An electronic
device in an egg shaped container Tamagotchi (pictured) was the best-selling Christmas toy
for children and adults alike in the year 1997.
The celebration of
Christmas was banned in Boston from 1659 to 1681 with anyone showing Christmas
spirit was fined 5 shillings! and was due to the pilgrims belief that it was a
decadent celebration.
In 1670 the
choirmaster of Cologne Cathedral had candies made in the shape of a shepherd's
crook to be distributed to children attending the church's creche scene to
encourage them to be silent.
Rudolph the
red-nosed reindeer was created by Robert L. May as an assignment for Chicago based retailer Montgomery Ward's
Christmas promotion in 1938.
Cranberry sauce is
a traditional accompaniment to the Christmas Turkey.
Kissing under the
mistletoe is thought to spring from Frigga, the Norse goddess of love, who was
associated with the plant.
On Christmas Eve is
it said that, Animals can speak and evil spirits lose their powers.
Santa has
different names around the world - Kriss Kringle in Germany, Le Befana in
Italy, Pere Noel in France and Deushka Moroz (Grandfather Frost) in Russia.
Mel Gibson’s 1987
American buddy cop action Lethal Weapon
opens with the song Jingle Bell Rock.
The chances of a
white Christmas are just 1 in 10 for England and Wales, and 1 in 6 for Scotland
and Northern Ireland.
US scientists
calculated that Santa would have to visit 822 homes a second to deliver all the
world's presents on Christmas Eve, travelling at 650 miles a second.
In Britain, the
Holy Days and Fasting Days Act of 1551 stated that every citizen must attend a
Christian church service on Christmas Day, and must not use any kind of vehicle
to get to the service.
The word Christmas
comes from the Old English "Cristes maesse" meaning "Christ's
Mass".
Christmas trees
may date back to pagan traditions, but the earliest known reference to a
Christmas tree is in a German pamphlet from 1570.
Montgomery Ward
and Company, an American catalogue company, had its first catalogue available
for Christmas in 1872
.
Gingerbread or Lebkuchen is a type of bread that is traditional at German
Christmas markets.
Although secretly
expecting a necklace, the disappointed wife played by Emma Thompson in the 2003
British Christmas-themed romantic comedy film Love Actually gets a Joni Mitchell CD from her husband for
Christmas.
Revealed in
January 1994 was that Queen Elizabeth had banned family and aides from
repeating which two words that she had used in a previous Christmas day address
Annus Horribilis.
Due to a 1644 Act
of Parliament, Christmas was effectively banned in England for 16 long years and
included all festivities, and even the attendance of Mass or a church
service.
Little snowflake (Snegurochka) and Grandfather Frost (Dedushka Moroz) deliver gifts in Russia during the festive
season.
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