60 Awesome Christmas Interesting Fun Facts Around the World

There are a lot of Christmas fun facts around the world happening every year! Christmas is an annual holiday honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated by billions of people throughout the world predominantly on December 25 as a religious and cultural event. In this article we are going to share some of the renowned Christmas fun facts around the world that will definitely surprise you.

Christmas fun facts around the world

Let’s find below 60 Christmas fun facts around the world you will definitely love to know! These interesting facts about Christmas are surprising.

1. The dies solis invicti nati (“day of the birth of the unconquered sun”), a famous Roman Empire celebration that honored the winter solstice as a symbol of the sun’s comeback and the passing of winter, was Christianized on December 25, according to one common theory.

2. According to Christianity Today, the church contemplated commandeering the existing pagan celebration of the winter solstice as a suitable occasion to worship the son of God about the year 273… In 336 AD, Western Christians began commemorating the birth of Jesus on December 25. That’s all there is to it!

3. Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe to be God’s Son. The word ‘Christmas’ is derived from Christ’s Mass. (or Jesus). A Mass service (also known as Communion or Eucharist) is a moment for Christians to remember that Jesus died for us and then rose again.

4. The phrase “real love” in the hymn “Twelve Days of Christmas” refers to the Catholic Church’s code for God, not a romantic partnership. The recipient of the gifts indicates someone who has accepted the code. The “partridge on a pear tree,” for example, depicts Christ. The Old and New Testaments are represented by the “two turtledoves.”

5. The sixth-century Christian Council of Braga outlawed the use of holly (connected with the masculine principle) and ivy (related with the feminine principle) and other green boughs in house decorating because of their pagan connotations.

6. The poinsettia is a Mexican native that was cultivated by the Aztecs, who named it Cuetlaxochitl (“wilting flower”). The plant’s vivid red hue signified purity to the Aztecs, and they used it medicinally to treat fever. The poinsettia is not toxic, contrary to common perception, but holly berries are.

7. Christmas stockings are said to have originated with three sisters who were unable to acquire a wedding dowry and were thus destined to a life of prostitution. However, they were spared when the wealthy Bishop Saint Nicholas of Smyrna (the forerunner of Santa Claus) sneaked down their chimney and generously filled their stockings with gold money.

8. During the Twelve Days of Christmas, many European cultures believed that spirits, both good and malevolent, were active. These spirits later developed into Santa’s elves, according to Clement C. Moore’s The Night Before Christmas (1779-1863) and Thomas Nast’s (1840-1910) illustrations.

9. The world’s biggest Christmas stocking was 106 feet 9 inches long (32.56 meters) and 49 feet 1 inch broad (14.97 meters). It was the size of five reindeer and carried over 1,000 gifts. On December 14, 2007, the Children’s Society in London created it.

10. Since 1850, Christmas trees have been sold in the United States.

11. Before being sold, Christmas trees generally grow for around 15 years.

12. Two weeks before Christmas is one of the two most frequent times for couples to break up, according to data gathered from Facebook postings. Christmas Day, on the other hand, is the least popular day for breakups.

13. Rudolph’s red nose, according to Norwegian experts, is the consequence of a parasite infection in his respiratory system.

14. The earliest artificial Christmas trees were fashioned from colored goose feathers by the Germans.

15. In the United States alone, about 3 billion Christmas cards are distributed each year.

16. Saturnalia (December 17-December 23), the Kalends (January 1 – 5, the predecessor to the Twelve Days of Christmas), and Deus Sol Invictus, or the Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun, all have pagan roots (December 25). Although there is no proof that Christ was born on that day, the Christian church strongly opposed such celebrations and co-opted the pagans by designating December 25 as Christ’s birthday.

17. From 1649 until 1660, Puritan Oliver Cromwell prohibited Christmas festivities and carols in England. Only sermons and prayers were permitted as celebrations.

18. The word wassail comes from the Old Norse ves heill, which means “excellent health.”

19. A Yule log is a large log that is usually burnt during the Christmas season (December 25-January 6). According to some academics, the term yule means “rotation” or “wheel,” and it represents the sun’s cyclical return. A burned wood is supposed to provide health, fertility, and luck, as well as the capacity to fend off bad spirits.

20. The total number of presents in the Twelve Days of Christmas is 364.

21. The majority of Santa’s reindeer have names that sound like they belong to a man, such as Blitzen, Comet, and Cupid. Male reindeer, on the other hand, shed their antlers around the holidays, thus the reindeer hauling Santa’s sleigh are most likely female or castrated.

22. While eating Christmas supper, the British wear paper crowns. The crowns are kept in a special tube known as a “Christmas cracker.”

23. Spiders or spider webs are popular Christmas tree ornaments in Poland because a spider is said to have woven a blanket for Baby Jesus, according to tradition. In reality, spiders are considered to be symbols of goodwill and wealth in Poland during the Christmas season.

24. In 1836, Alabama became the first state in the United States to celebrate Christmas, one of the Christmas fun facts around the world.

25. In the United States, Christmas was not proclaimed an official holiday until June 26, 1870.

26. In 1907, Oklahoma became the latest state in the United States to proclaim Christmas an official holiday.

27. There are roughly 20,000 “rent-a-Santas” in the United States each year. “Rent-a-Santas” generally receive seasonal training on how to maintain a cheerful demeanor when confronted with the public. They also get practical counsel, such as not taking money from parents while their children are watching and not eating garlic, onions, or beans for lunch.

28. Jews wrote or co-wrote many of the most popular Christmas carols, including “White Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

29. In Charles Dickens’ famous story, Tiny Tim, “Little Fred” was almost the title of a Christmas Carol.

30. There are 40,320 ways to rearrange the other reindeer if Rudolph is in front.

31. The name “nog” comes from the word “grog,” which refers to any rum-based beverage, one of the Christmas fun facts around the world.

32. On Christmas Eve, Bolivians celebrate Misa del Gallo, or “Mass of the Rooster.” Some individuals bring roosters to midnight mass as a sign of the belief that a rooster was the first animal to herald Jesus’ birth.

33. Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, declared December 25 to be the official celebration date for Christ’s birthday in A.D. 350.

34. The largest Christmas tree ever cut, according to Guinness World Records, was a 221-foot Douglas fir exhibited in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington.

35. Apples were the first documented Christmas tree ornaments. During “Paradise Plays,” which depicted Adam and Eve’s creation and fall, medieval performers would use apples to adorn paradise trees (typically fir trees) during the Christmas season.

36. In 1843, British artist John Callcott Horsley (1817-1903) created the first Christmas card, commissioned by Sir Henry Cole (1808-1883).

37. Christmas sales account for one-sixth of all retail sales in the United States.

38. St. Nikolas of Myra (also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker, Bishop Saint Nicholas of Smyrna, and Nikolaos of Bari) was a historical person who lived in the fourth century. He is the world’s most popular non-Biblical saint, and painters have represented him more than any other saint except Mary. He was born in Patara (modern-day Turkey), and he is the world’s most popular non-Biblical saint. Banking, pawnbroking, pirating, butchery, seafaring, theft, orphans, monarchy, and New York City are all patron saints of him.

39. St. Nicholas is shown in early images as stern, demanding, and wielding a birch rod. Rather than the jovial, overweight elf children are familiar with today, he was a symbol of discipline and punishment.

40. Green, red, and gold are the traditional Christmas colors. Green has traditionally been associated with life and rebirth, while crimson depicts Christ’s blood and gold with riches and monarchy.

41. Suicide rates over the Christmas season are low, contrary to common assumptions. During the spring, the rates are at their greatest.

42. One of the forerunners of the contemporary Santa Claus is the Viking deity, Odin. Odin rode his eight-legged winged horse, Sleipnir (a forerunner to Santa’s reindeer), according to legend. Odin bestowed both presents and punishments throughout the winter, and youngsters would stuff their boots or stockings with sweets for Sleipnir.

43. Mistletoe was regarded sacred by ancient peoples such as the Druids because it remains green and bears fruit during the winter when all other plants appear to perish. Druids would use golden sickles to cut the plant and never let it touch the ground. They believed it could heal infertility and neurological disorders, as well as fend against evil.

44. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the world’s children under the age of 18 number 2,106 million. On Christmas Eve, Santa would have to make 842 million stops and travel 221 million miles if there are 2.5 children in each household. Santa would have to go between residences in 2/10,000 seconds to reach all 842 million stops, which means he would have to accelerate 12.19 million miles (20.5 billion meters) per second at each stop. Santa would be reduced to “chunky salsa” by the force of this acceleration.

45. Nearly 28 LEGO kits are sold per second throughout the Christmas season, one of the Christmas fun facts around the world.

46. Because the plant spreads by bird droppings, mistletoe (Viscum album) gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon term misteltan, which means “small dung twig.”

47. Christmas is derived from the Old English Cristes msse, which means “Christ’s Mass.” (first recorded in 1038). The letter “X” is the initial letter of Christ in Greek, and “Xmas” has been used as a Christmas abbreviation since the mid-1500s.

48. In the United States, the first Christmas postal stamp was released in 1962.

49. Heiligabend, or Christmas Eve, is considered to be a wonderful moment in Germany when those with a pure heart can hear animals communicating.

50. Because they saw Christmas as a decadent Catholic festival, the Puritans in America outlawed all Christmas celebrations between 1659 and 1681, imposing a five-shilling fine for each infraction. Some Puritan authorities declared people who supported Christmas to be enemies of Christianity.

51. Martin Luther, a Protestant reformer, is said to have been the first to adorn a Christmas tree (1483-1546). He was so touched by the beauty of the stars twinkling through the branches of a fir tree, according to tradition, that he bought home an evergreen tree and adorned it with candles to show his children.

52. In Germany, the first printed mention of a Christmas tree was in 1531.

53. In the United States, over 30-35 million genuine (living) Christmas trees are sold each year.

54. There are two rival claims as to who was the first president to decorate the White House with a Christmas tree. Some academics believe President Franklin Pierce did so in 1856, while others believe President Benjamin Harrison did so in 1889. In 1923, President Coolidge initiated the White House illumination ceremony.

56. Evergreens (from the Old English words aefie, which means “always,” and gowan, which means “to grow”) have long been emblems of perpetual life and renewal. The Christianized Christmas tree developed from the pagan use and adoration of evergreen boughs and trees.

57. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, holiday decoration incidents send approximately 14,700 people to the emergency room in the United States each November and December.

58. Dried Christmas trees are responsible for an estimated 100 fires in the United States, resulting in 10 deaths and $15.7 million in property damage.

59. In 1901, environmentalist President Teddy Roosevelt banned Christmas trees from the White House.

60. Irving Berlin’s track “White Christmas” is thought to be the best-selling single of all time, with over 100 million copies sold worldwide.

61. In the United States, there are roughly 21,000 Christmas tree farms. In 2008, approximately 45 million Christmas trees were planted, bringing the total number of trees planted to 400 million.

60 Awesome Christmas Interesting Fun Facts Around the World

Christmas fun facts around the world

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Christmas fun facts around the world

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