Many people love the holiday season. It’s a great time to create some wonderful memories with your friends and family. But what do you really know about it? Here are 10 interesting Christmas facts that will totally blow your mind.
Historians believe that Jesus Christ was born in spring and not on December 25. The majority of the population believes that Jesus was born December 25, however according to historians and the Bible this is not the case. During the 4th century, Pope Julius I selected December 25 to commemorate and recognise Jesus’ birth.
Mistletoe isn’t as romantic as you think. When literally translated from Old English, mistletoe means “little dung twig.” It’s named that because the plant is spread via bird droppings. Yep. Not so romantic now.
Christmas has brought temporary truces in war. In 1914 during the First World War, British and German fighters took a break from fighting each other on the Western front. Instead of being enemies, for one day both armies shook hands and even shared cigarettes with each other. This later became known as the Christmas Truce of 1914.
Rudolph was not one of the original reindeer. Adults and children alike love Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, but did you know that he only joined the rest of Santa’s reindeer in the 20th century? Created by Montgomery Ward to sell colouring books, Rudolph’s red nose was a bit controversial since a red nose signified alcoholism.
The Statue of Liberty was a Christmas present in 1886. Yes, that’s right. France gifted this green beauty to the United States during Christmas time. She is considered the largest Christmas present ever.
Santa’s infamous red suit was made popular by Coca Cola. In 1931, Haddon Sundblom, an artist for Coca Cola revamped Santa and his garb. He used to wear blue, green, and even tan suits but after his new red and white outfit appeared in 1931, the image has stuck ever since.
Christmas was even celebrated in space! In 1965, the first song to be played in space was “Jingle Bells” on the Gemini 6. The astronauts donated their instruments (a harmonica and bells) to the National Museum of Space and Aeronautics in Washington. Here’s another fact you may not know about the song “Jingle Bells.” Did you know that it was originally meant to be a Thanksgiving song?
The first decorations to don a Christmas tree were apples. We may have many choices when it comes to decorating our Christmas trees now, but originally trees were adorned with apples. These “decorations” were placed on the tree by actors usually depicting Adam and Eve.
People have been getting it wrong saying “Bah humbug.” The main character, Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” had the original catchphrase, “Bah Christmas.” So if you want to be a Scrooge during the holiday season state this instead.
Male reindeer don’t have antlers during Christmas time. During the holiday season, male reindeer will shed their antlers. Now think about all the pictures of Santa’s reindeer pulling his sleigh. Ever seen one without antlers? While their names may be masculine (Comet, Donner, Blitzen) it is most probable that Santa’s sleigh is pulled by female reindeer!
Hope you enjoyed these 10 interested facts about Christmas! Wow your friends with this new trivia you’ve learned!
