Fun Facts About Christmas By Lina Zhu
“Jingle Bells” was written for Thanksgiving, not Christmas. The song was written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh.” It was supposed to be played in the composer’s Sunday school class during Thanksgiving as a way to commemorate the famous Medford sleigh races. “Jingle Bells” was also the first song to be broadcast from space.
Hanging stockings started by accident. According to legend, we hang stockings up by our chimney, thanks to a poor man who did not have enough money to buy dowries for his three daughters. Generous old St. Nick dropped a bag of gold down their chimney, where the girls hung their stockings to dry. That’s where the gold ended up, and the tradition began.
Two weeks before Christmas is one of the two most popular times for couples to break up. According to data analyzed from Facebook posts and statuses, couples are more likely to end their relationship two weeks before Christmas and two weeks after Valentine’s Day. Christmas Day, however, is the least favorite day for breakups.
Celebrating Christmas used to be illegal. When the Pilgrims settled in Boston, the celebration of Christmas had been outlawed. From 1659 to 1681, anyone caught making merry would face a fine for celebrating. After the Revolutionary War, this day became so important that Congress even held its first session on December 25, 1789. Christmas was not declared a federal holiday for the next century.
Christmas wasn’t always on December 25. While Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, there is no mention of December 25 in the Bible. In fact, most historians assume that Jesus was born in the spring. And his birthday itself didn’t become an official holiday until the third century. Some historians believe the date was actually chosen because it coincided with the pagan festival Saturnalia, a celebration in honor of the agricultural god Saturn.
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December 2020 | Cultural Tidbits
Christmas decorating sends nearly 15,000 people to the ER. If you’ve seen Clark Griswold decorate his house over the Christmas holidays, you probably won’t be surprised. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 14,700 people visit hospital emergency rooms each November and December for holiday renovations, so be careful when getting on your ladder.
