It’s that time again. You know. Christmas.
I thought it would be fun to share some interesting and maybe surprising Christmas facts. Maybe you know them, maybe you don’t. But let’s jingle all the way:
The First Christmas Card: The first Christmas card was designed in 1843 by John Calcott Horsley, a British artist. It depicted a family celebrating together and was sent by Sir Henry Cole, a civil servant in Britain. And so it began. While we don’t send Christmas cards as much anymore, it remains a huge industry.
The Tradition of the Christmas Tree: The tradition of decorating a Christmas tree dates back to the 16th century in Germany. It became widely popular in Britain after Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, introduced the tradition to England in the 1840s. I’m German, so yeah, those were my people. That’s my claim to fame. My great-great-great-great-grandmother Helga told her husband to go into the woods, cut down a tree, and bring it back to put up in the living room for Christmas. It was Helmut, my great-great-great-great-grandfather, who decided to add popcorn for random snacking.
The First Artificial Christmas Tree: The first artificial Christmas tree was created in 19th-century Germany. It was made from goose feathers that were dyed green to resemble branches. This was also my relatives—cousins, to be exact—who were allergic to pine.
Santa’s Red Suit: Although Santa Claus was depicted in various colors in early illustrations, the iconic red suit became widely popular after Coca-Cola’s advertisements in the 1930s, which featured Santa in his now-famous red and white attire. Have a Coke and a smile. Santa just wouldn’t look right in pink, green, or orange, would he?
Christmas Stockings: The tradition of hanging stockings comes from the story of St. Nicholas, who secretly dropped gold coins into the stockings of three poor sisters, saving them from a life of poverty. By the way, the stockings were clean—they had just been washed and hung by the fire to dry. In went the gold coins, which were incredibly hot when the sisters pulled them out. One burned her hand, one burned her fingers, and the third burned her lip. She had been biting the coin to make sure it was real gold.
So. Ho. Ho. Ho.Facty Christmas.
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“Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” – Edna Ferber
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“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” – Buddy the Elf (from Elf)
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“At Christmas, all roads lead home.” – Marjorie Holmes
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Facts. With a Red Hat.
