Jingle bells, jingle bells… Bring out your Santa hat, unfold the wrapping paper, and practice your favorite carol. It’s the time of the year when everything around you is festive, the malls start playing Mariah Carey and Wham!, and you can eat all the sweets with a clear conscience. Christmas is almost here!
Even if you come from a culture that doesn’t celebrate Christmas, it’s very unlikely that you will be asking the question “What is Christmas all about?” On a global scale, Christmas has long ceased being a deeply religious holiday and turned into a fun celebration for anyone who cares to join. And though you might not know every minute detail from the history of Christmas and how it became such a worldwide holiday, it won’t bar you from enjoying yourself during the holiday season.
Yet there are some fascinating Christmas facts that you might enjoy learning, for example, to organize a Christmas trivia game when friends and family come to visit. A fun trivia competition is always a good idea, especially if you’ve had too many treats and want to stay on the couch.
If this sounds like something you would get behind, you will find a lot of interesting facts about Christmas in this article that we compiled for you. You can use them for the game or just to learn something new about your favorite holiday. And if you know any other fun fact about Christmas that we haven’t included in this article, share it with us in the comments.
#1
Given that Christmas is not referenced in the Bible, it is not a Biblical holy day. Actually, many of the symbols and traditions we identify with Christmas have their roots in pagan celebrations and rituals around the winter solstice.
Image source: history.com
#2
The practice of leaving food out for Santa Claus was first used by Norse youngsters to feed Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse. Despite the fact that there is no historical evidence of St. Nicholas owning a horse, Dutch children left food in their wooden shoes for the creature. American kids now leave milk and cookies for Santa. For Santa’s reindeer, other kids across the world put hay, carrots, and water.
Image source: history.com
#3
Originally, servants sang “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” to demand alcoholic beverages from their masters. “Bring some out here; we won’t leave until we have some.”
Image source: vocal.media
#4
Each year, the United States sell approximately 1.6 billion Christmas cards.
Image source: daily.jstor.org
#5
Every year, more than 1.76 billion candy canes are produced during the Christmas season.
Image source: history.com
#6
Because mistletoe was once a representation of virility, people would stand under it if they were open to dating someone of the other sex.
Image source: history.com
#7
In the 1800s, the well-known political cartoonist Thomas Nast established Santa’s official house as the North Pole in a number of cartoons. The North Pole was then regarded as a legendary, magical area because there had just been a number of Arctic missions.
Image source: npr.org, Napoleon Sarony
#8
In 1980, the Rubik Cube was the most popular Christmas toy and cost $1.99; today, it costs almost $10.
Image source: ajc.com
#9
During the Christmas season, 28 sets of LEGOs are sold per second.
Image source: logically.ai, natgeokids.com
#10
The mythological winter beast known as Krampus has been forbidden by the Catholic church. It is reported that the half-man, half-goat figure visits around the Christmas season to chastise misbehaving kids. The Catholic Church attempted to outlaw Krampus celebrations in the 12th century on the grounds that the beast resembled the devil.
Image source: nationalgeographic.com
#11
As a token of appreciation for their support during World War II, the citizens of Oslo, Norway, annually donate a tree to Trafalgar Square in London.
Image source: visitnorway.com
#12
The song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” contains 364 gifts in all.
Image source: mathscareers.org.uk
#13
The most popular Christmas song worldwide, “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, has sold more than 50 million copies.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com/
#14
A fake spider and its web are frequently used as Christmas tree decorations in Ukraine because people there think that discovering a spider web on Christmas morning brings good fortune.
Image source: ukraine.com
#15
Christmas is frequently referred to as “Xmas,” which is actually based on the fact that the first Greek letter of Jesus Christ’s name is “X.”
Image source: dictionary.com
#16
Candy canes have existed since 1670. The red and white sugar sticks were given to young singers at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany by the choirmaster to keep them quiet during the Living Creche tradition on Christmas Eve.
Image source: history.com
#17
Actually, “Twas the Night Before Christmas” goes by a whole other name. The famous poem by Clement Clarke Moore from 1823 is actually titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Due to its well-known first line, it is most frequently referred to as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
Image source: britannica.com
#18
The very first song played in space was “Jingle Bells.” According to Guinness World Records, the traditional Christmas song was aired on December 16, 1965, during NASA’s Gemini 6A space mission.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com
#19
It’s thought that Germany is where the Christmas tree custom first appeared. Tinsel, which was previously created from real silver, dates back to 1610 in Germany.
Image source: history.com
#20
In the beginning, Denny’s restaurants in the United States operated 24/7, hence their structures lacked locks. On Christmas Day in 1988, they chose to close, but they were unable to secure the doors.
Image source: nytimes.com
#21
“It’s a Wonderful Life” failed miserably at the box office. The timeless holiday film initially struggled at the box office. It didn’t become one of the most cherished Christmas films of all time until 1974 when its copyright expired and television networks were able to air it for no charge.
Image source: blogs.loc.gov
#22
Wassail originated in the Middle Ages, when it was made with wine, ale, or hard cider and topped with stale bread or beaten eggs. Today, wassail is hot apple cider with honey and spices. On Christmas Eve, neighbors would get together and toast each other’s health (the Old Norse word ves heill meant “in good health”).
Image source: britishfoodhistory.com
#23
When Brenda Lee cut “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in 1958, she was just thirteen years old.
Image source: smoothradio.com
#24
Most Christmas decorations use the three traditional colors, which have religious connotations. Jesus Christ’s blood is represented by red, His resurrection by green, and His kingship by gold.
Image source: npr.org
#25
One of the oldest and biggest Christmas markets in Europe is the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany, which dates back to 1570. It offers mulled wine, candy, sausages, and gluhwein, as well as holiday decorations and ornaments.
Image source: christkindlesmarkt.de
#26
The all-time top-grossing Christmas movie is “The Grinch.” The computer-animated movie from 2018 earned $514,602,427 globally.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com
#27
In 1066 On Christmas Day, William I of England was formally crowned.
Image source: thehistorypress.co.uk/
#28
A Christmas tree can take up to fifteen years to reach maturity, but this is the average growth time.
Image source: almanac.com
#29
The largest floating Christmas tree is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is 278 feet tall (85 m).
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com, The Telegraph
#30
Christmas meals can include more than 7,000 calories when the turkey, dressing, mashed and sweet potatoes, additional sides, pie, buns, and beverages are included.
#31
The average American family spends $1,000 on Christmas gifts every year.
Image source: nrf.com
#32
In the United States, letters from children addressed to Santa Clause are delivered to Santa Clause, Indiana.
Image source: santaclausmuseum.org
#33
Over 850 million items and over 15 billion pieces of holiday mail were expected to be delivered by the US Postal Service.
Image source: globenewswire.com
#34
Nearly 94 million households displayed a Christmas tree in 2020, and an astounding 84% of those trees were artificial, according to the American Christmas Tree Association.
Image source: christmastreeassociation.org
#35
In 1962 The first Christmas postage stamp was released in the US.
Image source: linns.com
#36
All 50 states, including Hawaii and Alaska, grow Christmas trees, although the top-producing states in the US are California, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Image source: nass.usda.gov
#37
Ever ponder the purpose of the string on an animal cracker box? The string was invented around Christmas in 1902 with the intention of being used to hang the cracker boxes from your tree.
Image source: smithsonianmag.com
#38
The American department retailer Montgomery Ward designed Rudolph the Reindeer to persuade kids to buy Christmas coloring books.
Image source: si.edu
#39
In Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce, Stanley Weintraub wrote about a well-known Christmas truce in 1914 when the British and Germans played football and exchanged gifts.
Image source: smithsonianmag.com
#40
The first Christmas cards are thought to have been sold in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole of London, England. There were only 1000 cards sold.
Image source: postalmuseum.org
#41
Ugly Christmas sweater sales peak around the holidays and reach about $5 million.
Image source: au.finance.yahoo.com
#42
The majority of historians concur that eggnog is a descendant of the medieval British beverage posset, which was created with wine or beer, milk, sugar, and egg.
Image source: smithsonianmag.com
#43
Germany established the Christmas tree custom in the 16th century when Christian families put up trees in their homes and decorated them with lit candles.
Image source: history.com
#44
Despite the fact that gingerbread houses have been around since the 1600s, the custom only really took off in Germany after the publication of the Hansel and Gretel tale in 1812.
Image source: pbs.org
#45
The first small, plain tree was planted at Rockefeller Center in 1931 by construction workers. The renowned tree now has more than 25,000 lights.
Image source: rockefellercenter.com
#46
Children can write to Santa Claus at the address Santa Claus, North Pole, HOH OHO, Canada as part of Canada Post’s Santa Letter Program. Some fortunate kids even receive letters in return!
Image source: canadapost-postescanada.ca
#47
Since the 19th century, Christmas and Hanukkah have been combined to form Chrismukkah. Funny enough, though, the blended holiday didn’t really catch on until it was heavily highlighted in an episode of the TV show “The O.C.” from 2003.
Image source: jstor.org
#48
It’s thought that Franklin Pierce (1853–1857) was the first President to decorate the White House with a Christmas tree.
Image source: history.com, Mathew Brady
#49
Nova Scotia, Canada sends a tree to Boston, Massachusetts in gratitude for helping the city of Halifax recover from an explosion and fire calamity that occurred there in 1917.
Image source: military.com
#50
The Bicycle playing card company created decks of cards that, when submerged in water, revealed secret escape routes and distributed them as Christmas gifts to the German POWs during World War II.
Image source: warhistoryonline.com
#51
In the fourth century A.D., St. Nicholas lived in the Turkish province of Lycia. The English-speaking world phonetically transformed the Dutch name for St. Nicholas, Sinterklaas, to “Santa Clause.” Le Befana in Italy, Kriss Kringle in Germany, and Pere Noel in French are some of the other names for this seasonal figure.
Image source: britannica.com, Jaroslav Čermák
#52
The eight reindeer that Santa has, together with Duner and Blixem, are presented in Clement Moore’s poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Their names are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, and Cupid (German words for thunder and lightning which later evolved into Donner and Blitzen). Since male reindeer shed their antlers in the winter, even though the majority of the names sound male, they were likely female.
Image source: poetryfoundation.org
#53
Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol was written in six weeks. On the internet, IMDB lists 202 various A Christmas Carol film adaptations, including films with non-traditional stories.
Image source: arts.gov, imdb.com
#54
“A Wonderful Christmas Time” by Paul McCartney appears in the animated “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.”
Image source: imdb.com, PizzaFlix
#55
The term “Christmas” comes from the Old English word “Cristes maesse,” which means “Christ Mass,” and was first used in 1038.
Image source: wiktionary.org
#56
The Bible mentions several wise men, but according to tradition, there were only three. This is possible because gold, frankincense, and myrrh were the three gifts that were delivered.
Image source: gotquestions.org
#57
Black Friday is frequently regarded as the busiest shopping day of the year in the US. However, the Friday and Saturday before Christmas are the busiest shopping days of the year.
Image source: sensormatic.com
#58
German-born Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, is credited with popularizing the Christmas tree in England in the middle of the nineteenth century.
Image source: english-heritage.org.uk, J. J. E. Mayall
#59
The Dutch practice of putting shoes loaded with food for St. Nicholas’ donkey, which St. Nicholas would subsequently fill with little gifts, is where the tradition of hanging stockings on Christmas trees first originated.
Image source: softstarshoes.com
#60
The “nature folk” of ancient religions are the ancestors of Santa’s elves.
Image source: livescience.com
#61
In America, the custom of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve originated during the Great Depression, when parents encouraged their kids to maintain their sense of altruism in the face of adversity.
Image source: history.com
#62
In 1640 Scotland stopped celebrating Christmas (until 1958 when it became a legal holiday).
Image source: edinburghlive.co.uk
#63
President Teddy Roosevelt forbade Christmas trees in the White House in 1901 due to his concern for the environment. However, his sons decorated a small tree that had been cut down on the White House grounds and kept it hidden in a closet until Christmas morning.
Image source: foresthistory.org, Pach Brothers
#64
The 161-foot tree in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is the tallest living Christmas tree in the US. The top-positioned star is eleven feet tall!
Image source: worldrecordacademy.com
#65
Our conception of Santa Claus has some fascinating roots. Early images of Saint Nicolas depict him looking serious. Santa Claus first appeared in a newspaper advertisement. Santa’s flying sleigh is said to have been invented by Washington Irving in 1819, and in Harper’s Weekly in 1863, cartoonist Thomas Nast started drawing the Santa we know today.
Image source: jpas.org
#66
James Pierpont wrote “Jingle Bells,” originally known as “One Horse Open Sleigh,” in Massachusetts as a Thanksgiving song.
Image source: kusc.org
#67
The red berries on the holly in a Christmas wreath stand in for the blood that Jesus shed, as does the crown of thorns.
Image source: canr.msu.edu
#68
The Latin word “Natalis”, which means “day of birth,” is the origin of the word Noel.
Image source: wordhistories.net
#69
Christmas was first declared a legal holiday in the United States in 1836 in Alabama, and it was last observed in Oklahoma in 1907.
Image source: history.com
#70
You can eat your Christmas tree if you are a true environmentalist. Vitamin C is provided by the needles. If your tree has pinecones, you can also consume the nuts! Some Christmas trees end up as food for animals in zoos.
Image source: smithsonianmag.com
#71
A century ago, people used to share spooky ghost stories on Christmas Eve.
Image source: carnegiemnh.org
#72
In the 1800s, Christmas trees were made artificially out of green raffia or dyed goose feathers, which were also used to make hula skirts.
Image source: Christmas: A Candid History
#73
The equipment used to produce toilet brushes was used by the Addis Brush Company to produce pine-like “branches.” They were non-flammable and used for artificial trees since they could support heavy decorations.
Image source: northerngardener.org/
#74
The origin of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is the period from December 25 to January 6, often known as “Christmastide” or “Twelve Holy Days.”
Image source: wikipedia.org
#75
Nearly fifty humorous Christmas songs are listed online, including “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” “Christmas Don’t Be Late,” and “Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire.”
Image source: music.apple.com
#76
Coca-Cola hired Haddon Sundblom in 1931 to paint Santa Claus for the brand’s holiday advertisements. The artist developed the friendly, cheery figure we are all familiar with, replete with rosy cheeks, a white beard, and twinkling eyes, after being inspired by the 1823 poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”
Image source: coca-colacompany.com
#77
The first international academic “Santa survey” shows that a whopping 85% of children reportedly believe in Santa Claus and children quit believing in Santa around the age of eight years old.
Image source: exeter.ac.uk
#78
Three hundred lambs and twenty-eight oxen were eaten during a Christmas feast hosted by King Richard the II of England in 1377.
Image source: thefishchurch.com
#79
In 1915 Hallmark released their first batch of holiday cards.
Image source: corporate.hallmark.com/
#80
Around 50 million live Christmas trees are decorated in Europe each year, compared to 35 million in the US.
Image source: agronomag.com
#81
Fruitcakes are made to last a long time. They used to be prepared at the conclusion of harvest, and some of the cake was stored to be eaten at the start of harvest the following year because people believed that would bring a good crop. They persist for so long because of the interaction between sugar and alcohol.
Image source: news.ncsu.edu
#82
In “The Polar Express,” Tom Hanks portrayed six different characters. Hanks voiced the conductor as well as the Hero Boy, Father, Hobo, Scrooge, and Santa Claus characters.
Image source: imdb.com
#83
A Christmas custom in Japan is to eat KFC. 3.6 million Japanese families enjoy Kentucky Fried Chicken during the holidays. The “Kentucky for Christmas” marketing initiative from 1974 served as the catalyst for what eventually became an American custom.
Image source: bbc.com
#84
According to Guinness World Records, the world’s tallest cut Christmas tree, Douglas fir was displayed and adorned at a mall in Seattle in 1950.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com
#85
Many households follow this peculiar custom, according to which the youngster who finds the pickle first on Christmas morning gets to open the first present.
Image source: german-way.com
#86
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modifies its satellites on Christmas Eve to follow Santa Claus as he travels across the globe. When a little youngster unintentionally dialed a NORAD command center in search of jolly old Saint Nick during the holiday season in the 1950s, the iconic holiday tradition was born.
Image source: defense.gov
#87
Since 1851, Christmas trees have been sold in the US.
Image source: realchristmastrees.org
#88
Any beverage produced with rum is referred to as a “grog,” therefore the name “eggnog,” which was first made in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607 using eggs, cream, nutmeg, and rum.
Image source: britannica.com
#89
Around ten million Christmas turkeys are consumed annually in the UK, compared to 22 million in the US.
Image source: web.extension.illinois.edu, statista.com
#90
A confection made of dried fruit, typically a plum, and spices that is rolled into a ball and covered in chocolate or hard sugar candy is known as a “sugar plum,” which is mentioned in Christmas poems and songs.
Image source: delightedcooking.com
#91
The first performance of George Frederick Handle’s Christmas oratorio The Messiah took place in Dublin in 1742.
Image source: history.com
#92
The New Testament Gospels of Matthew and Luke contain the account of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection, which is frequently referred to as “The Christmas Story.”
Image source: blog.oup.com
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