Interesting Facts about Christmas that Probably You Don't Know!
When you're looking for a non-controversial discussion starting at the dining table or whether a colleague tries to initiate conservation, these Christmas fun facts will come in handy. They're even making a fantastic trivia stream for a fun night holiday game, even though you're on a video call this year.
It's a festival of generations of history and meanings behind nearly every component of the holiday that even the holiest jolly of us would have thought "Wow really! I hardly knew that!"
From religious insights, you may now be looking forward to ceremonial origins and some details that are just amusing. We promise that you will discover something out of this list. Take deep breaths of the staggering rate of the holiday season.
You might also get motivated to write some of these interesting facts in your family's annual Christmas letter or card or to add some flair to your social media post.
Christmas wasn't necessarily on December 25
Christmas is predominantly a Christian holiday celebrating the advent of Jesus Christ on December 25. Although Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ, there is no reference in the Bible of December 25.
Most historians claim that Jesus was born in the spring. And it wasn't until the third century that his birthday became an official holiday. Some scholars argue that the date was originally selected because it coincided with the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, which celebrated the harvest god Saturn with festivity and gift-giving.
Age-Old Tradition of Evergreens
The custom of Christmas trees traces its history to ancient Egyptians and Romans, who celebrated the winter solstice with evergreens as a symbol of the returning of spring. So if you beautify with a green tree, bouquets, or evergreen garland, you come right back. You should also thank Prince Albert for your Christmas tree.
You may also want to make a cup of tea while you trim your tree this year to pay tribute to its roots. As Prince Albert of Germany presented a tree to his new bride, Queen Victoria of England, he really took off around the pond. A couple's sketch in front of a Christmas tree featured in Illustrated London News in 1848, and as we said, the idea becomes viral.
Dry Christmas trees spark more often than sheer delight
But the weird fact is that even though Christmas trees are the symbol of joy and spring, but now they become more a symbol of spark. Don't overlook to water your tree for the joy of Christmas.
Dry-out Christmas trees cause over a hundred fires per year, cause an average of 10 deaths and cause $15.7 million in property damage, estimates the Consumer Product Protection Board. Not only is an incautious flame going to spoil your vacation, but it will also put both you and the firefighters at risk.
How was Santa born?
Christmas is memorable for children when they know they're going to get presents from Santa Claus. But do you know how Santa Claus came to our world? Well, the portrayal of Santa Claus is based on Saint Nicholas. According to the tradition, St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop who frequently supported the poor and weak.
He loves children a lot, and he enjoyed giving presents to them. The interesting fact is actual saint was not a bearded man who wore a red robe. That's all comes to a lot later. And as his tale spread, he was renamed "Sinterklaas" in Dutch, which later became the Santa Claus.
Did Santa Wear Red Cloths?
In fact, in the ancient past, Santa Claus did not dress up in red clothes. He used to wear clothing that was orange, yellow, or blue, and this tradition has been common in the North Pole for many years.
Before Coca-Cola got into it, Santa used to look so much less jolly—even spooky. It wasn't until 1931 when a soda corporation employed an illustrator called Haddon Sundblom for magazine advertisements, that we got a pretty old elf.
They dress it up in red colour in order to synchronize it with the colour of their brand, the backdrop of which was red. Now, kids won't have nightmares while they're dreaming of Christmas Eve as they get their pretty old elf.
The Largest Christmas Gift Presented Ever
Many of them will know that Christmas is also the time to share presents. But you remember the best Christmas gift ever given – well, it's the Statue of Liberty! The Statue of Liberty was donated to the USA by France as a Christmas gift in 1886.
Hinged stockings began with an accident.
According to legend, we tie stockings by the chimney with trust credit goes to a poor man who didn't have enough money for his three daughters' dowries. Generous old St. Nick, the original Santa Claus, placed a pile of gold down their chimney one night, where the girls hung their stockings to dry. That's where the gold came to an end and how the tradition started.
Washington Irving has created a series of Santa legends.
You may remember Washington Irving well for Sleepy Hollow's Legend and his headless horseman, but he also wrote a lot about St. Nicholas. In reality, he gave the big man eight tiny reindeers. He cherished Santa Claus so much that he helped found the Society of Saint Nicholas in New York City in 1835, serving as its secretary until 1841.
This Christmas present kept a life-saving secret
During the Second World War, the United States Playing Card Corporation combined forces with American and British intelligence services to produce a quite exclusive deck of cards. They offered them as Christmas presents, which enabled allied prisoners of war to escape from German POW camps. Specific cards pulled off when moistened, showing maps of escape routes. Sometimes reality is more surprising than fiction.
Tinsel has a history of heritage.
Tinsel was invented in Germany in 1610 and initially crafted from actual silver, rendering it far from the tacky decoration it is today. It has an edgy past, too. The U.S. government once forbade tinsel because it emitted radioactive lead. But never be afraid; now it's made of plastic. However, whether you have pets or young ones, you can still be vigilant because it is still dangerous if ingested.
Up next: Know the History of your Favorite Christmas Cakes: Journey from a Simple Bread to a Delicacy!
Conclusion
Christmas is an old age festival having its own history and mystery. Whether it is a story of Saint Nicholas or how jolly red colour Santa Claus becomes famous, each element of Christmas has its own story. Although Christmas is celebrated almost everywhere around the globe, each country has its own traditions that make the season so special.
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