47 facts about Christmas that will surprise you

 
 
BarnRaisers ChristmasHappy Holidays from all of us at BarnRaisers. May the New Year unfold everything you hope it does.
The Christmas Spirit is about expressing extra tolerance, charitableness and giving, especially to those who have had a difficult year or are going through trying times. And to be focused on a bright future.
Perhaps, by learning a little more about Christmas, it will give us an appreciation to express this spirit now and in the New Year.
Here are 47 facts about Christmas that will surprise you.

    1. The Bible doesn’t mention when Jesus was actually born. Most historians believe it was the Spring because of shepherds herding animals.
    2. December 25 was probably chosen because it coincided with the ancient pagan festival Saturnalia, which celebrated the agricultural god Saturn with partying, gambling, and gift-giving.
    3. On Christmas Eve during World War I, Allied troops took a break from fighting to sing Christmas Carols. When German soldier emerged they all shook hands exchanging greetings and cigarettes. It was called the Christmas Truce of 1914.
    4. Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo, Norway have given a Christmas tree to the city of Westminster, England. The gift is an expression of good will and gratitude for Britain’s help to Norway during World War II.
    5. Since 1971, the Province of Nova Scotia has presented the Boston Christmas tree to the people of Boston, in gratitude for the relief supplies received from the citizens of Boston after a ship exploded in 1917 following a collision in the Halifax, Nova Scotia Harbor. Part of the city was leveled, killing and injuring thousands.
    6. Because of its roots in pagan festivals, Christmas was not immediately accepted by the religious. In fact, from 1659 to 1681, it was illegal to celebrate Christmas in Boston. You were fined if you were caught celebrating.
    7. Christmas in early America was inconsequential. After the Revolutionary War, Congress didn’t even bother taking the day off to celebrate the holiday, deciding instead to hold its first session on Christmas Day, 1789.
    8. In 1856 Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, was the first President to place a Christmas tree in the White House.
    9. Teddy Roosevelt banned the Christmas tree from the White House for environmental reasons.
    10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer got his start as an advertising gimmick. A copywriter named Robert L. May first created the merry misfit in 1939 to lure shoppers into the Montgomery Ward department store.
    11. Rudolph almost didn’t have a red nose either: At the time, a red nose was a sign of chronic alcoholism and Montgomery Ward thought he would look like a drunkard.
    12. Though Santa Claus has worn blue and white and green in the past, his traditional red suit came from a 1930s ad by Coca Cola.
    13. Frosty the Snowman was made famous by a whiskeymaker in 1890 who used Frosty’s likeness to showcase an entirely different kind of holiday cheer. Once Prohibition ended, Frosty quickly became the go-to guy for alcohol ads, appearing in posters for Miller beer, Jack Daniel’s, Ballantine ale, Rheingold beer, Schlitz beer, Schenley, Oretel’s lager beer, Chivas Regal scotch, Fort Pitt pale ale, Mount Whitney beer and Four Roses.
    14. Mistletoe is magical according to Celtic legend. It can heal wounds, increase fertility, bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.
    15. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe began the Victorian era, surprising (or maybe not) considering the stuffy and sexually repressive behavior of the time.
    16. The use of evergreen trees to celebrate the winter season occurred before the birth of Christ.
    17. Germans decorated evergreen trees to brighten the dark, gloomy days of the winter solstice. The first “Christmas trees” appeared in Strasbourg in the 17th century and spread to Pennsylvania in the 1820s with the arrival of German immigrants.
    18. The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers.
    19. Approximately 30-35 million real (living) Christmas trees are sold each year in the U.S.
    20. 98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms, while only 2% are cut from the wild.
    21. Most Christmas trees are cut weeks before they get to a retail outlet. It is important to keep them watered thoroughly when they reach your home. In the first week, a Christmas tree in your home will consume as much as a quart of water per day.
    22. The earliest known Christmas tree decorations were apples. At Christmastime, medieval actors would use apples to decorate paradise trees (usually fir trees) during “Paradise Plays,” which were plays depicting Adam and Eve’s creation and fall.
    23. Thomas Edison’s assistant, Edward Johnson, came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees in 1882. Christmas tree lights were first mass-produced in 1890.
    24. In Finland, Finns visit saunas on Christmas Eve.
    25. In Portugal, Portuguese revelers hold a feast on Christmas Day for the living and the dead (extra places are set for the souls of the deceased).
    26. In Greece, some believe that goblins called kallikantzeri run wild during the 12 days of Christmas, and most Greeks don’t exchange presents until Jan. 1, St. Basil’s Day.
    27. In Australia and New Zealand, most Australians and New Zealanders enjoy Christmas on the beach or at barbecues.
    28. In Spain, the Spanish hold the World’s Largest Lottery on Christmas Day. It is called “El Gordo” or “The Fat One.”
    29. Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone.
    30. In Poland, spiders or spider webs are common Christmas trees decorations because according to legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus. In fact, Polish people consider spiders to be symbols of goodness and prosperity at Christmas.
    31. Alabama was the first state in the United States to officially recognize Christmas in 1836.
    32. Christmas wasn’t declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870.
    33. Oklahoma was the last U.S. state to declare Christmas a legal holiday, in 1907.
    34. The poinsettia is native to Mexico and was cultivated by the Aztecs, who called the plant Cuetlaxochitl (“flower which wilts”). For the Aztecs, the plant’s brilliant red color symbolized purity, and they often used it medicinally to reduce fever.
    35. Contrary to popular belief, the poinsettia is not poisonous, but holly berries are.
    36. Santa Claus is based on a real person, St. Nikolas of Myra (also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker, Bishop Saint Nicholas of Smyrna, and Nikolaos of Bari), who lived during the fourth century. Born in Patara (in modern-day Turkey), he is the world’s most popular non-Biblical saint, and artists have portrayed him more often than any other saint except Mary.
    37. Santa Claus is based on a real person, St. Nikolas of Myra (also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker, Bishop Saint Nicholas of Smyrna, and Nikolaos of Bari), who lived during the fourth century. Born in Patara (in modern-day Turkey), he is the world’s most popular non-Biblical saint, and artists have portrayed him more often than any other saint except Mary.
    38. There are two competing claims as to which president was the first to place a Christmas tree in the White House. Some scholars say President Franklin Pierce did in 1856; others say President Benjamin Harrison brought in the first tree in 1889.
    39. President Coolidge started the White House lighting ceremony in 1923.
    40. President Teddy Roosevelt, an environmentalist, banned Christmas trees from the White House in 1912.
    41. There are approximately 21,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States. In 2008, nearly 45 million Christmas trees were planted, adding to the existing 400 million trees.
    42. Christmas is a contraction of “Christ’s Mass,” which is derived from the Old English Cristes mæsse (first recorded in 1038).
    43. The letter “X” in Greek is the first letter of Christ, and “Xmas” has been used as an abbreviation for Christmas since the mid 1500s.
    44. The first person to decorate a Christmas tree was reportedly the Protestant reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546). According to legend, he was so moved by the beauty of the stars shining between the branches of a fir tree, he brought home an evergreen tree and decorated it with candles to share the image with his children.
    45. Christmas purchases account for 1/6 of all retail sales in the U.S.
    46. he first batch of eggnog in America was crafted at Captain John Smith’s Jameston settlement in 1607, and the name eggnog comes from the word “grog,” which refers to any drink made with rum.
    47. “Jingle Bells” was originally supposed to be a Thanksgiving song.

These facts were curated from articles by Time,  Random History, Entertainment Tonight and University of Illinois Extension, with gratitude and appreciation for helping me gain a deeper understanding of Christmas and the Christmas Spirit.
Did they do the same for you?

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