Get to know some Christmas fun facts to learn more about this beloved holiday. From the origins of holiday traditions to surprising historical facts, discover some little-known pieces of holiday trivia to know about and share with your family and friends.
Christmas Fun Facts and Trivia You Didn’t Know
Here are some fascinating and interesting Christmas facts about the historical origins and stories of many beloved holiday traditions worldwide.
1. Christmas Gift Giving
While Christmas today is known as a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, some practices, such as gift-giving, have both Christian and Pagan origins.
For Christians, giving gifts mimics the Three Wise Men bringing presents to Jesus. It also mimics the charitable spirit of St. Nicholas, widely believed to be the basis of Santa Claus.
However, giving gifts during winter was also a pagan practice. It originated from Saturnalia, a pagan holiday where people provided offerings to their gods.
2. Santa’s Canadian Postal Code
Many of us know that Santa lives in the North Pole, but did you know he has his postal code in Canada? The country assigned “H0H 0H0” as Santa’s unique postal code, where Canadian children can send their letters as part of Canada Post’s Santa Letter-Writing Program. When they do, they receive a personalized letter from “Santa Claus” himself.
3. The Origins of Christmas Stockings
Hanging stockings over the chimney during the holiday season is already part of Christmas traditions. However, did you know that legend says this started by accident?
There are no historical accounts detailing where this tradition originated, but several stories suggest it is connected to St. Nicholas.
According to legend, St. Nick heard that three daughters were about to be sold by their father to save them from starvation. St. Nick wanted to help, but his father would not accept charity, so he secretly helped. St. Nick threw three bags of gold through the chimney (other stories say through an open window) and landed in one of the girls’ stockings.
4. Santa in Red
Today, the image of Santa Claus involves a jolly old bearded man dressed in red. However, one of the many interesting Christmas fun facts is that, before the 1930s, Santa was depicted in various clothing designs. His stature also ranged from big to small.
Many attribute the modern-day depiction of Santa Claus to a marketing campaign created by soda brand Coca-Cola in 1931. However, this isn’t entirely true, as the original Santa, who is clad in red, was popularized in Canada through the influence of cartoonist Thomas Nast in the late 19th century.
5. The History of Candy Canes
Did you know that candy canes were originally invented to keep children quiet while in church? One of the many interesting facts about Christmas is where these sweet treats come from. According to the National Confectioners Association, a choirmaster in Cologne, Germany, back in 1670, gave the candy to young kids in church to keep them at bay during extended services.
Candy canes were invented to keep kids quiet in church.
However, the candy wasn’t associated with the holidays until 1847, when a German-Swedish immigrant used candy canes to decorate his Christmas tree.
6. Santa Claus Statistics
In the United States, up to 85% of children believe that Santa exists and is accurate. However, according to the 2018 International Exeter Santa Survey, on average, kids stop believing in the jolly old man in red by age eight.
Also, every year, in November and September, Santa receives approximately 32,000 letters from believers daily.
7. Rudolph Was a Department Store Marketing Ploy
This beloved reindeer’s story didn’t originate from folklore, legends, or traditional stories. Instead, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was created by a copywriter who worked for the Montgomery Ward department store in 1939. He included the character in a children’s story that was given out to promote the store. In its first year, that story had more than 2.4 million copies distributed.
Following the success of the children’s story, Gene Autry recorded the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in 1949. Meanwhile, the movie surrounding the beloved character was released in 1964.
8. Holiday Shopping Statistics
You may think Black Friday shopping is hectic, but the Friday and Saturday before Christmas are the year’s busiest shopping days. On top of this, according to recent statistics, the ten most hectic shopping days in America already make up about half of all holiday retail traffic before Christmas. Additionally, the National Retail Federation estimates that holiday shopping sales reached $936.3 billion for the entire season in 2022.
9. Christmas Wreaths
Decorating your home with evergreens started in the 16th century in northern and eastern Europe. It was initially done to trim and clean up the Christmas tree to make it look more uniform. Instead of disposing of the trimmings, people created wreaths.
However, Christmas wreaths also have religious significance. Its circular shape and the evergreen plants represent eternal life with no beginning or end.
10. The Origins of Eggnog
Eggnog is a delicious drink many people look forward to during the holiday season. While no one can pinpoint its origins, many historians believe it was concocted in medieval Britain.
Historians say the drink was made for the upper class since they could only afford the ingredients (milk, eggs, and sherry) needed to mix up the holiday drink. Monks during that time tweaked the original recipe a bit and added figs instead of sherry, calling it “posset.”
Based on research, eggnog got its connection to the holiday season because, for a long time, refrigeration didn’t exist. In the U.S., it became a more common drink because of the nation’s more extensive farming opportunities as more people cared for cows and chickens.
11. Holiday Packages
The United States ships a lot of packages during the holiday season. In 2022 alone, the U.S. Postal Service handled and delivered 11.7 million mailpieces and parcels during the holidays. These packages include gifts, Christmas letters to Santa, and holiday greeting cards.
12. Prince Albert and the Christmas Tree
Prince Albert, the husband of Britain’s Queen Victoria, introduced and popularized the Christmas Tree. Originally a German custom, the monarch’s king consort introduced it to the royal home in 1840.
Prince Albert also started the tradition of using a tree-topper to decorate Christmas trees. Some popular tree toppers usually include symbols of the Christian nativity story, such as angels and stars.
13. The History of Tinsel
One of the many Christmas fun facts to know is that tinsel has been part of the holidays for centuries. The decoration was invented in Germany in 1610 and was made with real silver hammered out. Given the material used back then, this holiday decor was more familiar to the upper class.
Today, tinsel is made with cheaper materials, usually plastic, that give off the same shine and luster.
Learning More About the Holidays
We hope these holiday fun facts have added a touch of wonder to your holiday season. May this festive trivia bring extra joy and spark to the end of your year!
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