10 Facts About Christmas You Might Not Know
Christmas
In the United States, we all view the Christmas season as the most wonderful time of year. When we think about Christmas, depictions of pine trees adorned with shiny ornaments, gingerbread cookies, a bearded old man in a suit, presents, and reindeer often come to mind. However, there are some facts about Christmas that are not as recognized by the masses.
Christmas was not always celebrated on December 25th.
Although we celebrate Christmas Day on the 25th of December, this was not always the case. In fact, the birth of Jesus was not even on that day, according to historians. Historians theorize that the church chose December 25th due to the Roman winter solstice festival of the birthday of the Unconquered Sun taking place on the same day. Some historians believe Jesus was born in the spring, and not in winter at all. Christmas was not celebrated on the 25th until about 336 AD.
Coca-Cola influenced Santa’s image.
Santa was not always depicted as the jolly man in red. Older depictions of Santa from the early 1900s portrayed him more sternly, and there was not a standardized look for his appearance and costume. The well known image of a happy and plump Santa in a red suit was the result of Coca-Cola advertisements, drawn in 1931 by the illustrator Haddon Sundblom.
Red was not always Santa’s signature color.
Before Coca-Cola advertisements of Santa aired in the 1930s, Santa’s costume was portrayed in a variety of ways. Vintage Christmas cards show Santa wearing, green, yellow, blue and even brown. Norman Rockwell was the first to depict Santa Claus wearing red, which was when it started becoming his signature color. This image was then solidified in the eyes of the public with the Santa Claus Coca-Cola advertisements.
Christmas decorating sends almost 15,000 people to the emergency room.
Many look forward to decorating their homes for the season. However, this festive task has its casualties. Over 15,000 people visit the emergency room every year for Christamas decorating-related injuries. A fifth of these injuries involve Christamas lights, while around half involve wreaths, trees, and ornaments. Even artificial trees account for one in ten injuries. Many of these incidents also involve chairs and ladders, which are typically used to hang up decorations. Make sure to be extremely careful when decorating this holiday season!
The mistletoe is a parasite.
Although we associate the mistletoe with romance and kissing, the mistletoe is actually a nutrient stealing parasite. The mistletoe is a hemiparasite, which is a semi-parasitic plant. It makes food from photosynthesis, but the roots grow into the host tree, sucking water and minerals out from the sap. The plant is so resilient that it can survive as long as one hundred years.
The tradition of hanging stockings was started by an accident.
According to one tale, the historic St. Nicholas heard the plight of a local man who did not have enough money to marry off his three daughters. The generous St. Nick tossed some money down the chimney, and that money landed in the ladies’ stockings that were hung up to dry by the fireplace. From then on, the tradition was continued up into modern times.
Christmas wreaths are religious symbols.
The circular shape of wreaths and the evergreen material they are made with represent eternal life. According to some Christians, the circle, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Jesus Christ.
Astronauts broadcast the song “Jingle Bells” from space.
Nine days before Christmas in 1965, astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Staffird aboard the Gemini 6 told Mission Control that they saw an unidentified flying object about to enter Earth’s atmosphere, traveling in the polar orbit from north to south. As things got tense, they interrupted the broadcast with “Jingle Bells,” as Wally played a small harmonica accompanied by Tom shaking sleigh bells.
Celebrating Christmas used to be illegal.
From the years 1659 to 1681, anyone who was caught celebrating Christmas in the colonies would face a fine. The Massachusetts Bay Colony created the penalty for keeping Christmas. It was thought that such festivals were superstitiously kept in other countries and were a dishonor of God and offense of others. The penalty of breaking the law was five shillings. By the Revolutionary Warm the day had so little significance that Congress even held their first session on December 25, 1789. Christmas was not even proclaimed a federal holiday for almost another century.
The term “Xmas” dates back to the 1500s.
Although many view “Xmas” as a trendy phrase, and some believe it is an attempt to take Christ out of Christmas, “Christianity” was spelled “Xianity” as far back as the 1100s. X, or Chi, is the Greek first letter of “Christ,” and emperor Constantine 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.”
Sources
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