1. 29. 10 It Didn’t Happen In December. Thus, here are 35 (fun) facts about Santa Claus, Rudolph and the undisputed queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, that you (probably) didn’t know. A fairy who leaves twigs in the shoes of naughty children? 12 facts you didn't know about Christmas By ROBERT MILLER News Clerk Dec 20, 2020 Dec 20, 2020 Updated Dec 20, 2020; Facebook; Twitter; WhatsApp; SMS; Email; 1 of 3 Sun ‘n Lake ‘Twas the Lights before Christmas 2020 second-place winner, 6413 Granada Blvd. I expect 2020 these numbers will be greatly increased. Elf on the Shelf: Facts you didn't know about the Christmas tradition CNBC. There's also Krampus, made infamous by the 2015 horror movie of the same name, a horned, hooved demon who punishes naughty children by beating them or dragging them to Hell, according to Austrian folklore. When sainted, he became the protector of children. Historical Christmas Facts 1066 – King William I of England was crowned on Christmas Day. Share 69; Pinterest 5 . 5. Despite widespread demand for ground troops in all 23,000 Starbucks locations worldwide, the most threatening outburst of Christian aggression since the Crusades was defused when the secular coffee chain explained their red cups were a purely arbitrary design choice. Peter Billingsley, A Christmas Story. Santa Claus was said to be based on Saint Nicholas. Get your weekly dose of Irish straight to your inbox every Friday. After his death, the legend of St. Nicholas spread. Or at least have a bunch of random facts to rattle off to your family when you run out of things to talk about. Welkin is an old, English term for Heaven. The Bible mentions shepherds keeping watch over their flocks in the fields. The displays will be up through Jan. 15. Share This Post! Here are 7 other things about Christmas you probably didn’t know. For Christians, this annual day is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus. Rudolph almost didn’t have a red nose either: At the time, a red nose was a sign of chronic alcoholism and Montgomery Ward thought he would look like a drunkard. The most expensive being “Swans a Swimmin” — about $6,300. Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images. Share Share Tweet Email. Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Christmas. While we've no doubt you know can pretty much recite the whole movie backwards at this stage, we bet you didn't know these gems. Jingle Bells from space On 16th December 1965, the two astronauts aboard US space flight, Gemini 6 reported to Mission Control that they had seen an ‘Unidentified Flying Object’ about to enter the earth’s atmosphere. Scholars concluded that the church decided to make Christmas the same date as Saturnalia’s festivities to help Christians avoid the pagan celebrations. Over the years, other reindeer have been name-checked on Santa's sleigh team, such as: Flossie, Glossie, Racer, Pacer, Scratcher, Feckless, Ready, Steady and Fireball (no relation to the whiskey). We all love Christmas, but how much do any of us actually know about why Christmas is the way it is? How the Welkin rings!" Cute! Thus, here are 35 (fun) facts about Santa Claus, Rudolph and the undisputed queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, that you (probably) didn’t know. 10 Awesome Facts About Christmas You Didn't Know ---Number 10: Hanging stockings started with an accident! Curl up by the fire with a nice cup of hot cocoa and smarten up! COURTESY FACEBOOK Holiday decorations at The Jacaranda Hotel in Avon Park. Thus, here are 35 (fun) facts about Santa Claus, Rudolph and the undisputed queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, that you (probably) didn’t know. Though Santa Claus has worn blue and white and green in the past, his traditional red suit came from a 1930s ad by Coca Cola. The first Christmas crackers – a traditional festive favourite – were made around 1845-1850 by a London sweet maker called Tom Smith. Royal fever was real even back then. Comment. Belsnickel -- of German and Pennsylvania Dutch folklore -- is likely a combination of the two, a fur-clad menace who brings candy to good children...and beats bad kids with his switch. 7. 5 Facts You Didn't Know About A Christmas Story. Rudolph was almost named Rollo or Reginald. We're just going to put it out here - Love Actually is the best Christmas movie ever. 1377 – During a Christmas feast hosted by King Richard the II of England in 1377, three hundred sheep and twenty-eight oxen were consumed. Christmas trees go back a loooooong time. "Jingle Bells" was originally supposed to be a Thanksgiving song. It measured 221 ft. tall. Dec. 25 was likely chosen because it coincided with the ancient pagan festival Saturnalia, which celebrated the agricultural god Saturn with partying, gambling and gift-giving. One of the reasons we leave milk and cookies for Santa is because Dutch kids would leave food and drink for St. Nicholas on his feast day. Before I continue I just wanted to wish you a happy Christmas and if you are not yet, be sure to subscribe to my weekly dose of Irish newsletter here. 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Christmas in the Stars StarWars.com has collected some little-known facts about the iconic (and only) Christmas album from a galaxy far, far away. 6. 11. Image: Eric Ward. While Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, there is no mention of December 25 in the Bible. I took a look around and found some of the most interesting facts I could about Christmas. When the Candy Cane was invented in Germany, it was made into a J for Jesus. Eddie Murphy almost played the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a beloved and incomparably unique film, but what do it's fans not know about this Tim Burton stop-motion classic? 35. This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. The poem that introduced us to the other eight reindeer, "A Visit From St. Nicholas," actually name-dropped Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Duner and Blixem. Children would leave shoes out the night before and, in the morning, would find little gifts that St. Nicholas would leave them. Here are the facts about the guy who is always associated with Christmas. 4. To put you in a festive mood (as well as to correct a few historical misunderstandings) here are ten things you probably didn’t know about the first Christmas. Christmas supposedly marks the birth of Jesus Christ on Dec. 25. Here are 13 surprising things you probably didn't know about your favorite Christmas songs. The connotation ‘Merry Christmas’ was popularized by the 16th century secular English carol ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas,’ and even the first commercial Christmas card, produced in England in 1843. People all over the country jump into the freezing Atlantic regardless of the conditions. Curl up by … We all love Christmas, but how much do any of us actually know about why Christmas is the way it is? 10 French Christmas Traditions That You Didn’t Know. Mistletoe -- that special sprig we all swap smooches under -- is actually a parasite, sucking nutrients from its host tree in order to stay festively green all winter long. St Stephen’s Day, Lá Fhéile Stiofáin or Lá an Dreoilín, meaning the Wren Day, is named after the first Christian martyr and alludes to several Irish myths or legends that link parts of the life of Jesus to the wren. While you're busy wrapping gifts and preparing to feast with family and friends, TIME brings you these bizarre Christmas facts to ponder 12. Singer Jimmy Boyd had to fly to Boston and explain to them why it wasn't obscene. 8 Dec. 46. Facts You Didn’t Know About Christmas Celebration. 2. 11 Things You Didn’t Know About Christmas. The law has never been rescinded, meaning it’s technically illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day in the UK. The largest Christmas cracker – 45.72m long and 3.04m in diameter – was pulled in Australia in 1991. Because of its roots in pagan festivals, Christmas was not immediately accepted by the religious. They did this as a reminder that spring would indeed return. 52 Christmas facts you never knew about the festive period - Mirror Online More snow on the cards as new 'Beast from the East' freeze barrels towards UK … is the well known opening line of Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song. 74 Fun Christmas Facts You Didn’t Know Christmas is celebrated all over the world, as both a religious and secular holiday. Many of the popular Christmas traditions today found their roots in Saturnalia: Branches from evergreen trees were used during winter solstice as a reminder of the green plants that would grow in spring when the sun gods grew strong. Six hours of none stop eating? The original lyrics to "Hark! 30. Nearly 70 million Christmas trees are grown each year in Europe. Well, it is the season to be…well informed. The first batch of eggnog in America was crafted at Captain John Smith's Jamestown settlement in 1607, and the name eggnog comes from the word "grog," which refers to any drink made with rum. 12. Edward Johnson invented electric tree lights in the US in 1882. While we know a great deal about Christmas from our parents and grandparents, there are many facts about Christmas that are lesser-known. By Matthew Wilkinson Sep 14, 2020. 15. Fair play to them. How did the Nazis celebrate Christmas? 0. (You may recognize Belsnickel from the time Dwight dressed as him on The Office.). 13. Children who write letters to Santa Clause in the United States have their letters delivered to Santa Clause, Indiana. In 1836 Alabama was the first U.S. state to set Christmas as a legal holiday and in 1907 Oklahoma was the last. Thus, here are 35 (fun) facts about Santa Claus, Rudolph and the undisputed queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, that you (probably) didn’t know. Christmas … Of course with Covid-19 this year things are a little different. 23. When the holiday season rolls around, the first thing many people do is turn on Christmas music. Here are a few interesting facts about Christmas you might not know. The two were sketched in front of a Christmas tree and the tradition instantly became popular. You Can Share Your Faith With Your Family Without Making It Weird. Khloe Kardashian Shares Workout Selfie as She Gets 'Ready' for Summer, Brittany Aldean on Expanding Family With Husband Jason Aldean, Best Amazon New Year, New You Deals on Adidas Sneakers and Apparel, 'The View's Sunny Hostin Reveals Husband's Parents Died of COVID, ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ Flashback: Inside Jim Carrey’s Transformation. I think most of us can agree that Christmas time is the best time of the year. Fun Facts About Christmas About $1,000 is spent on Christmas gifts each year by the average American family. 7. December 25, 2017 . 0 Comments. And the image of him flying in a sleigh started in 1819...and was dreamt up by the same author who created the Headless Horseman, Washington Irving. Gifts are France has so many unusual Christmas traditions that only the locals, or someone spending Christmas in the country, would ever learn about. In the music video, Santa is played by Mariah’s then-husband, Tommy Mottola. And we leave carrots for Santa Claus' reindeer because, in Norse mythology, people left hay and treats for Odin’s eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, "in hopes the god would stop by their home during his Yule hunting adventures." Even to the extent of being banned for paganism in some respects. ], Mariah Carey Reveals Her Favorite Christmas Songs by Other Artists, The Best Deals on Stocking Stuffers for Everyone on Your List, 20 Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Hanukkah, By signing up, you agree to our In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas pudding, mince pies and anything to do with gluttony. Merry (almost) Christmas! 10 Things You Didn't Know About Nightmare Before Christmas. UP NEXT. "Silent Night" is the most-recorded Christmas song in history, with over 733 different versions copyrighted since 1978. The gifts we … Christmas supposedly marks the birth of Jesus Christ on Dec. 25. Santa Claus comes from St. Nicholas, a Christian bishop living in (what is now) Turkey in the fourth century A.D. St. Nicholas had inherited a great deal of wealth and was known for giving it away to help the needy. One night, St. Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the man's chimney so that his oldest daughter would be able to get married, and the bag fell into a stocking that was drying by the fire. Tis the season to be...well informed. The look of Santa Claus we have today was created at an 1804 meeting of the New York Historical Society, where member John Pintard handed out wooden cutouts of jolly old St. Nick in front of stockings filled with toys. The Jim Carrey version, of course. Smarten up people! Most historians actually posit that Jesus was born in the spring. All Christmas decorations are usually taken down and put away on ‘Little Christmas’ (January 6th.). 18. 10 Facts About Christmas You Didn’t Know. Like Donner and Blitzen, come from the German words for thunder and lightning ). 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