“Freshly cut Christmas trees smelling of stars and snow and pine resin — inhale deeply and fill your soul with the wintry night” — John J. Geddes.
Does Christmas need an introduction? Of course, not. It commemorates Jesus Christ’s birth and hence has peculiar importance for Christians. However, like many other holidays in the nation, it appeals to individuals of all backgrounds. And just like how the festival and its festivities fascinated all age groups, here are some unknown, interesting facts about Christmas that everyone will enjoy, especially kids!
- When it comes to Christmas, Santa Claus is an iconic character. Kids love him, and they eagerly wait for him every year on Christmas. But how did Santa Claus come into existence? St. Nicholas is the man behind Santa Claus. St. Nicholas, according to tradition, was a Christian bishop who was always willing to serve the impoverished. He also adored youngsters and delighted in showering them with presents. As word of his tales spread, he was dubbed “Sinterklaas” in Dutch. Later Sinterklaas transformed into Santa Claus.
- How does Santa look like? A bearded man wearing red clothes. However, this is not the case from the start. Santa can be in green, purple, or blue garments, following a long-standing tradition in the North Pole. However, Coca-Cola chose to clothe him in red to match their trademark colour.
- It is believed that the speed of Santa’s sleigh is equivalent to light as he has to deliver gifts to numerous houses. He has many names, including St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, Grandfather Frost, and Kris Kringle.
- Have you seen hanging Christmas stockings? Well, it is not that prevalent in India, but you’ll see this trend in western countries. 3 impoverished, single females cleaned their clothes and put their stockings on the fireplace to dry, and thus the tradition of hanging a Christmas stocking began. St. Nikolas placed a bag of riches in each of the socks. It was for the girls since they were not getting engaged due to a lack of funds.
- We are sure that almost all of you have heard this song “Jingle Bells” in your childhood. This poem was part of most students’ pre-school curriculum, and we used to dance to it. In the mid-nineteenth century, James Lord Pierpont penned “One Horse Open Sleigh” for his church’s Christmas celebration. The song again came in 1857 under the moniker “Jingle Bells.” It’s perhaps one of the most favourite Christmas tunes today. This tune is so significant that on December 16, 1965, astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra sang “Jingle Bells” as the first song of space for the first time in orbit.
- Can anyone think that celebrating the festival of Santa could be illegal? On a serious note, it used to be once. In the mid-17th century, anybody found commemorating Christmas faced a penalty. From 1659 through 1681, anybody found enjoying Christmas in the city faced a fine. The day had become so unimportant by the Civil War that Congress convened for the first time on December 25, 1789.
- For what New York is famous? The reason is, it has the Statue of Liberty. Now answer something, do you receive gifts from your parents at the auspicious festival of Christmas? What all are those gifts? Maybe a video game or a cycle. But do you know that statue of liberty is also a gift? On Xmas eve in 1886, the French presented the United States with the Statue of Liberty. It weighs 225 tonnes, and is considered the best global Christmas present ever!
- All of you must have a postal code or a pin code, don’t you? The same is applicable for Santa as well. H0H 0H0 is Santa’s postal zip code. Thousands of greetings in the name of Santa are submitted every year from children all around the world.
- US presidents rarely follow these traditions. An official first Christmas tree in the White House was put by Franklin Pierce, and since President Teddy Roosevelt was worried about the environment, he prohibited it from the white house.
- Spiders are terrifying creatures, but not at the time of Christmas. Spiders and spider webs are regarded as good fortune symbols in Poland during the Christmas season since people think of the webs as a comforter for baby Jesus.
So, these were some of the facts about Xmas. This festival is a symbol of love and kindness, which is shown by presenting gifts. It is the festival to take a day off, unwind, unplug, spend time with your family, eat Christmas goodies, and spread faith, joy, brightness, and vitality.
Also published on Medium.