Impress everybody with your gifts


10 Christmas Facts you Did Not Know

The Twelve Days of Christmas: The Twelve Daysfrom door to door, singing favorites such as
of Christmas refers to the twelve days"Hark, the Herald Angels Sing", "O Come All
between the Christmas Day (December 25) andYe Faithful", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
the Feast of Epiphany (January 6). Traditionand  many  more  !
has it that this is the time taken by the
Three Wise Men (the Magi) to reach BethlehemHolly Boughs: The boughs of holly are another
to  see  the  babe  in  the  manger,  Jesus.very important symbol of Christmas. These are
red berries with thorny leaves. To the
Mistletoe: Mistletoe is a plant hung on theChristians, the holly berries symbolize
doorway of every American household duringChrist's blood and the sharply pointed leaves
Christmas. The mistletoe symbolizes love,stand for the thorns in His crown.
having been closely associated with Frigga,Henceforth, the holly became part of the
the Scandinavian's goddess of love. It's fromNativity  tradition.
this that the convention of kissing under the
mistletoe  originated.The Nativity Scene: The Nativity Scene
includes the scene at Bethlehem, when Jesus
Hanging Stockings: The practice of hangingwas born. The manger, the swaddling clothes,
stockings over the fireplace on Christmas Evethe bright star in the sky, the shepherds
comes from England. The legend of St.surrounding baby Jesus and the Three Wise Men
Nicholas has it that the latter was a kind(the  Magi)  form  part  of  the  scene.
saint who was believed to have left gifts of
gold coins in the stockings of three poorThe Poinsettia: Poinsettias are beautiful
maidens, who badly needed the money for theirwinter blooms, native to Mexico. They've been
wedding dowries. They hung their stockings tonamed after the first US ambassador to
dry over the fireplace, and to their greatMexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who brought
surprise, they found bags of gold in them thethe plant from its land of origin to America.
next morning. Following this, children keptSince the beginning of the 19th century,
hanging Christmas stockings over thepoinsettias have come to be associated with
fireplace on Christmas Eve in the hope thatChristmas.
Santa  would  drop  gifts  and toys in them !
Eggnog: Eggnog, a very popular Christmas
Christmas Carols: The first carols are saiddrink, is prepared by mixing cream, milk,
to have been sung by angelic choirs atsugar and beaten eggs with some kind of
Christ's birth. St.Francis of Assissi is alsoliquor. This has a close connection to the
accredited as the 'Father of Caroling'. TheChristmas holiday, and on Christmas Eve, it's
word 'carol' comes from the Greekfairly common to spot groups of people
'charaulein', a Greek dance, later replacedeggnogging at their neighbors' and friends'
by song. By the 17th century, caroling wasplaces. People also gather round the
restricted to Christmas time, and now, it'sChristmas tree, drinking eggnog and then move
customary for kids to go caroling in groupsfrom house to house caroling.



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