12 Random Facts of Christmas!

Happy Christmas Eve! (or Happy Christmas if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve or you’re reading this in the Southern Hemisphere where it’s already Christmas Day…)

If you’ve read this site before, you might well know that, I rather like Christmas (ahem…).

So I’d thought I’d give you 12 Random Facts of Christmas which you can share (bore/excite/amaze…) your family and friends with over Christmas. And you can find out lots more things about Christmas over on my big Christmas info site www.whychristmas.com.

So, on with the facts…

A direct translation of Mistletoe is ‘poo on a stick’. https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/mistletoe.shtml

In Sweden watching Donald Duck on Christmas Eve afternoon is VERY popular. https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/sweden.shtml

Christmas Pudding was originally an alcoholic porridge with corned beef and raisins in it (both it and mince pies had meat in until the mid Victorian period). https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/pudding.shtml

Jesus was NOT born in a stable! https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/does-it-matter-that-jesus-wasnt-born-in-a-stable/

In Catalonia one Christmas decoration is ‘the pooping log’. https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/spain.shtml

This emoji 🍰 is Japanese Christmas Cake. And KFC is a VERY popular option for Christmas dinner in Japan! https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/japan.shtml

Calling Christmas Xmas is perfectly fine. The X comes from the Greek letter ‘Chi’ and monks used it as shorthand for ‘Christ’ (but Xmas should be pronounced Christmas!). https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/christmas_or_xmas.shtml

The Christmas Pickle is NOT a German tradition. It was probably invented in the early 1900s in the USA to sell some left over ornaments. https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/christmaspickle.shtml

In Finland some other nordic countries, a visit to the cemetery on Christmas Eve afternoon is a popular outing. They are lit up with lanterns. https://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/finland.shtml

The ‘official’ name for Turkey (the food) is ‘Meleagris gallopavo’ and that translates as ‘guinea-fowl chicken-peacock’; but turkeys are none of those and they don’t come from Turkey either. https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/turkeys.shtml

Jesus was probably born in September and not December. The ’25th’ date comes from his death and associating his conception to the same day. https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/25th.shtml

Christmas Crackers were originally marketed under the name ‘Bangs of Expectation’ (I think this is what they should still really be called…). https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/crackers.shtml

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