Many of our Christmas traditions have interesting origins. The German St. Nikolaus is not identical with the Weihnachtsman (Christmas Man, the German version of Santa Claus). Because Passover was held on the 14th of the month, this feast is referred to as the Quartodecimal. In summary, there are four different dates used by different Christian groups to mark the birth of Christ, given in the table below. December 25 to January 5, referred to as “Christmastide” or “Twelve Holy Days,” is the derivation of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”. Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan dictator of the British Isles in the mid-17th century, passed a law in parliament that made Christmas illegal. The French Père Noël evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa image. [84], In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore wrote the poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (popularly known by its first line: Twas the Night Before Christmas). Many people think Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States. [173][174] Traditional Christmas meal in Central Europe is fried carp or other fish. For a long time the celebration of Jesus’ birth was observed in conjunction with his baptism, celebrated January 6. and "Old Christmas". [35][37] "Nativity", meaning "birth", is from Latin nātīvitās.

Gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve in most European countries and on Christmas morning in North America. Speaking of taking the “Christ” out of “Christmas,” the Nazis not only wanted to make Christmas non-religious, but also tried to re-brand it as a celebration of the rise of Hitler. 1962 – the United States issued the first Christmas postage stamp. While evergreen branches had long been seen as a reminder of springtime during the long winter months, it was the Germans who first brought them inside to be decorated. One of the difficulties with this view is that it suggests a nonchalant willingness on the part of the Christian church to appropriate a pagan festival when the early church was so intent on distinguishing itself categorically from pagan beliefs and practices. Some text in the "Observances" section is adapted from the Christmas article at Wikipedia under GFDL. Historically it was prohibited by Puritans when they briefly held power in England (1647–1660), and in Colonial America where the Puritans outlawed the celebration of Christmas in 1659. The name Christmas is technically a contraction of “Christ’s Mass.” X is the first letter of Christ in Greek, and for hundreds of years, it was used as a stand in for the word as a whole. We have this and other funny facts about Christmas to tickle your funny bone and help you be the life of the party. "Adeste Fideles" (O Come all ye faithful) appears in its current form in the mid-18th century, although the words may have originated in the 13th century. Christmas has also become a secular family holiday that is observed by Christians and non-Christians, is marked by the exchange … But the manuscript includes another passage, one that is more likely to be authentic, that gives the passion as March 25.

For Christians, this day, usually December 25, is the religious celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but it has also been adopted by many non-Christians as the most wonderful time of the year for … We are sure your children will love to know the history of everything that makes Christmas so special. The service, inaugurated by E.W. "[57], Linking Jesus to the Sun was supported by various Biblical passages. While the charitable St. Nick gives gifts to the good kids, Krampus is there to punish the naughty ones, who according to folk tales, are beaten, kidnapped, or even eaten! Similarly there are various stories and facts we have heard about Christmas and it is difficult to say which are true and which aren’t.

The singing of carols initially suffered a decline in popularity after the Protestant Reformation in northern Europe, although some Reformers, like Martin Luther, wrote carols and encouraged their use in worship. [124], While the celebration of Christmas was not yet customary in some regions in the U.S., Henry Wadsworth Longfellow detected "a transition state about Christmas here in New England" in 1856. Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in countries around the world, including many whose populations are mostly non-Christian.

[67] It was a traditional Jewish belief that great men were born and died on the same day, so lived a whole number of years, without fractions: Jesus was therefore considered to have been conceived on March 25, as he died on March 25, which was calculated to have coincided with 14 Nisan. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. In this article, we will look at all kinds of Christmas facts, some humorous, some historical, and some just plain fun. [198][199] Because of complicating factors, this analysis is sometimes used to discuss possible flaws in current microeconomic theory. We hope these Christmas facts made you remember why Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. [162] The English language phrase "Christmas tree" is first recorded in 1835[163] and represents an importation from the German language.[161][164][165]. However, if you think these “artificial” trees are more “green” than cutting down real ones each year, think again. It is the sugar and alcohol combination that helps them last so long. 1. "Deck the Halls" dates from 1784, and the American "Jingle Bells" was copyrighted in 1857. During World War II, the Bicycle playing card company made decks of cards and gave them to the prisoners of war in Germany with hidden escape routes revealed when the cards were soaked in water as Christmas presents. Not so appetizing. [51][52] This holiday was not primarily about the nativity, but rather the baptism of Jesus. The most popular Christmas food is still up for debate. In Southern Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Alto Adige/Südtirol (Italy) and Liechtenstein the Christkind (Christ Child) brings the presents as well. [190][191] In Canada, merchants begin advertising campaigns just before Halloween (October 31), and step up their marketing following Remembrance Day on November 11. Św.

Berlin hated Elvis Presley’s version so much that he tried to prevent radio stations from playing it. One controversy is the occurrence of Christmas trees being renamed Holiday trees. [77] In the judgement of the Church of England Liturgical Commission, the History of Religions hypothesis has been challenged[78] by a view based on an old tradition, according to which the date of Christmas was fixed at nine months after March 25, the date of the vernal equinox, on which the Annunciation was celebrated. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday.
With the atheistic Cult of Reason in power during the era of Revolutionary France, Christian Christmas religious services were banned and the three kings cake was renamed the "equality cake" under anticlerical government policies. One economist's analysis calculates that, despite increased overall spending, Christmas is a deadweight loss under orthodox microeconomic theory, because of the effect of gift-giving. [112] A prominent phrase from the tale, "Merry Christmas", was popularized following the appearance of the story. Over the years, these traditional drinks morphed into eggnog and mulled wine drinks. In Victorian Britain, his image was remade to match that of Santa. There are approximately 2 billion children under 18 around the world according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is the best-selling Christmas song with more than more than 50 million copies sold around the world. He even had to learn techniques from a Navy SEAL who specialized in preparing agents for the possibility of enduring torture because of how intolerable it was being in the prosthetics all day.
"Place in the American Christmas," (. In 1607, King James I insisted that a play be acted on Christmas night and that the court indulge in games. For Eastern Orthodox churches that continue to use the Julian calendar for liturgical observances, this date corresponds to January 7 on the Gregorian calendar.

St. Nikolaus wears a bishop's dress, brings small gifts (usually candies, nuts and fruits) on December 6, and is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht.