sleigh" for his church's Thanksgiving concert. Then in 1857, the song was republished under the title it still holds today, and it eventually became one of the most popular Christmas songs.
12. Santa has his own Canadian postal code
Every year, letters to Santa Claus flood post offices across the world, forcing parents to find a way to answer them or explain to the kiddos why their letter got, um, lost in the mail. Cementing their reputation as one of the nicest countries around, some big-hearted Canadian Post Office workers started writing back. As the program took off, they set up a special postal code for Santa as part of a Santa Letter-Writing Program initiative: HOH OHO.
13. The term "Xmas" dates back to the 1500s
Think "Xmas" is a newly nefarious attempt to take Christ out of Christmas? Think again. According to From Adam's Apple to Xmas: An Essential Vocabulary Guide for the Politically Correct, "Christianity" was spelled "Xianity" as far back as 1100. X, or Chi, in Greek is the first letter of "Christ" and served as a symbolic stand-in. In 1551, the holiday was called "Xtemmas" but eventually shortened to "Xmas." In reality, Xmas is just as Christian as the longer version.
14. The majority of Americans celebrate Christmas
It may feel like Christmas is everywhere you turn from October right on through New Year's, and those decorations hit stores earlier every year. That's partially because most Americans really do jingle bell rock their way right through the season: over 90 percent of us. Not all of those celebrate it as a religious holiday, though.
15. Coca-Cola played a part in Santa's image
Before Coca-Cola got in on it, Santa used to look a lot less jolly — even spooky. It wasn't until 1931, when the beverage company hired an illustrator named Haddon Sundblom for magazine ads that we got the jolly old elf. Now, kids won't get nightmares when they dream of Christmas eve.
