Facts About Christmas

Are you curious to learn some weird and wonderful facts about Christmas?

If so, excellent! You are in exactly the right place my friend…

It’s time to chat about Christmas facts.

Let’s dive right in…

1 – The Christmas tree is a tradition that dates back to the 1500s.

2 – In 1605, King James VI of Scotland brought the custom of decorating an evergreen tree indoors and calling it a “Yule” tree.

3 – Some people claim that Santa Claus was created by Coca-Cola in 1931 as part of their marketing campaign for their winter drink called “Santa Claus Coke”.

This was done in response to growing competition from Pepsi and other companies trying to sell holiday drinks. But before then there were many different depictions of Santa Claus.

4 – The first recorded use of Santa Claus’ name can be found on a poem published anonymously in 1823 entitled A Visit From St Nicholas.

5 – Every year since at least 1949, children have written letters to Santa at the North Pole with some help from volunteers who answer them all year round.

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6 – The most common color for Christmas trees is green because historically they were made out of fir trees which are naturally green. The color green symbolizes rebirth and life, which is why it’s used during this time of year.

7 – A traditional Christmas dinner includes turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, peas and carrots.

8 – The song “Silent Night” was written by a priest named Joseph Mohr in 1818 to comfort people who were dying on Christmas Eve.

9 – Santa Claus has been around since at least 1634 when he appeared as part of a New York Dutch legend.

10 – In Norway children put their shoes out for Julemanden (Santa Claus) or Julenisse (Knecht Ruprecht) on December 24th before they go to bed so that these characters can fill them with presents on Christmas morning.

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11 – The word “Christmas” comes from the Old English “Cristes maesse,” which means Christ’s Mass.

12 – Christmas is celebrated on December 25th because that was traditionally when Jesus was born.

13 – Santa Claus wears red and white because they are the colors of Saint Nicholas, who would give gifts to children in his town during a time before Christmas.

14 – A Christmas tree can be traced back to pagan rituals where people decorated trees with apples, nuts, or berries to symbolize fertility and life.

15 – The first official White House Christmas card was sent out by President Franklin D Roosevelt in 1939.

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16 – The first person to put up a Christmas tree in their home was Queen Victoria of England in 1848.

17 – In Japan, Christmas is called “Kurisumasu.” It falls on December 25th and most people celebrate this day of joy by eating special foods like chestnuts and drinking sake.

19 – One tradition that has been going on for centuries is exchanging gifts – some favorite items include chocolate coins, candy canes, and boxes full of chocolates.

20 – Christmas trees are thought to have originated in ancient pagan rituals, and were later adopted by Christians as a symbol of life arising out of death.

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21 – The first recorded use of the term “Merry Christmas” was in 1534; it was written into law by King Edward VI.

22 – In America, gift giving became popular around 1870 after Queen Victoria married Prince Albert..

23 – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created for a Montgomery Ward advertisement in 1939.

24 – The United States Postal Service delivers over 750 million cards during the holiday season.

25 – In 2005, Americans spent $25 billion on Christmas gifts and decorations.

Most of the traditional symbols associated with Christmas are Christian in origin, such as holly leaves and ivy vines which represent Christ’s crown of thorns.

Santa Claus has been depicted as either a jolly man or a scary-looking elf with an evil laugh and pointy nose.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created by Robert L May for his employer Montgomery Ward & Company to sell their products during the 1939/40 winter season.

There is a town called Santa Claus in Indiana that has an average population of 1,000 people – its name is even Santa Claus!

Facts About Christmas – 25 Fun Christmas Facts To WOW You!