Tomorrow, December 25 is Christmas Day, and for those that will be celebrating, it’s most certain that you are poised to have yourself a merry time with friends and family. But, what are some of the facts about the world’s largest celebration: What does the Christmas tree symbolise? Who were the first to string lights on Christmas trees? And how did Santa Claus come to wearing red and white?
Did you know that:
1. In the early days of Christianity, Christians did not celebrate Christmas because there is no mention of December 25 in the Bible. Also, they could not decide on which day Jesus was actually born.
2. It was only in the 3rd Century (201- 300 CE) that this date was chosen, most likely because it coincided with the pagan celebration of Saturnalia.
3. By the 8th Century (701 – 800 CE), the celebration of Christmas had spread through the whole of Europe, and came to be associated with wild parties comparable to Mardi Gras, celebrated today in New Orleans, USA.
4. In the 1600s, the Puritans – a Christian religious group with origin in England – who later settled in America continued to oppose Christmas celebration. And by 1644, a law was passed in the American colony of Massachusetts – which was under their control – that anyone caught celebrating Christmas be fined a sum of 5 shillings (a whole lot of money back then).
5. Prince Albert of Germany who was married to Queen Victoria of England brought the German custom of decorating evergreen trees to Great Britain. In 1848, when an image of the royal family standing next to their 40-foot Christmas tree was published in an American magazine, the custom caught on in the United States as well.
6. The tradition of sending Christmas cards also started at about the same time in England. Also, the tradition of giving gifts goes as far back as many centuries, to remind people of the gifts offered by the astrologers to the baby Jesus.
7. Santa Claus – one of the most famous characters of Christmas celebrations today – is actually based on Saint Nicholas of Myra, a Dutch Saint famous for giving gifts.
8. He was known as Sinter Klass, and the many incarnations of him over the years were associated with several colours. But, it was not until after a 1930s Coca Cola advert where he was pictured wearing red and white that the colours stuck.
And these are some quick facts about Christmas I bet you did not know.