We all blame most of the traditions linked to Christmas, on materialism and some entrepreneur's abuse of our merry state during the festive season, but here are some real facts about Christmas that will give you a better insight on their true origin.
Did you know that Christmas pudding was originally a spiced porridge called Frumenty? Legend has it that the Celtic god Dagda made up the porridge from all good things of the earth for all to enjoy.
Did you know that the poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower that originated in Mexico? Known as the "Flower of the Holy Night", the poinsettia was taken to the United States by Joel Poinsettia in the 1800's.
Did you know that "A Christmas Carol" was written in just six weeks? The popular Christmas story by English author Charles Dickens was first published on 19th December 1843.
Did you know that popular Christmas song Jingle Bells was originally written for Thanksgiving? When James Lord Pierpont publish the original version in 1857 the melody and lyrics were different to the version we know of to day, however it is unknown who actually made the changes to create the modern version.
Did you know that in Greek X means Christ? This is why some use the shorter version "X-mas" and not because entrepreneurs use this version to take "Christ" out of Christmas and attract non believers.
Did you know that Christmas Crackers were invented by Thomas J. Smith of London in 1847? Apparently having failed to sell his bons bons imported from France, he first placed mottos in their wrapper. When sales were still poor, he was inspired to include a cracker after hearing a crackle of a log on fire. Soon after the size of the wrapper increased and the sweet was replaced by a small gift.
Some more Christmas facts and traditions from around the world:
Ukrainians believe that finding a spider web in your house on Christmas morning, is a sign of good luck. A Ukrainian folk tale says that there was once a very poor woman who could not afford Christmas decorations for her tree. One Christmas morning, she found that spiders had decorated her tree with their webs. The webs turned to silver and gold when the morning sun shone on them.
In ancient Scandinavia, mistletoe was associated with peace and friendship. Even till this very day, Scandinavians still kiss under the mistletoe.
The "Urn of Fate" is part of the Christmas celebrations in many Italian households. The Urn of Fate is brought out on Christmas Eve. It holds a wrapped present for everyone. The mother tries her luck first, then the others in turn. If you get a present with your name on it, you keep it; otherwise, you put it back and try again.
In Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is the Julbukk, a small figurine of a goat. It is usually made of straw. Scandinavian Christmas festivities feature a variety of straw decorations in the form of stars, angels, hearts and other shapes, as well as the Julbukk.