Here are some facts related about Christmas events and celebrations around the world. Enjoy -In A.D. 350, Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, proclaimed December 25 the official celebration date for the birthday of Christ. -The traditional three colors of Christmas are green, red, and gold. Green has long been a symbol of life and rebirth; red symbolizes the blood of Christ, and gold represents light as well as wealth and royalty. -Norwegian scientists have hypothesized that Rudolphs red nose is probably the result of a parasitic infection of his respiratory system. -The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers. -All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas would equal 364 gifts. -The true love mentioned in the song Twelve Days of Christmas does not refer to a romantic couple, but the Catholic Churchs code for God. The person who receives the gifts represents someone who has accepted that code. For example, the partridge in a pear tree represents Christ. The two turtledoves represent the Old and New Testaments -Most of Santas reindeer have male-sounding names, such as Blitzen, Comet, and Cupid. However, male reindeers shed their antlers around Christmas, so the reindeer pulling Santas sleigh are likely not male, but female or castrati. -According to the Guinness world records, the tallest Christmas tree ever cut was a 221 foot Douglas fir that was displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington. -According to data analyzed from Facebook posts, two weeks before Christmas is one of the two most popular times for couples to break up. However, Christmas Day is the least favorite day for breakups -Contrary to popular belief, suicide rates during the Christmas holiday are low. The highest rates are during the spring. -Bolivians celebrate Misa del Gallo or Mass of the Rooster on Christmas Eve. Some people bring roosters to the midnight mass, a gesture that symbolizes the belief that a rooster was the first animal to announce the birth of Jesus -The British wear paper crowns while they eat Christmas dinner. The crowns are stored in a tube called a Christmas cracker. -In Poland, spiders or spider webs are common Christmas trees decorations because according to legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus. In fact, Polish people consider spiders to be symbols of goodness and prosperity at Christmas. -Christmas wasnt declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870. -Evergreens (from the Old English word aefie meaning always and gowan meaning to grow have been symbols of eternal life and rebirth since ancient times. The pagan use and worship of evergreen boughs and trees has evolved into the Christianized Christmas tree. -Santa Claus is based on a real person, St. Nikolas of Myra (also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker, Bishop Saint Nicholas of Smyrna, and Nikolaos of Bari), who lived during the fourth century. Born in Patara (in modern-day Turkey), he is the worlds most popular non-Biblical saint, and artists have portrayed him more often than any other saint except Mary. He is the patron saint of banking, pawnbroking, pirating, butchery, sailing, thievery, orphans, royalty, and New York City. -It is estimated that the single White Christmas by Irving Berlin is the best selling single of all time, with over 100 million sales worldwide. -The first person to decorate a Christmas tree was reportedly the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. According to legend, he was so moved by the beauty of the stars shining between the branches of a fir tree, he brought home an evergreen tree and decorated it with candles to share the image with his children. -Silent Night was first sung as part of a church service in Austria. A guitar was used because the church organ was so badly rusted it couldnt be played. -The first Christmas was celebrated on December 25, AD 336 in Rome. -Christmas has different meanings around the world; Christmas Eve in Japan is a good day to eat fried chicken and strawberry shortcake. -Electric Christmas lights were first used in 1854. -The day after Christmas, December 26, is known as Boxing Day. It is also the holy day of St. Stephen.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 13:30:00 +0000
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