13Nice 10 Christmas Facts you did Not Know
The Twelve Days of
Christmas: The Twelve Days of Christmas refers to the twelve days between the Christmas
Day (December 25) and the Feast of Epiphany (January 6). Tradition has it that
this is the time taken by the Three Wise Men (the Magi) to reach Bethlehem to
see the babe in the manger, Jesus.
Mistletoe: Mistletoe is a
plant hung on the doorway of every American household during Christmas. The
mistletoe symbolizes love, having been closely associated with Frigga, the
Scandinavian's goddess of love. It's from this that the convention of kissing
under the mistletoe originated.
Hanging Stockings: The
practice of hanging stockings over the fireplace on Christmas Eve comes from
England. The legend of St. Nicholas has it that the latter was a kind saint who
was believed to have left gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor
maidens, who badly needed the money for their wedding dowries. They hung their
stockings to dry over the fireplace, and to their great surprise, they found
bags of gold in them the next morning. Following this, children kept hanging
Christmas stockings over the fireplace on Christmas Eve in the hope that Santa
would drop gifts and toys in them!
Christmas Carols: The
first carols are said to have been sung by angelic choirs at Christ's birth.
St.Francis of Assisi is also accredited as the 'Father of Caroling'. The word
'carol' comes from the Greek 'charaulein', a Greek dance, later replaced by
song. By the 17th century, caroling was restricted to Christmas time, and now,
it's customary for kids to go caroling in groups from door to door, singing
favorites such as "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing", "O Come All Ye
Faithful", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and many more!
Holly Boughs: The boughs
of holly are another very important symbol of Christmas. These are red berries
with thorny leaves. To the Christians, the holly berries symbolize Christ's
blood and the sharply pointed leaves stand for the thorns in His crown.
Henceforth, the holly became part of the Nativity tradition.
The Nativity Scene: The
Nativity Scene includes the scene at Bethlehem, when Jesus was born. The
manger, the swaddling clothes, the bright star in the sky, the shepherds
surrounding baby Jesus and the Three Wise Men (the Magi) form part of the
scene.
The Poinsettia:
Poinsettias are beautiful winter blooms, native to Mexico. They've been named
after the first US ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who brought the
plant from its land of origin to America. Since the beginning of the 19th
century, poinsettias have come to be associated with Christmas.
Eggnog: Eggnog, a very
popular Christmas drink, is prepared by mixing cream, milk, sugar and beaten
eggs with some kind of liquor. This has a close connection to the Christmas
holiday, and on Christmas Eve, it's fairly common to spot groups of people at
their neighbors' and friends' places. People also gather round the Christmas
tree, drinking eggnog and then move from house to house caroling.
The Yule Log: The Yule log
is a huge log used to light up big fires during festive celebrations. It
originated in Europe, where it used to be placed in the hearth and continued to
burn throughout the year, till it turned into ashes. Bringing in the Yule log
was as much a custom during the Christmas holidays as was decorating the
Christmas tree. The Yule log is generally placed in the fireplace. It's from
this Yule log that Christmas also came to be known as 'Yuletide'.
Boxing Day: The day after
Christmas is known as the Feast of St. Stephens. The alms box of the Church was
opened on Boxing Day, and the contents, known as the "dole of the
Christmas box" were distributed by the parish priest among the needy.
Henceforth, the day after Christmas came to be known as the Boxing Day
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