CHRISTMAS FACTS Page 1

A Collection of Facts

Gleaned from the pages of Corsinet.com http://www.corsinet.com

Used with Permission

Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office Providing Online Resources for Activity Directors in Long Term Health Care Facilities http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office CHRISTMAS FACTS Page 2 CHRISTMAS FACTS

"Hot cockles" was a popular game at Christ- After "A ," Charles Dickens mas in medieval times. It was a game in which wrote several other Christmas stories, one the other players took turns striking the blind- each year, but none was as successful as the folded player, who had to guess the name of original. the person delivering each blow. "Hot cockles" was still a Christmas pastime until the Victo- Alabama was the first state to recognize rian era. Christmas as an official holiday. This tradition began in 1836. "White Christmas" (1954), starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, was the first movie to Although many believe the Friday after be made in Vista Vision, a deep-focus proc- Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of ess. the year, it is not. It is the fifth to tenth busiest day. The Friday and Saturday before Christ- "The " is the name for the ballet mas are the two busiest shopping days of the performed around Christmas time each year. year. "The Nutcracker Suite" is the title of the music Tchaikovsky wrote. American billionaire Ross Perot tried to airlift 28 tons of medicine and Christmas gifts to "" comes from the Old Norse "ves American POW's in North Vietnam in 1969. heill"--to be of good health. This evolved into the tradition of visiting neighbors on Christmas America's official national is Eve and drinking to their health. located in King's Canyon National Park in Cali- fornia. The tree, a giant sequoia called the A Christmas club, a in which "General Grant Tree," is over 300 feet (90 me- a person deposits a fixed amount of money ters) high. It was made the official Christmas regularly to be used at Christmas for shopping, tree in 1925. came about around 1905. An artificial spider and web are often included A traditional in early England in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas was the head of a pig prepared with mustard. trees. A spider web found on Christmas morn- ing is believed to bring good luck. According to a 1995 survey, 7 out of 10 British dogs get Christmas gifts from their doting own- An average household in America will mail out ers. 28 Christmas cards each year and see 28 eight cards return in their place. According to historical accounts, the first Christmas in the Philippines was celebrated Animal Crackers are not really crackers, but 200 years before Ferdinand Magellan discov- cookies that were imported to the United ered the country for the western world, likely States from England in the late 1800s. between the years 1280 and 1320 AD. Barnum's circus-like boxes were designed with According to the National Christmas Tree As- a string handle so that they could be hung on a sociation, Americans buy 37.1 million real Christmas tree. Christmas trees each year; 25 percent of them are from the nation's 5,000 choose-and-cut As early as 1822, the postmaster in Washing- farms. ton, D.C. was worried by the amount of extra mail at Christmas time. His preferred solution

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office CHRISTMAS FACTS Page 3

to the problem was to limit by law the number song hit the top of the pop charts. of cards a person could send. Even though Christmas caroling began as an old English commercial cards were not available at that custom called - toasting neighbors time, people were already sending so many to a long and healthy life. home-made cards that sixteen extra postmen Christmas Day in the Ukraine can be cele- had to be hired in the city. brated on either December 25, in faithful alli- ance with the Roman Catholic Gregorian cal- At Christmas, Ukrainians prepare a traditional endar, or on January 7, which is the Orthodox twelve-course meal. A family's youngest child or Eastern Rite (Julian calendar), the church watches through the window for the evening holy day. star to appear, a signal that the feast can be- gin. Christmas is a summer holiday in South Africa. Children are fond of the age-old custom of pro- At lavish Christmas feasts in the Middle Ages, ducing - for instance, "Babes in swans and peacocks were sometimes served the Wood," founded on one of the oldest bal- "endored." This meant the flesh was painted lads in the English language. on with saffron dissolved in melted butter. In addi- December 26th, when boxes of food and cloth- tion to their painted flesh, endored birds were ing are given to the poor, is observed as a holi- served wrapped in their own skin and feathers, day. which had been removed and set aside prior to roasting. Christmas is not widely celebrated in Scotland. Some historians believe that Christmas is Before settling on the name of Tiny Tim for his downplayed in Scotland because of the influ- character in "," three other ence of the Presbyterian Church (or Kirk), alliterative names were considered by Charles which considered Christmas a "Papist," or Dickens. They were Little Larry, Puny Pete, Catholic event. As a result, Christmas in Scot- and Small Sam. land tends to be somber.

California, Oregon, Michigan, Washington, Christmas presents were known in antiquity Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina among kings and chieftains, especially on the are the top Christmas tree producing states. European continent. However, they have been Oregon is the leading producer of Christmas common among ordinary people in Iceland trees - 8.6 million in 1998. only during the past 100 or so years.

Candy canes began as straight white sticks of Christmas trees are edible. Many parts of sugar candy used to decorated the Christmas pines, spruces, and firs can be eaten. The trees. A choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral de- needles are a good source of vitamin C. Pine cided have the ends bent to depict a shep- nuts, or pine cones, are also a good source of herd's crook and he would pass them out to nutrition. the children to keep them quiet during the ser- vices. It wasn't until about the 20th century that Christmas trees are known to have been popu- candy canes acquired their red stripes. lar in Germany as far back as the sixteenth Charles Dickens' initial choice for Scrooge's century. In England, they became popular after statement "Bah Humbug" was "Bah Christ- Queen Victoria's husband Albert, who came mas." from Germany, made a tree part of the cele- brations at Windsor Castle. In the United Child singer Jimmy Boyd was 12 years and 11 States, the earliest known mention of a Christ- months old when he sang the Christmas favor- mas tree is in the diary of a German who set- ite, "I Saw Mommy Kissing ." The tled in Pennsylvania.

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office CHRISTMAS FACTS Page 4

Christmas was once a moveable feast cele- ute. The royal purple Beanie, bearing an em- brated at many different times during the year. broidered white rose on its chest, became so The choice of December 25, was made by desired that at Christmas time, American col- Pope Julius I, in the 4th century A.D., because lectors were willing to spend up to $300 for this coincided with the pagan rituals of Winter one on the secondary market. Solstice, or Return of the Sun. The intent was to replace the pagan celebration with the For every real Christmas tree harvested, 2 to 3 Christian one. seedlings are planted in its place.

Cultured Christmas trees must be shaped as Formally called Kiritimati, Christmas Island in they grow to produce fuller foliage. To slow the the Indian Ocean is 52 square miles. upward growth and to encourage branching, they are hand-clipped in each spring. Trees Frankincense is a sweet smelling gum resin grown in the wild have sparser branches, and derived from certain Boswellia trees which, at are known in the industry as "Charlie Brown" the time of Christ, grew in Arabia, India, and trees. Ethiopia. Tradition says that it was presented to the Christ Child by Balthasar, the black king During the ancient 12-day Christmas celebra- from Ethiopia or Saba. The frankincense trade tion, the log burned was called the " log." was at its height during the days of the Roman Sometimes a piece of the would be Empire. At that time this resin was considered kept to kindle the fire the following winter, to as valuable as gems or precious metals. The ensure that the good luck carried on from year Romans burned frankincense on their altars to year. The Yule log custom was handed and at cremations. down from the Druids. Franklin Pierce was the first United States' During the Christmas buying season, Visa president to decorate an official White House cards alone are used an average of 5,340 Christmas tree . times every minute in the United States. Frumenty was a spiced porridge, enjoyed by During the Christmas/Hanukkah season, more both rich and poor. It is thought to be the fore- than 1.76 billion candy canes will be made. runner of modern Christmas puddings. It has its origins in a Celtic legend of the harvest god During World War II it was necessary for Dagda, who stirred a porridge made up of all Americans to mail Christmas gifts early for the the good things of the Earth. troops in Europe to receive them in time. Mer- chants joined in the effort to remind the public Frustrated at the lack of in his new toy to shop and mail early and the protracted invention, Charles Pajeau hired several midg- shopping season was born. ets, dressed them in elf costumes, and had them play with "Tinker Toys" in a display win- Electric Christmas tree lights were first used in dow at a Chicago department store during the 1895. The idea for using electric Christmas Christmas season in 1914. This publicity stunt lights came from an American, Ralph E. Mor- made the construction toy an instant hit. A ris. The new lights proved safer than the tradi- year later, over a million sets of Tinker Toys tional candles. had been sold.

Following Princess Diana's tragic death in George Washington spent Christmas night 1997, the Ty toy company, famous in the late 1776 crossing the Delaware River in dreadful 1990s for its popular Beanie Baby line of bean- conditions. Christmas 1777 fared little better - bag animals, issued a "Princess" bear in trib- at Valley Forge, Washington and his men had

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office CHRISTMAS FACTS Page 5

a miserable Christmas dinner of Fowl cooked cember 25, date was effectively moved 11 in a broth of Turnips, cabbage and potatoes. days backwards. Some Christian church sects, called old calendarists, still celebrate Christ- Greeks do not use Christmas trees or give pre- mas on January 7 (previously December 25 of sents at Christmas. A priest may throw a little the Julian calendar). cross into the village water to drive the kal- likantzari (gremlin-like spirits) away. To keep In 1907, Oklahoma became the last US state them from hiding in dark, dusty corners, he to declare Christmas a legal holiday. goes from house to house sprinkling holy wa- ter. In 1937, the first postage stamp to commemo- rate Christmas was issued in Austria. Hallmark introduced its first Christmas cards in 1915, five years after the founding of the com- In 1947, Toys for Tots started making the holi- pany. days a little happier for children by organizing its first Christmas toy drive for needy young- Historians have traced some of the current tra- sters. ditions surrounding , or Santa Claus, back to ancient Celtic roots. Father In 1996, Christmas caroling was banned at two Christmas's elves are the modernization of the major malls in Pensacola, Florida. Apparently, "Nature folk" of the Pagan religions; his rein- shoppers and merchants complained the car- deer are associated with the "Horned God," olers were too loud and took up too much which was one of the Pagan deities. space.

If traveling in France during the Christmas sea- In an effort to solicit cash to pay for a charity son, it is interesting to note that different Christmas dinner in 1891, a large crabpot was dishes and dining traditions reign in popularity set down on a San Francisco street, becoming in different parts of the country. In south the first Salvation Army collection kettle. France, for instance, a Christmas loaf (pain calendeau) is cut crosswise and is eaten only In America, the weeks leading up to Christmas after the first part has been given to a poor are the biggest shopping weeks of the year. person. In Brittany, buckwheat cakes and sour Many retailers make up to 70% of their annual cream is the most popular main dish. In Al- revenue in the month preceding Christmas. sace, a roasted goose is the preferred entrée. In Burgundy, turkey and chestnuts are favored. In Armenia, the traditional meal In the Paris region, oysters are the favorite consists of fried fish, lettuce, and spinach. The holiday dish, followed by a cake shaped like a meal is traditionally eaten after the Christmas Yule log. Eve service, in commemoration of the supper eaten by Mary on the evening before Christ's In 1647, the English parliament passed a law birth. that made Christmas illegal. Festivities were banned by Puritan leader, Oliver Cromwell, In Britain, eating mince pies at Christmas who considered feasting and revelry, on what dates back to the 16th century. It is still be- was supposed to be a holy day, to be immoral. lieved that to eat a on each of the The ban was lifted only when the Puritans lost will bring 12 happy power in 1660. months in the year to follow.

In 1752, 11 days were dropped from the year In Britain, the Holy Days and Fasting Days Act when the switch from the Julian calendar to of 1551, which has not yet been repealed, the Gregorian calendar was made. The De- states that every citizen must attend a Chris-

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office CHRISTMAS FACTS Page 6

tian church service on Christmas Day, and believed that witches and mischievous spirits must not use any kind of vehicle to get to the came out on Christmas Eve and would steal service. their brooms for riding.

In Finland and Sweden an old tradition pre- In Portugal, the traditional Christmas meal vails, where the twelve days of Christmas are (consoada) is eaten in the early hours of declared to be time of civil peace by law. It Christmas Day. Burning in the hearth is the used to be that a person committing crimes Yule log (fogueira da consoada). The ashes during this time would be liable to a stiffer sen- and charred remains of the Yule log are saved; tence than normal. later in the year, they are burned with pine cones during Portugal's thunderstorm season. In France, Christmas is called Noel. This is de- It is believed that no thunderbolt will strike rived from the French phrase "les bonnes nou- where the Yule log smoke has traveled. velles," which means literally "the good news" and refers to the gospel. In southern France, some people burn a log in their homes from Christmas Eve until New In Greek legend, malicious creatures called Year's Day. This stems from an ancient tradi- Kallikantzaroi (also spelled Kallikantzari) tion in which farmers would use part of the log sometimes play troublesome pranks at Christ- to ensure a plentiful harvest the following year. mas time. According to the legend, to get rid of them, you should burn either salt or an old In Sweden, a common is shoe. Apparently the stench of the burning the Julbock. Made from straw, it is a small figu- shoe (or salt) drives off the Kallikantzaroi. rine of a goat. A variety of straw decorations Other effective methods include hanging a are a usual feature of Scandinavian Christmas pig's jawbone by the door and keeping a large festivities. fire so they can't sneak down the chimney. In Syria, Christmas gifts are distributed by one In Guatemala, Christmas Day is celebrated on of the Wise Men's camels. The gift-giving December 25; however, Guatemalan adults do camel is said to have been the smallest one in not exchange gifts until New Year's Day. Chil- the Wise Men's caravan. dren get theirs (from the Christ Child) on Christmas morning. In the British armed forces it is traditional that officers wait on the men and serve them their In Medieval England, Nicholas was just an- Christmas dinner. This dates back to a custom other saint - he had not yet been referred to as from the Middle Ages. Santa Claus and he had nothing to do with Christmas. In the Netherlands, Christmas centers on the arrival of , who is believed to In North America, children put stockings out at come on horseback bearing gifts. Before going Christmas time. Their Dutch counterparts, to bed, children leave out their shoes, hoping however, use shoes. Dutch children set out to find them filled with sweets when they shoes to receive gifts any time between mid- awaken. November and December 5, St. Nicholas' birthday. In the Thomas Nast cartoon that first depicted Santa Claus with a sleigh and reindeer, he In Norway on Christmas Eve, visitors should was delivering Christmas gifts to soldiers fight- know that after the family's big dinner and the ing in the U.S. Civil War. The cartoon, entitled opening of presents, all the brooms in the "Santa Claus in Camp," appeared in Harper's house are hidden. The Norwegians long ago Weekly on January 3, 1863.

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office CHRISTMAS FACTS Page 7

In the Ukraine, a traditional Christmas bread Long before it was used as a "kiss encour- called "kolach" is placed in the center of the ager" during the Christmas season, dining table. This bread is braided into a ring, had long been considered to have magic pow- and three such rings are placed one on top of ers by Celtic and Teutonic peoples. It was said the other, with a candle in the center of the top to have the ability to heal wounds and increase one. The three rings symbolize the Trinity. fertility. Celts hung mistletoe in their homes in order to bring themselves good luck and ward In Victorian England, turkeys were popular for off evil spirits. Christmas dinners. Some of the birds were raised in Norfolk, and taken to market in Lon- Mistletoe, a traditional Christmas symbol, was don. To get them to London, the turkeys were once revered by the early Britons. It was so supplied with boots made of sacking or sacred that it had to be cut with a golden leather. The turkeys were walked to market. sickle. The boots protected their feet from the frozen mud of the road. Boots were not used for More diamonds are purchased at Christmas- geese: instead, their feet were protected with a time (31 percent) than during any other holiday covering of tar. or occasion during the year. More than three billion Christmas cards are It is a British Christmas tradition that a wish sent annually in the United States. made while mixing the will come true only if the ingredients are stirred in Myrrh is an aromatic gum resin which oozes a clockwise direction. from gashes cut in the bark of a small desert tree known as Commifera Myrrha or the dindin It is estimated that 400,000 people become tree. The myrrh hardens into tear-dropped sick each year from eating tainted Christmas shaped chunks and is then powdered or made leftovers. into ointments or perfumes. This tree is about 5-15 feet tall and 1 foot in diameter. Legend Christ, son of Mary, was born in a cave, says Caspar brought the gift of myrrh from not in a wooden stable. Caves were used to Europe or Tarsus and placed it before the keep animals in because of the intense heat. A Christ Child. Myrrh was an extremely valuable large church is now built over the cave, and commodity during biblical times and was im- people can go down inside the cave. The car- ported from India and Arabia. penters of Jesus' day were really stone cut- ters. Wood was not used as widely as it is to- New York City's Empire State Building's world day. So whenever you see a Christmas nativity famous tower lights are turned off every night scene with a wooden stable -- that's the at midnight with the exception of New Year's "American" version, not the Biblical one. Eve, New Year's Day, Christmas Eve, Christ- mas Day, and St. Patrick's Day, when they are La , a kindly witch, rides a broomstick illuminated until 3 a.m. down the chimney to deliver toys into the stockings of Italian children. The legends say On Christmas Day, 1989, Eastern Europe was that Befana was sweeping her floors when the permitted to celebrate Christmas freely and three Wise Men stopped and asked her to openly for the first time in decades. Church come to see the Baby Jesus. "No," she said, "I masses were broadcast live for the first time in am too busy." Later, she changed her mind but history. it was too late. So, to this day, she goes out on Christmas Eve searching for the Holy Child, One Norwegian Christmas custom begins in leaving gifts for the "holy child" in each house- late autumn at harvest time. The finest wheat hold. is gathered and saved until Christmas. This

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office CHRISTMAS FACTS Page 8

wheat is then attached to poles made from out of the carrying of royal dispatches. Red tree branches, making perches for the birds. A was considered a royal color, so uniforms and large circle of snow is cleared away beneath letter-boxes were red. Christmas cards often each perch. According to the Norwegians, this showed a robin delivering Christmas mail. provides a place for the birds to dance, which allows them to work up their appetites between Queen Elizabeth's Christmas message to the meals. Just before sunset on Christmas Eve, nation was televised for the first time on De- the head of the household checks on the cember 25, 1957. For the next 40 years, the wheat in the yard. If a lot of sparrows are seen BBC aired the event. dining, it is suppose to indicate a good year for growing crops. Right behind Christmas and Thanksgiving, Su- per Bowl Sunday ranks as the third-largest oc- One notable medieval English Christmas cele- casion for Americans to consume food, ac- bration featured a giant 165-pound pie. The cording to the National Football League. giant pie was nine feet in diameter. Its ingredi- Santa's Reindeers are Dasher, Dancer, ents included 2 bushels of flour, 20 pounds of Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and butter, 4 geese, 2 rabbits, 4 wild ducks, 2 Blitzen. woodcocks, 6 snipes, 4 partridges, 2 neats' tongues, 2 curlews, 6 pigeons, and 7 black- Silent Night was written in 1818, by an Aus- birds. trian priest Joseph Mohr. He was told the day before Christmas that the church organ was Originally, Christmas decorations were home- broken and would not be prepared in time for made paper flowers, or apples, biscuits, and Christmas Eve. He was saddened by this and sweets. The earliest decorations to be bought could not think of Christmas without music, so came from Nuremburg in Germany, a city fa- he wanted to write a carol that could be sung mous for the manufacture of toys. Lauscha in by choir to guitar music. He sat down and Germany is famous for its glass ornaments. In wrote three stanzas. Later that night the peo- 1880, America discovered Lauscha and F.W. ple in the little Austrian Church sang "Stille Woolworth went there and bought a few glass Nacht" for the first time. Christmas tree ornaments. Within a day he had sold out so next year he bought more and St. Nicholas was bishop of the Turkish town of within a week they, too, had sold. The year af- in the early fourth century. It was the ter that be bought 200,000 Lauscha orna- Dutch who first made him into a - ments. During the First World War supplies of giver, and Dutch settlers brought him to Amer- ornaments from Lauscha ceased, so American ica where his name eventually became the fa- manufacturers began to make their own orna- miliar Santa Claus. ments, developing new techniques that al- lowed them to turn out as many ornaments in Telesphorus, the second Bishop of Rome a minute as could be made in a whole day at (125-136 AD) declared that public Church ser- Lauscha. vices should be held to celebrate "The Nativity of our Lord and Saviour." In 320 AD, Pope Per a November 2000 Gallup poll, 60 percent Julius I and other religious leaders specified 25 of Americans thought they would spend at December as the official date of the birth of least $500 that year on Christmas gifts. This Jesus Christ. was a slight drop from 1999 gift-spending. The "Twelve Days of Christmas" was originally Postmen in Victorian England were popularly written to help Catholic children, in England, called "robins." This was because their uni- remember different articles of faith during the forms were red. The British Post Office grew persecution by Protestant Monarchs.

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office CHRISTMAS FACTS Page 9

The "true love" represented God, and the gifts The Canadian province of Nova Scotia leads all different ideas: the world in exporting lobster, wild blueberries, 1 The "Partridge in a pear tree" was Christ. and Christmas trees. 2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testa- ments The Christmas season begins at sundown on 3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity-- the 24th December and lasts through sundown on Theological Virtues 5th January. For that reason, this season is 4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the also known as the Twelve Days of Christmas. Four Evangelists 5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the The Christmas turkey first appeared on Eng- Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which relays lish tables in the 16th century, but didn't imme- the history of man's fall from grace. diately replace the traditional fare of goose, 6 Geese A-laying = the six days of Creation beef or boar's head in the rich households. 7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments The custom of singing Christmas carols is very 8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes old - the earliest English collection was pub- 9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy lished in 1521. Spirit 10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments The day after Christmas, December 26, is 11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles known as Boxing Day. It is also the holy day 12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of called The Feast of St. Stephen. Some believe doctrine in the Apostle's Creed. the feast was named for St. Stephen, a 9th century Swedish missionary, the patron saint The abbreviation of for Christmas is not of horses. Neither Boxing Day or St. Stephen irreligious. The first letter of the word Christ in have anything to do with Sweden or with Greek is chi, which is identical to our X. Xmas horses. The Stephen for whom the day is was originally an ecclesiastical abbreviation named is the one in the Bible (Acts 6-8) who that was used in tables and charts. was the first Christian to be martyred for his faith. The actual gift givers are different in various countries: The first British monarch to broadcast a Christ- England: Father Christmas mas message to his people was King George France: Pere Noel (Father Christmas) V. Germany: (angelic messenger from Jesus) She is a beautiful fair haired girl with a The first charity was produced shining crown of candles. by UNICEF in 1949. The picture chosen for the Holland: St Nicholas. card was painted not by a professional artist Italy: La Befana (a kindly old witch) but by a seven-year-old girl. The girl was Jitka Spain and South America: The Three Kings Samkova of Rudolfo, a small town in the for- Russia: In some parts - Babouschka (a grand- mer nation of Czechoslovakia. The town re- motherly figure) in other parts it is Grandfather ceived UNICEF assistance after World War II, Frost. inspiring Jitka to paint some children dancing Scandinavia: a variety of Christmas gnomes. around a maypole. She said her picture repre- One is called Julenisse. sented "joy going round and round."

The best selling Christmas trees are Scotch The first Christmas card was created in Eng- pine, Douglas fir, Noble fir, Fraser fir, Virginia land on December 9, 1842. pine, Balsam fir and white pine. The first commercial Christmas card sold was

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office CHRISTMAS FACTS Page designed by London artist John Calcott Night". It was first brought to America by Joel Horsley. He was hired by a wealthy British Poinsett in 1829. man to design a card that showed people feeding and clothing the poor with another pic- The popular Christmas song "" was ture of a Christmas party. The first Christmas composed in 1857 by James Pierpont, and card said, "Merry Christmas and a happy New was originally called "One-Horse Open Year to you." Of the original one thousand Sleigh." cards he printed for Henry Cole, only twelve exist today. The Puritans forbade the singing of Christmas carols. The first printed reference to Christmas trees The real St. Nicholas lived in Turkey, where he appeared in Germany in 1531. was bishop of the town of Myra, in the early 4th century. It was the Dutch who first made The four ghosts in Charles Dickens's "A Christ- him into a Christmas gift-giver, and Dutch set- mas Carol" were the ghosts of Christmas Past, tlers brought him to America where his name Christmas Present, Christmas Yet to Come, eventually became the familiar Santa Claus. and the ghost of Jacob Marley. The Super Ball® was born in 1965, and it be- The movie "How the Stole Christmas" came America's most popular plaything that (2000) features more than 52,000 Christmas year. By Christmas time, only six months after lights, about 8,200 Christmas ornaments, and it was introduced by Wham-O, 7 million balls nearly 2,000 candy canes. had been sold at 98 cents apiece. Norman Stingley, a California chemist, invented the The modern Christmas custom of displaying a bouncing gray ball. In his spare time, he had wreath on the front door of one's house, is bor- compressed a synthetic rubber material under rowed from ancient Rome's New Year's cele- 3,500 pounds of pressure per square inch, and brations. Romans wished each other "good eventually created the remarkable ball. It had a health" by exchanging branches of ever- resiliency of 92 percent, about three times that greens. They called these gifts strenae after of a tennis ball, and could bounce for long peri- Strenia, the goddess of health. It became the ods. It was reported that presidential aide custom to bend these branches into a ring and McGeorge Bundy had five dozen Super Balls® display them on doorways. shipped to the White House for the amuse- ment of staffers. The northern European custom of the candlelit Christmas tree is derived from the belief that it The table for Christmas Eve dinner in the sheltered woodland spirits when other trees Ukraine is set with two tablecloths: one for the lost their leaves during winter. ancestors of the family, the other for the living members. In pagan times, ancestors were be- The poem commonly referred to as "The Night lieved to be benevolent spirits who, when Before Christmas" was originally titled "A Visit shown respect, brought good fortune. From Saint Nicholas." This poem was written by Clement Moore for his children and some The tradition of dates back to guests, one of whom anonymously sent the when Christians were persecuted for saying poem to a New York newspaper for publica- Mass. A simple candle in the window meant tion. that Mass would be celebrated there that night.

The , traditionally an American The traditional flaming Christmas pudding Christmas flower, originally grew in Mexico; dates back to 1670 in England, and was de- where it was known as the "Flower of the Holy rived from an earlier form of stiffened plum

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office CHRISTMAS FACTS Page porridge.

The world's first singing commercial aired on the radio on Christmas Eve, 1926 for Wheaties cereal. The four male singers, eventually known as the Wheaties Quartet, sang the jin- gle. The Wheaties Quartet, comprised of an undertaker, a bailiff, a printer, and a business- man, performed the song for the next six years, at $6 per singer per week. The commer- cials were a resounding success.

Theodore Roosevelt, a staunch conservation- ist, banned Christmas trees in his home, even when he lived in the White House. His chil- dren, however, smuggled them into their bed- rooms.

There are twelve courses in the Ukrainian Christmas Eve supper. According to the Chris- tian tradition, each course is dedicated to one of Christ's apostles.

When Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island, died on December 4, 1894, he willed his November 13 birthday to a friend who disliked her own Christmas birthday.

Yuletide-named towns in the United States in- clude Santa Claus, located in Arizona and Indi- ana, Noel in Missouri, and Christmas in both Arizona and Florida.

From Corsinet.com. Used with permission. Provided in PDF format by The Activity Director’s Office