Some Festive Alternative Truths.

gaymen2
23 hours ago
6 min read

There are certain Christmas facts and traditions we know without a doubt. Santa's suit is red, candy canes are striped, and stockings are hung by the chimney with care. The holiday season is brimming with cherished activities like cookie baking and tree decorating, yet many of us may not know their origins. These interesting Christmas facts reveal the stories behind our beloved customs and help us understand why we continue to celebrate them today.

From the origins of beloved traditions like drinking eggnog and writing letters to Santa to the surprising history behind gift-giving practices, these facts can deepen our appreciation for the festivities. Whether you’re looking to impress your friends with trivia or simply want to learn more about this magical season, you might just be surprised by what you find out.

Historical and cultural facts

Xmas: The "X" in "Xmas" is the Greek letter Chi (Xcap X𝑋), which is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ

Christmas trees:

The first artificial Christmas trees were made of dyed goose feathers.

Jingle Bells:

The song was originally written for Thanksgiving and was not intended for Christmas.

Christmas in America:

The celebration of Christmas was once illegal in some parts of the US, with Oklahoma being the last state to declare it a legal holiday in 1907.

Christmas Eve:

The tradition of leaving stockings by the fire originated from a 12th-century French nuns' practice of leaving gifts of tangerines in the poor's socks.

Christmas Card:

The first Christmas card, created in 1843, depicted people drinking a toast.

( Marmite toast perhaps... lol )

Christmas Pickle:

This tradition of hiding a pickle ornament on the tree is largely an American one, though it's often mistakenly thought to be German.

Mince Pies:

A law from the 17th century, though unenforced, still technically makes it illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day in England.

Japan

Many families traditionally eat Kentucky Fried Chicken for their Christmas Eve dinner, a custom that began with a 1974 marketing campaign for tourists.

Austria

In Alpine folklore, the demon-like creature Krampus roams the streets to punish naughty children. He is the opposite of St. Nicholas, and his arrival is celebrated with a parade known as Krampusnacht.

Catalonia

The tradition of the caga tió ("defecating log") involves families feeding a small log with a painted face for two weeks. On Christmas Eve, they beat it with sticks while singing, prompting it to "excrete" small presents and candy.

Iceland

Bad children don't get coal; instead, they receive rotten potatoes from the mischievous Yule Lads.

Norway

Families hide their brooms on Christmas Eve to prevent witches and spirits from stealing them for a midnight flight.

Greenland

Some traditional Christmas delicacies include mattak (raw whale skin with blubber) and kiviak (an auk, a small arctic bird, wrapped in sealskin and fermented for several months).

South Africa

For good luck in the coming year, some people eat fried pine tree emperor moth caterpillars as a holiday treat.

Ukraine

An old folktale about a poor widow whose Christmas tree was decorated with webs by spiders is the reason why some Ukrainians adorn their trees with artificial spiderwebs for good luck.

Caracas

The tradition of roller-skating to early morning Christmas Mass was so popular that city streets were closed to traffic.

In 1836, Alabama became the first state to recognize Christmas as a state holiday, with Arkansas and Louisiana following suit. But it wasn't until 1870 that President Grant declared Christmas a national holiday.

Teddy Roosevelt outlawed Christmas trees in the White House

It is rumored that Teddy Roosevelt outlawed Christmas trees in the White House during his term, given that he was a staunch environmentalist. Instead, he celebrated the holiday with a church service and family meal.

Home Alone is the highest grossing holiday movie of all time

While White Christmas and Miracle on 24th Street might be the most popular Christmas movies, Home Alone holds the title as the highest-grossing holiday film ever.

Christmas wasn't always on December 25

Although Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, it doesn’t actually mention December 25 anywhere in the bible. In fact, some historians think Jesus was born in the spring, not the winter at all! Christmas on December 25th wasn't celebrated until about 336 AD.

Gifts have both Christian and Pagan origins

For Christians, gift giving at Christmas mimics the presents the Wise Men gave to Jesus and the charitable giving of the ancient St. Nicholas (the forerunner to Santa!). However, winter gift giving also has its roots in Saturnalia, a pagan holiday where they gave offerings to the gods.

Evergreens are an ancient tradition

The iconic Christmas tree has a lot of roots (forgive the pun). Ancient Egyptians used to mark the winter solstice by decorating their homes with green palms, while the Romans celebrated Saturnalia with evergreen boughs. These green plants signified that the spring would return with new life. The first Christmas trees as we know them today started in Germany in the 16th century

You can thank Prince Albert for your Christmas tree

Christmas trees have German roots, but they really took off in popularity thanks to Queen Victoria and her husband, German Prince Consort Albert. In 1848 they were sketched standing in front of their tree with their children by the Illustrated London News, which quickly made Christmas trees fashionable.

St. Nick was more generous than jolly

The original Santa Claus was actually St. Nicholas, a Christian bishop in the 4th century. He didn’t wear the red suit that’s so famous today, but he did give all of his inheritance to the poor and needy. In Dutch, his name is Sinter Klaas, which later morphed into Santa Claus.

Hanging stockings started by accident

The historic St. Nicholas heard about the plight of a local man who did not have enough dowry money to marry off his three daughters. The generous St. Nick tossed some money down the chimney that landed in the ladies' stockings that were drying by the fire. After that, the tradition stuck!

"Silent Night" is the most recorded song

We all know the same few handfuls of Christmas songs play at stores and on the radio in a loop all season long. But one of them has been adapted more than others. "Silent Night" is actually the most-recorded Christmas song in history. It's had more than 733 different versions copyrighted since 1978.

It's rumored that eggnog originated in medieval Britain

Although there's no official confirmation on who invented eggnog, most historians agree that eggnog originated in medieval Britain. Eggnog was an upper-class luxury since they were the only ones who had access to the milk, sherry and eggs required to create the original version. Monks in the Middle Ages added figs and eggs and called the drink"posset" while the wealthy kept with the simple recipe and used it for toasts or big events. Research shows that eggnog most likely became associated with the holidays due to a lack of refrigeration. It became a drink for the more common man in America because of the larger farming opportunities and more access to cows and chickens.

The term "Xmas" dates back to the 1500s

Contrary to popular belief, "Xmas" is not a trendy attempt to "take Christ out of Christmas". "Christianity" was spelled "Xianity" as far back as 1100. X, or Chi, is the Greek first letter of "Christ" so "X" and back in the fourth century, Constantine the Great often referenced the shorthand version. Some say it was as early as 1021 that the abbreviation "XPmas" was used to reference the holiday, which was later shortened to "Xmas."

Misceltoe is an aphrodisiac

The holiday decoration isn't just pretty. It's also an ancient symbol of fertility and virility — and the Druids considered it an aphrodisiac

Norway provides the tree in Trafalgar Square

Londoners and visitors alike probably know the iconic spruce that stretches to the sky in Trafalgar Square each year, but few realize it's an equally iconic holiday gift. Since 1947, the city of Oslo in Norway has given the tree to London as a token of gratitude for Britain's support during World War II.

This Christmas gift held a lifesaving secret

During World War II, the United States Playing Card Company joined forces with American and British intelligence agencies to create a very special deck of cards. They distributed them as Christmas gifts to soldiers, but they also helped Allied prisoners of war escape from German POW camps. When wet, individual cards peeled apart to reveal maps of escape routes.

It's official. The best Christmas is to be found at Hamilton Hall.

That's official. ( so says me... )