Interesting Christmas Facts

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 in 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 gift- giving 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 sled 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 red-
nosed 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, even you can 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 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 re- published 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 parent 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.
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