What You Didn’t Know About December 25th

   “Jingle Bells” was written by James Lord Piermont in 1857 for his church’s Thanksgiving concert.

   However, over the years, it became more closely associated with Christmas and is now one of the most popular holiday songs!

In Japan, it’s tradition for people to enjoy a Kentucky fried Christmas.

What started as a marketing campaign by KFC in the 1970s has evolved into a widely adopted tradition of eating a bucket of KFC chicken to celebrate Christmas.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer almost had a different name.

The creator, Robert L. May, was considering Rollo and Reginald before he finally settled on Rudolph.

This custom is believed to have originated in the early 19th century in Europe.

One popular legend involves St. Nicholas, who, according to folklore, put gold coins in the stockings of three poor sisters. Over time, this evolved into the cherished holiday tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace and filling them with small Christmas gifts.

In the mid-17th century, the Puritan-led English Parliament banned Christmas celebrations in favor of a day of fasting. Furthermore, the first state to declare Christmas a legal holiday was Alabama in 1836. The last was Oklahoma in 1890. 

An estimated 85% of American kids believe in Santa Claus.

And the average age when children stop believing is eight, according to the 2018 international Exeter Santa Survey.

The Friday and Saturday before Christmas are the busiest shopping days of the year.

According to History.com, the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany gave the red and white sugar sticks to young singers to keep them quiet during the Living Creche tradition on Christmas Eve.

The word actually dates back to the mid-1500s, and gets its roots from the Greek letter X—which is the first letter in the Greek word for Christ.

This popular kissing tradition may have its roots in Norse mythology.

   The History Channel reports that Frigg, the goddess of love, promised to kiss anyone who passed under the berry-laden plant after it saved her son’s life.

   It wasn’t until the 18th century, however, that the Christmas custom picked up steam in England.

Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas of Myra.

The history of Santa Claus dates all the way back to the third century, to a Turkish monk named St. Nicholas who was famous for helping the poor and sick.

Dutch immigrants eventually brought the story of the man they called “Sinter Klaas” to New York, where his legend continued.

Believe it or not, the enduring Christmas classic initially bombed at the box office.

It wasn’t until 1974, when its copyright expired and television networks could air it for free, that it cemented its place as one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time.

Most historians agree that eggnog is a descendant of the medieval British drink posset, which was made with wine or beer, cream, sugar, and egg, according to Smithsonian.com.

Clement Clarke Moore’s iconic 1823 poem is actually called “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” It’s more commonly known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” because of its famous first line.