33 Amazing Facts You Never Knew About Christmas
Many enjoy the pomp and pageantry of Christmas as it comes once a year towards the end of the year. The Yuletide season is the biggest celebration in the world history.Despite that,there are many things which majority does not know about Christmas. Want to know? Read below:
- THE word Christmas comes from the Old English “Cristes maesse” meaning “Christ’s Mass”.
- MANY theologians estimate that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25 but sometime in September between 6BC and 30AD.
- Christmas supposedly marks the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. But there is no mention of December 25 in the Bible and most historians actually believe he was born in the spring.
- 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.
- These evergreen branches became the foundation of our Christmas tree. Germans are thought to be the first to bring “Christmas trees” into their homes at the holidays and decorate them with cookies and lights.
- The Christmas tree made its way to America in the 1830s but wasn’t popular until 1846, after Germany’s Prince Albert brought it to England when he married Queen Victoria. The two were sketched in front of a Christmas tree and the tradition instantly became popular. Royal fever was real even back then.
- 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
- THE first Christmas celebrated in Britain is thought to have been in York in 521AD.
- ASTRONOMERS believe the Star Of Bethlehem, which guided the wise men to Jesus, may have been a comet or the planet Uranus.
- DESPITE the tale of three wise men paying homage to baby Jesus, the Bible never gives a number. Matthew’s Gospel refers to merely “wise men”.
- Jingle Bells-JAMES Pierpont’s 1857 song Jingle Bells was first called One Horse Open Sleigh and was written for Thanksgiving.
- THE world’s tallest Xmas tree at 221ft high was erected in a Washington shopping mall in 1950.
- NEARLY 60 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe.
- CAROLS weren’t sung in churches until they were introduced by St Francis of Assisi in the 13th century.
- THE word Noel derives from the French expression “les bonnes nouvelles” or “the good news”.
- THE long shopping spree before Christmas began in America when relatives of soldiers posted overseas in the Second World War were encouraged to mail gifts early.
- “Silent Night” is the most recorded Christmas song in history, with over 733 different versions copyrighted since 1978.
- Legend has it that “Silent Night” was written by a Father Joseph Mohr in Austria, who was determined to have music at his Christmas service after his organ broke. In reality, a priest wrote it while stationed at a pilgrim church in Austria.
- Meanwhile, “White Christmas” is the best-selling song of all time.
- “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” actually has a truly depressing back-story: songwriter James “Haven” Gillespie was broke, jobless, and his brother had just died when he was asked to write a Christmas song. He was originally too overcome with grief, but eventually found inspiration in his brother’s death and the Christmas memories they had together.
- The original lyrics to “Hark! The Herald Angel Sings” were “Hark! How the Welkin rings!” Welkin is an old, English term for Heaven. A preacher later tweaked the lyric.
- “Jingle Bells” was originally supposed to be a Thanksgiving song.
- IN Greece, Italy, Spain and Germany, workers get a Christmas bonus of one month’s salary by law.
- THE Greeks celebrate Christmas on January 7, according to the old Julian calendar, while Xmas presents are opened on New Year’s Day.
25.Banning Christmas- IN 1647, after the English Civil War, Oliver Cromwell banned festivities. The law wasn’t lifted until 1660.
- THE first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned by civil servant Sir Henry Cole in London in 1843. Featuring a family drinking wine, one sold for #8,469 last year.
- MANY parts of the Christmas tree can actually be eaten, with the needles being a good source of Vitamin C.
28.In Czech Christmas- the Czech Republic they enjoy dinners of fish soup, eggs and carp. The number of people at the table must be even, or the one without a partner will die next year.
29.CHRISTMAS pudding was originally a soup made with raisins and wine.
- THE highest-grossing Christmas movie is 2000’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas, which has raked in #175m so far.
- BOXING Day gets its name from all the money collected in church alms-boxes for the poor.
- THE Beatles hold the record for most Xmas number 1 singles, topping the charts in 1963, 65 and 67.
33.ELECTRIC tree lights were invented by Edward Johnson in the US in 1882.
