105 Facts About Christmas
Discover all the weird, wonderful, and dark facts about the world’s biggest religious and cultural holiday.
If you’ve ever gathered around the Christmas tree and wondered where the practice comes from, these facts about Christmas will teach you a thing or two about the holiday, its origins, and traditions.
On December 25, families worldwide come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. But did you know Jesus wasn’t actually born on this date? Exchanging gifts at Christmas time is a cherished practice, but how did it originate? Santa Claus delivers gifts to well-behaved children, but what happens to naughty children according to folklore in some countries? Here’s a hint, it’s worse than Santa skipping your chimney. And can you guess what the first song played in space was? So many questions, and we have all the answers. It’s time to get festive, let’s go ho ho.
Interesting Facts About Christmas
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus. However, there’s no Biblical or historical evidence to support that He was born on December 25. In fact, historians believe he was born in the springtime.
The decision to celebrate Christmas on December 25 was made by Pope Julius I. It’s believed the date was chosen in an attempt to overshadow Saturnalia, a pagan festival held around the same time.
Christmas was celebrated for the first time in Rome in 336 A.D.
The concept of Christmas trees originated in ancient Egypt and Rome. During the winter solstice, these ancient cultures would decorate using evergreen trees to celebrate the coming of spring.
The Christmas tree tradition as we know it today began in 16th-century Germany. Christians had decorated trees in their homes or built wooden pyramids decorated with evergreens.
Prince Albert and Queen Victoria popularized Christmas trees. In 1848, the “Illustrated London News” published a sketch of the family gathering around the tree, and the rest is history.
The word ‘Christmas’ is a contraction of the old English ‘Cristesmæsse,’ which was first recorded eons ago in 1038 and means “Christ’s mass.”
Christmas stockings are a centuries-old tradition originating from a popular legend about a widower who didn’t have enough money for his daughters’ dowries. After they hung their stockings around the chimney to dry, St. Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down it.
Gift-giving has Christian and Pagan origins: It’s rooted in the story of the Three Wise Men who gave gifts to baby Jesus as well as in Saturnalia, during which time, pagans gave offerings to the gods.
Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas. But did you know St. Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop who gave away his substantial inheritance to those in need, among other good deeds?
The Montgomery Ward Department created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1939 as a marketing ploy to encourage children to buy their Christmas coloring books.
Their original Rudolph didn’t have a red nose because it was a characteristic associated with alcoholism.
Rudolph was almost named Rollo or Reginald but thank goodness he wasn’t.
Candy canes originated in 1670. A choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany gave the sweet treats to the choir children to silence them during the Living Creche celebration.
Christmas crackers were invented by a man named Tom Smith. Upon a visit to Paris, he discovered sugared almonds wrapped in tissue paper, and the idea was born.
From 1647 to 1660, the Puritan government banned Christmas in the United Kingdom. Believing it to be an excuse for drunken debauchery, it became a day of fasting during this period. Fun times!
Originally, Christmas pudding wasn’t a pudding at all. In the 14th century, it was a thick soup made of beef and mutton with raisins, wines, spices, and more.
Visit the Striezelmarkt Christmas Market in Dresden, Germany and you’ll be shopping at one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world. It dates back to the 1400s.
Many Christians feel that the ‘Xmas’ abbreviation is blasphemous but it, in fact, is not. The letter ‘X’ is the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word for ‘Christ.’
Santa Claus goes by many different names around the world including Father Christmas in England and South Africa, Pere Noel in France, Babbo Natale in Italy, Ded Moroz in Russia, and Weihnachtsmann in, yup, Germany.
In Japan, they believe in Santa Kuroshu, who has eyes in the back of his head — great for keeping an eye on naughty kids.
In Eastern Europe, spider-web ornaments are used to adorn Christmas trees. The tradition is believed to originate from a Ukrainian folktale and if you find a spider in your tree, it’s also a symbol of good luck.
In the Czech Republic, the Christmas dinner table must be set for an even number of guests. It’s believed that an uneven number brings bad luck or death.
The first-ever artificial Christmas trees were made by Germans in the 1880s. They were made from goose feathers.
In 2010, the Colombian government put lights in the trees during Christmas time. At night, they lit up and displayed messages asking the FARC guerrillas to put down their weapons and return to society — 331 did.
Tinsel was invented in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1610 and was originally made from thin strands of real silver.
The Christmas wreath originally symbolized the crown of thorns worn by Jesus and the berries represented His blood.
The three colors that represent Christmas are red, green, and gold: Red for Jesus’ blood, green for life and rebirth, and gold for royalty.
Dark Facts About Christmas
In countries like Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia, the folklore speaks about Krampus, St. Nicholas’ less-than-jolly counterpart. A demonic half-goat monster with horns and a long tongue, he either beats naughty children or drags the really bad ones to Hell.
In Austria and Bavaria, they have Frau Perchta. This witch does unspeakable, violent things to children who have been bad.
Iceland has Gryla, a cave-dwelling ogre who emerges during Christmas to hunt for, kidnap, and dine on children.
Staying in Iceland, there’s also the Yule Cat that prowls through the streets and peers into children’s bedrooms. Children must lay out new clothes — a sign they’ve been good — to prevent the beast from devouring them.
In Germany, St. Nicholas’ companion is Belsnickel, who is covered in fur pelts. He visits children with treats and a switch. If they’re good, they receive a treat, if they’re naughty, it’s coal and a smack with the switch for them.
Originating in the Alsace region on the France-Germany border, Hans Trapp is a cannibalistic fellow who works alongside St. Nicholas. Banished to the woods, he dresses to resemble a scarecrow and feasts on children.
If you’re in Norway, you had better hide all your brooms on Christmas Eve. Norwegians believe that evil witches will steal them if they’re left out.
In France and French-speaking parts of Belgium and Switzerland, they believe in Pére Fouettard (“Father Whipper). He’s said to travel with St. Nicholas and hand out coal lumps or beatings to naughty children.
Who doesn’t love caroling? The Enlightened folks from the 1700s, that’s who. During this time period, carolers would often break down residents’ doors and demand food and drink, and threaten violence.
The Christmas carol ‘Good King Wenceslas’ was inspired by Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, who was born in 907 A.D. He was assassinated by his younger brother and a group of nobles, who stabbed him repeatedly and ran him through with a lance.
Mari Lwyd (Holy Mary) is a Welsh tradition that takes place during the festive season. A giant horse’s skull is decorated with ribbons and carried by someone hidden under a cloak. The skull is paraded around and taken from door to door.
Decorating the Christmas tree with spherical baubles originates from a darker 17th-century English tradition. Known as witch balls, glass-blown spheres were hung in windows to protect against evil spirits, witches, and malice.
Folks in Medieval England not only believed that holly and ivy would bring good luck, but that it would ward off evil spirits.
When you’re sitting down to enjoy a delicious Christmas turkey, roast beef, or ham dinner, remember that upper-class dinner celebrations in the 1500s in England featured a boar’s head as the heart of the meal.
In Ireland, the Christmas tradition extends to December 26, which is known as Hunt the Wren Day. Today, a fake wren is “hunted,” however, it used to involve killing a real bird, placing it on top of a decorated pole, and taking it from door to door.
A Christmas Eve tradition that began in the 1600s (but that unsurprisingly stopped in the 1900s) involved setting a bowl of brandy with raisins on fire. People had to try to get the raisins and the fire was extinguished by putting them in their mouths.
Due to the Jewish origins of Jesus, Nazi Germany attempted to bring Christmas celebrations in line with Nazi ideology by paganizing carols and decorating with swastikas.
During the Christmas morning feast in Portugal, known as Consoda, the table is set for both the living and the souls of the dead.
Fun Facts About Christmas
Donner and Blitzen originally had different names. When they were first introduced in the 1823 poem, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas,” they were named Dunder and Blixem.
In 1958, ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ was first released. It was sung by U.S. singer, Brenda Lee, who was only 13 years old at the time.
On December 16, 1965, the crew of NASA’s Gemini 6A space flight serenaded Mission Control with ‘Jingle Bells’ — it was the first song to ever be played in space.
We all know Ebenezer Scrooge’s infamous phrase, “Bah Humbug.” However, Charles Dickens’ originally wanted it to be “Bah Christmas.”
The word ‘mistletoe’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon ‘mistelta,’ which means “little dung twig” because it sprouts from bird poop on tree branches.
Curious to know when the last time was that George Michael was filmed without a beard? It was for his “Last Christmas” music video.
The word ‘carol’ means ‘dance’ or “song of praise” and they were initially sung all your long. The tradition of singing them at Christmas is the only one that’s remained to this day.
We may know yule logs as the popular Christmas dessert, however, it was originally a specially selected log that was burnt on the heath over the 12 days of Christmas.
During a Christmas feast thrown by King Richard II of England in 1377, 300 sheep and 28 oxen were eaten.
In 1843, the first commercial Christmas card was created by Sir Henry Cole and it was illustrated by John Callcott Horsley.
In 2001, one of these original Christmas cards sold at an auction for 22,500 pounds.
Hallmark introduced their first Christmas card in 1915, kicking off the modern Christmas card industry as we know it.
Mince pies: You either love ‘em or hate ‘em. A traditional English Christmas food that dates back to the 13th century, they were originally made with meat.
Speaking of mince pies, it was a Medieval tradition to eat a mince pie every day of the 12 days of Christmas. It was believed to bring good luck.
In 1882, Edward Johnson, who was Thomas Edison’s friend and partner, created Christmas electric string lights.
In the early 1900s, Christmas lights were more commonly rented than sold because of how pricey they were.
The most expensive Christmas tree was on display at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi in 2010. It was 13 feet, adorned with 181 items of jewelry, and it cost about US$11.4 million.
Sam Homewood from the United Kingdom holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to decorate a Christmas tree. It took him 34.52 seconds.
In Canada, Santa’s postal code is “H0H 0H0.”
In 1867, a Boston businessman heard a reading of “A Christmas Carol.” It touched him so deeply, he closed his factory on Christmas Day and his workers received a turkey.
On Christmas Day in Japan, it’s customary to eat chicken. The Christmas feast of choice is KFC.
The largest gingerbread house was made in Bryan, Texas in 2013. It’s 60 feet long, 42 feet wide, and 10.1 feet tall, and is on display at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center.
The world’s smallest Christmas card is invisible to the human eye. It was created by British scientists in 2017, is 200 million times smaller than a stamp, and includes a snowman and festive messages.
Charles Dickens began writing “A Christmas Carol” in October 1843 and finished it in six weeks.
It’s only a true white Christmas if there’s one inch or more of snow on the ground, come Christmas morning.
Facts About Christmas in the United States
Consumers in the U.S. spend close to $1,000 dollars on gifts on average.
Over 15,000 people are sent to the E.R. over the festive season, and it’s usually due to Christmas decoration mishaps.
In 1836, Alabama became the first U.S. state to recognize Christmas as an official holiday.
In 1907, Oklahoma became the last state to officially recognize Christmas.
Lego is a very popular Christmas gift. More than 26 Lego sets are sold every second over the Christmas period.
Letters to Santa go to the town of Santa Claus in Indiana.
During World War II, Bicycle, a playing card manufacturer, created decks of cards for US prisoners of war in Germany. They were given as Christmas gifts and revealed escape routes when they were wet.
Christmas trees are grown across all 50 U.S. states.
The largest Christmas gift ever given was the Statue of Liberty. It was gifted by the people of France in honor of the alliance with the United States.
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, attempted to ban Christmas trees at the White House. He believed that cutting down Christmas trees was contributing to deforestation and he wanted to set an example.
The first U.S. Christmas stamp was issued on November 1, 1962, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The first batch of eggnog in the U.S. was crafted in a Jamestown settlement in 1607.
NORAD’s Santa Tracker was created in 1955, thanks to a typo. A newspaper ad to call Santa accidentally a top-secret military hotline’s number. Colonel Harry Shoup at NORAD received the kids’ calls and later had the tracker idea while looking at a map with Santa sketched on it.
The longest-running Santa parade in the United States takes place in Peoria, Illinois. It began in 1888.
Facts About Christmas Songs and Carols
Want to know what the the best-selling Christmas single of all time is? It’s Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas,’ which has sold in excess of 50 million copies worldwide since its release in 1942.
Written in 1857, ‘Jingle Bells’ was originally meant to be sung at Thanksgiving. It was called ‘On Horse Open Sleigh.’
The Beatles hold the record for the most Christmas number 1s: they had Christmas number 1s in 1963, 1965, and 1967.
Paul McCartney’s 1979 song, ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ earns him about US$315,000 annually.
The artist who earns the most royalties from their Christmas song is Mariah Carey. ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ earns her around US$2.5 million every year.
The “All I Want for Christmas is You” music video features Carey’s husband at the time, Tommy Mottola, who plays Santa Claus.
Irving Berlin, an American composer and lyricist who originally wrote ‘White Christmas, tried to have Elvis Presley’s version of the song banned from being played on the radio. That’s how much he disliked it.
‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’ may have gained popularity in the 18th century but it was originally written in Latin around the 9th century.
Originally, ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas’ was sung by servants who were demanding booze from their masters.
If you add up the number of gifts mentioned in ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas,’ they total 364.
“Hark! How the Welkin rings” were the original lyrics to the popular Christmas hymn, ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing.’
The most-recorded Christmas song in history is ‘Silent Night. There are over 733 copyrighted versions.
Facts About Christmas Films
Jim Carrey’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is the highest-grossing Christmas movie in history.
Applying Carrey’s prosthetics in the “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” was such a long, traumatic process, a CIA torture expert was hired to teach him techniques to endure it.
Both Eddie Murphy and Jack Nicholson were considered for the role of the Grinch before Carrey was chosen.
The 1980s shopping craze for Cabbage Patch dolls inspired the movie, “Jingle All the Way.”
When Natalie Wood filmed “Miracle on 34th Street” she was eight years old and still believed in Santa Claus.
Bill Murray was in final negotiations to play the lead role in “Bad Santa” but dropped out in favor of “Lost in Translation.” The role went to Billy Bob Thornton.
No CGI was used in “Home Alone.” The tarantula that crawled over actor Daniel Stern’s face was very real.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” was originally a poem. It was written by Tim Burton in 1982 while he was working as an animator at Disney.
