CHRISTMAS TRIVIA

 

• Historians have traced some of the current traditions surrounding Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, back to ancient Celtic roots. Father Christmas's elves are the modernization of the "Nature folk" of the Pagan religions; his reindeer are associated with the "Horned God," which was one of the Pagan deities.
• Holly berries are poisonous.
• I was on the stairs I when I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus.
• If travelling in France during the Christmas season, it is interesting to note that different dishes and dining traditions reign in popularity in different parts of the country. In south France, for instance, a Christmas loaf (pain calendar) is cut crosswise and is eaten only after the first part has been given to a poor person. In Brittany, buckwheat cakes and sour cream is the most popular main dish. In Alsace, a roasted goose is the preferred entrée. In Burgundy, turkey and chestnuts are favoured. In the Paris region, oysters are the favourite holiday dish, followed by a cake shaped like a Yule log.
• If you received all of the gifts in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," you would receive 364 gifts.
• In 1647, the English parliament passed a law that made Christmas illegal. Festivities were banned by Puritan leader, Oliver Cromwell, who considered feasting and revelry, on what was supposed to be a holy day, to be immoral. The ban was lifted only when the Puritans lost power in 1660.
• In 1752, 11 days were dropped from the year when the switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar was made. The December 25, date was effectively moved 11 days backwards. Some Christian church sects, called old calendarists, still celebrate Christmas on January 7 (previously December 25 of the Julian calendar).
• In 1843, "A Christmas Carol" was written by Charles Dickens in just six weeks.
• In 1907, Oklahoma became the last US state to declare Christmas a legal holiday.
• In 1937, the first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria.
• In 1947, Toys for Tots started making the holidays a little happier for children by organizing its first Christmas toy drive for needy youngsters.
• In 1996, Christmas carolling was banned at two major malls in Pensacola, Florida. Apparently, shoppers and merchants complained the carollers were too loud and took up too much space.
• In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Lucy charges 5 cents for her psychiatric services
• In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Pigpen plays the dusty innkeeper in the Christmas play
• In A Charlie Brown Christmas, the cast of characters are ice skating in the opening scene
• In America, the weeks leading up to Christmas are the biggest shopping weeks of the year. Many retailers make up to 70% of their annual revenue in the month preceding Christmas.