Things You Didn't Know About Christmas

Loughc

I'm currently trying to work through a catalog of old podcasts and I came across the Dec-14 one from The Conspiracy Guys and it was surrounding the origins of Santa Claus. It was full of the history of many of the traditions we know and love today. I took notes while listening to it as I thought some of them were really interesting.

Similarly if you have any interesting facts about Christmas post them in this thread.

So before the birth of Christ and Christianity, the 25th of December, was usually the start of festivals in pagan religions. There were celebrating the fact Spring was coming and they made an offering to the Produce Gods that they would have a fruitful Product this year.

To make way for the impending harvest they would eat extra supplies to make room in the stores for new harvests. The first hint of over-indulgence. Farmers with extra produce would gift excess supplies to the hungry and poor. First traditions of gift-giving.

Although widely accepted the Jesus wasn't born until Spring time (hence the Shepard roaming the lands) Pope Julis in an attempt to convert the Pagans to Christianity told them they could celebrate the birth of Christ on Dec 25th and that festivities would last for 12 days.

And rather than hitting you with a wall of text I will break up the facts I noted down over a few posts. I just wanted to start with these. Feel free to add to them

Loughc

Surprisingly it was the Germans who first started the Christmas tree trend we know and love today.

They used to during the winter bring in an Evergreen tree into the house to brighten up the home during the bleak winters and as a symbol of what was to come (spring.)

They decorated it with shards of metal that wrapped around the tree (modern version of this is tinsel) this was to represent the thorn crown of Christ, and they decorated the tree with Red Apples which are now replaced by baubles.

This was very much a German tradition until the German Royal Family gifted Queen Elizabeth I one, at the time Queen Elizabeth I was the first to do send out Christmas cards with the royal family portraits to all the wealthy and royal family members.

The year she received the tree it was included in her Christmas Card portrait prompting in others copying her, well if the queen has one, we should have one too. And that's today's nugget of info haha.

vicwatson

Google red and white Coca Cola Santa !

Loughc

vicwatson wrote: »

Google red and white Coca Cola Santa !

I have some juicy facts about that coming soon. On mobile now and it's too long to type haha.

Spanish Eyes

I never knew that families had rows on Christmas Day.