Christmas Fun Facts – Only a few hours left until Christmas. Have you finished shopping for Christmas gifts for your loved ones and friends? Have you bought all the ingredients you need for your noche buena?
If everything is set, and you are only waiting for Christmas Eve to arrive, why not get to know some Christmas fun facts? Here are some facts you may have never heard about Christmas.
Why Bibingka and Puto Bumbong are connected to the Christmas season
Simbang Gabi, or the novena masses that happen for 9 days starting from December 16, was first introduced to us by the Spanish colonizers. The masses happen between 3 AM and 5 AM, and it was believed that any wish prayed during the mass would come true.
And since the farmers had to tend to the crops after attending the Simbang Gabi, they need to have carbs for breakfast to prepare for work.
So, after the mass, farmers would go to stalls and have their rice cakes before they start working. That’s where the bibingka and puto bumbong traditions started.
Santa Claus used to be described as a man wearing a blue hat, red waistcoat, and yellow stockings
Santa Claus came into existence because of a monk named St. Nicholas. St. Nick helped the poor and sick by giving away his inherited wealth. Many people admired him for his kindness and piety.
An American story writer, Washington Irving, helped to popularize Santa Claus stories by referring to St. Nick in his book, The History of New York. Since then, Santa Claus had many different descriptions which included wearing a red waistcoat, a blue three-cornered hat, and yellow stockings.
Candles used to light Christmas trees
A long time ago, people used to put candles on Christmas trees. Families would keep a bucket of water nearby just in case a fire arises. During the 17th century, people would put candles on windows to tell other people that they could worship there.
Thomas Edison was looking for a way to sell his invention of the incandescent light bulb, so he tried hanging them up. One of his staff thought the new invention can replace the candles on Christmas trees to prevent fires.
He strung 80 pieces each of red, white, and blue lights and put them around a Christmas tree. Then, he called the local newspapers to advertise his idea. And the rest is history.
The tallest Christmas tree stood 221 feet
A Douglas fir (Pseudotsga menziesii) that was 221 ft (67.36 m) tall was cut that became a Guinness world record holder for being the world’s tallest cut Christmas tree. The tree was erected and decorated in December 1950 at Northgate Shopping Center, Washington, USA.
The 12 days of Christmas revealed
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.
Surely you have heard (or even sung) the 12 Days of Christmas? But did you know where it originated? In Christian theology, the 12 days start after Christ was born until the coming of the 3 wise men. So it begins on December 25 and runs through January 6.
Christmas carols legend was to find a missing girl
Legend has it that Christmas caroling originated from a missing little girl, named Carol Poles. It happened in the late 19th century, and people went door-to-door singing songs while looking for the poor girl.
Whether real or not, what matters is that little kids enjoy caroling from house to house to celebrate the festive season. Christmas caroling will always be a part of Filipino Christmas traditions.
The hanging stockings tradition started by accident
Have you been hanging stockings by the fireplace since you were little? You must be expecting your stockings filled with small toys, candies, and coins on Christmas Day. However, did you know that the tradition started by accident?
According to legend, three little girls hang their stockings to let them dry one night. And since St. Nicholas knew that the family was poor, he sent 3 gold bags in their chimney, which landed on the 3 sisters’ stockings.
First-ever printed Christmas card design was once sold for $28,000
In 1843, the first mass-produced Christmas card was put on sale in the UK. The card showed 3 generations of a family having a Christmas party. On the side panels, people were feeding the poor and clothing them.
Currently, there are only 12 copies out of the 1000 cards printed. In 2001, a copy got sold for $28,000 (equivalent to 1.5 M pesos) at an auction.
Jingle Bells was the first song played on space
On December 16, 1965, NASA’s Gemini 6A space flight broadcasted Jingle Bells in space. It was a way to relieve the tense atmosphere after two astronauts said they saw an unidentified flying object that was about to enter the Earth. That was the first time a song was played in space according to Guinness World Records.
However, some say that the first song played in space was “I Look Up at the Sky,” which happened on August 12, 1962. The Ukrainian song was sung by Pavlo Popovych as requested by Serhiy Korolyov.
The Christmas ham tradition originated from the pre-Christian times
During pagan times, Freyr, the Norse God of the harvest, preferred wild boar as a sacrifice. The Europeans linked pork to the feast day of St. Stephen on the day after Christmas. So, know that the Christmas ham tradition has dated back many many years ago!
Why Christmas is also spelled “Xmas”
Xmas did not start when the number of characters was limited when sending text messages. It started during the 1100s when Christianity was spelled “Xianity.” In the Greek alphabet, X (or Chi) is the first letter of “Christ.”
Christmas used to be spelled as “Xtemmas” in 1551. Later, the spelling changed to the more famous and what we all know as “Xmas.”
The takeaway
I hope you have enjoyed reading and learning about some Christmas fun facts as you await your friends and families to celebrate Christmas. And always remember that the real reason for the season is to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!
