Jingle bells, jingle bells… Bring out your Santa hat, unfold the wrapping paper, and practice your favorite carol. It’s the time of the year when everything around you is festive, the malls start playing Mariah Carey and Wham!, and you can eat all the sweets with a clear conscience. Christmas is almost here!
Even if you come from a culture that doesn’t celebrate Christmas, it’s very unlikely that you will be asking the question “What is Christmas all about?” On a global scale, Christmas has long ceased being a deeply religious holiday and turned into a fun celebration for anyone who cares to join. And though you might not know every minute detail from the history of Christmas and how it became such a worldwide holiday, it won’t bar you from enjoying yourself during the holiday season.
Yet there are some fascinating Christmas facts that you might enjoy learning, for example, to organize a Christmas trivia game when friends and family come to visit. A fun trivia competition is always a good idea, especially if you’ve had too many treats and want to stay on the couch.
If this sounds like something you would get behind, you will find a lot of interesting facts about Christmas in this article that we compiled for you. You can use them for the game or just to learn something new about your favorite holiday. And if you know any other fun fact about Christmas that we haven’t included in this article, share it with us in the comments.
#1
Given that Christmas is not referenced in the Bible, it is not a Biblical holy day. Actually, many of the symbols and traditions we identify with Christmas have their roots in pagan celebrations and rituals around the winter solstice.
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27points
#2
The practice of leaving food out for Santa Claus was first used by Norse youngsters to feed Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse. Despite the fact that there is no historical evidence of St. Nicholas owning a horse, Dutch children left food in their wooden shoes for the creature. American kids now leave milk and cookies for Santa. For Santa's reindeer, other kids across the world put hay, carrots, and water.
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24points
#3
Originally, servants sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" to demand alcoholic beverages from their masters. "Bring some out here; we won't leave until we have some."
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24points
#4
Each year, the United States sell approximately 1.6 billion Christmas cards.
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22points
#5
Every year, more than 1.76 billion candy canes are produced during the Christmas season.
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22points
#6
Because mistletoe was once a representation of virility, people would stand under it if they were open to dating someone of the other sex.
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21points
#7
In the 1800s, the well-known political cartoonist Thomas Nast established Santa's official house as the North Pole in a number of cartoons. The North Pole was then regarded as a legendary, magical area because there had just been a number of Arctic missions.
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21points
#8
In 1980, the Rubik Cube was the most popular Christmas toy and cost $1.99; today, it costs almost $10.
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20points
#9
During the Christmas season, 28 sets of LEGOs are sold per second.
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20points
#10
The mythological winter beast known as Krampus has been forbidden by the Catholic church. It is reported that the half-man, half-goat figure visits around the Christmas season to chastise misbehaving kids. The Catholic Church attempted to outlaw Krampus celebrations in the 12th century on the grounds that the beast resembled the devil.
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20points
#11
As a token of appreciation for their support during World War II, the citizens of Oslo, Norway, annually donate a tree to Trafalgar Square in London.
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19points
#12
The song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" contains 364 gifts in all.
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19points
#13
The most popular Christmas song worldwide, "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, has sold more than 50 million copies.
19points
#14
A fake spider and its web are frequently used as Christmas tree decorations in Ukraine because people there think that discovering a spider web on Christmas morning brings good fortune.
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19points
#15
Christmas is frequently referred to as "Xmas," which is actually based on the fact that the first Greek letter of Jesus Christ's name is "X."
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18points
#16
Candy canes have existed since 1670. The red and white sugar sticks were given to young singers at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany by the choirmaster to keep them quiet during the Living Creche tradition on Christmas Eve.
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18points
#17
Actually, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" goes by a whole other name. The famous poem by Clement Clarke Moore from 1823 is actually titled "A Visit from St. Nicholas." Due to its well-known first line, it is most frequently referred to as "Twas the Night Before Christmas."
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18points
#18
The very first song played in space was "Jingle Bells." According to Guinness World Records, the traditional Christmas song was aired on December 16, 1965, during NASA's Gemini 6A space mission.
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18points
#19
It's thought that Germany is where the Christmas tree custom first appeared. Tinsel, which was previously created from real silver, dates back to 1610 in Germany.
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17points
#20
In the beginning, Denny's restaurants in the United States operated 24/7, hence their structures lacked locks. On Christmas Day in 1988, they chose to close, but they were unable to secure the doors.
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17points