10 Little Known Christmas Curiosities

Most of the people are busy preparing for Christmas, but are you aware of the many myths that go together with this celebration? Jennie shares some of the information she learned for you to know and ponder about.

The season of Christmas is filled with fun traditions, foods, and songs that bring families together and bring joy to children. With the beginning of each Christmas season, there are a number of things most of us are looking forward to enjoying, such as putting up our Christmas trees, hanging our stockings, baking cookies for Santa, and indulging in a cup of eggnog. Most of us have become so accustomed to holiday traditions, that we spend little time wondering where they truly originated. Christmas is a magical holiday surrounded by a trivia of fun facts that most of us are not familiar with. Here are ten little known curiosities about Christmas to sweeten up your holidays:

1. According to Christmas legend, Santa’s trusty reindeer are all strong males who pull his sleigh through the darkest of nights. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, however, says that male reindeer tend to shed their antlers at the beginning of winter, while females retain them until springtime when they give birth. In reality, Santa’s sleigh would then be pulled by a herd of powerful female reindeer. 

Female Reindeer

2. The celebration of Christmas dates back almost two millennia. However, within the United States, Christmas was at first not accepted as a legal holiday. In fact, the initial settlers’ strict Puritan views forbade all Christmas celebrations in 17th and 18th century America due to its pagan origin. In 1836, Alabama was the first state to announce Christmas a legal holiday, but it wasn’t until 1907 that the last state, namely Oklahoma, relented and made Christmas a holiday as well. 

Spread the Love

3. The legend of Santa Claus is actually derived from the life of St. Nikolas of Myra who lived in the fourth century and was crowned the youngest bishop in history for his benevolent deeds. The mythological conception of the Santa Claus we know today has only existed for about 200 years. It sprang from the creative mind of Clement Clarke Moore with the publishing of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, which popularized the jolly old saint who traveled by reindeer-propelled sleigh from home to home on Christmas Eve filling children’s stocking with small gifts. 

Representation of Santa Claus

4. The modern tradition of the Christmas tree originated in Germany, where people decorated their homes with evergreen during the holiday season to scare away all evil and to symbolize eternal life. 

5. Some of the first Christmas tree decorations included apples, nuts, and dates, all round objects that were later replaced by small ball ornaments. 

Modern Christmas Tree

6. The five Christmas songs most often performed within the United States are The Christmas Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and White Christmas.

White Christmas

7. Christmas celebrations are rooted in ancient pagan festivals that were condemned by the Christian church. To counteract these celebrations, the Christian church declared December 25 the day that Christ was born, though his actual birth month is believed to be closer to September. 

How they celebrate Christmas

8. In Germany and some Alpine countries, St. Nikolas has an eerie helper called Krampus, or Knecht Ruprecht, who distributes coal and punishment to naughty children.

Happy Kids on Christmas

9. The traditional Christmas colors green, red, and white symbolize life and rebirth, the blood of Christ, and wealth and royalty, respectively. 

red, green, and white

10. Scientific explanations for Rudolph’s bright red nose include parasitic infection, reaction to extremely cold weather, mutation, or bioluminescence responsible for its glow, such as that found in fireflies and fish in deeper parts of the ocean. 

Cute Rudolph

The Roman Catholic Church has a few more inventions under its sleeves, some of which are exposed by Bro. Eli Soriano:

"The Catholic Mass is a man-made doctrine, and so I have compassion for the many millions who were made to believe that it is a commandment of God!"

There is no doubt that the Holiday Season is a time to celebrate, but it is better if we truly understand the reason why we are celebrating. 

Author Bio

Jennie is a holiday decorating consultant, blogger and author. She recommends Williston Holiday Lighting Installation for residents of Williston, VT., looking for professional holiday lighting installation.