Did you know these five interesting facts about Christmas?
We may believe we know everything there is to know about Christmas, but it turns out that many of the traditions we take for granted have a different origin story.
Here are a few Christmas facts you may not have known; you might be surprised by some of this information!
Although Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer is commonly depicted and thought of as a male, this may not be the case. During the Christmas season, male reindeer shed their antlers. So it’s possible that Santa’s reindeer are female!
Christmas colours are red, green, and gold. Ever wonder why? Green, for example, represents life and rebirth; red, the blood of Jesus Christ; and gold, light as well as wealth and royalty.
Santa Claus was not always the jolly fat man in a red suit riding in an open sleigh. He was inspired by Sinterklaas, the traditional Dutch winter figure. During the latter part of the nineteenth century, artist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast added the beard and the rotund figure to the pages of ‘Harper’s Weekly.’
During the holiday season, the Christmas tree often takes centre stage in many homes. The Christmas tree, whether real or artificial, has evolved over time. But did you know that the first Christmas tree was created by the Germans using dyed goose features?
For centuries, mistletoe has been known as the plant to stand beneath when you need a sweet little kiss. But you’d be less likely to stand beneath one of these if you knew what it meant. The plant has a “symbiotic relationship” with a bird known as the mistle thrush.
The bird consumes the berries, digests the seeds, and then excretes droppings that sprout new mistletoe plants. Mistletoe’s Germanic root literally translates as “dung on a twig.”
