As the year draws to an end, the holiday spirit is in the air. The invigorating air breezes over, penetrating magic carols right in the ears when walking down the streets, pubs, restaurants, shops and everywhere. Religious beliefs comprehend Christians to commemorate the birth of Jesus on December 25th as the holy God incarnated as human on earth. Great preparations are made by Christians. All houses and churches are cleaned and whitewashed. At night, the city areas gets dazzled when electric bulbs, candles are lighted on its twigs.
Workers in some countries even get a day off or half day off to prepare for Christmas day, including last minute shopping for presents, decorations or food. Christmas trees wrapped in tinsel and garland and hung with gaudy silver balls,mistletoe,ivy and candy canes, are seen in display on many malls and stores. These merchandise policy, even enforce little fiction of Santa Claus, a possible role model to fascinate and speculate kids.
Christmas day is a public holiday in many countries around the world. Every family anticipates the grand holiday about to be rekindled once again. It is a day of ecstasy, merriment and happy hours, socializing the family and the busy couple together, making the threads of their relations even more strong. This day is when the people enjoy the jovial Christmas with their family exchanging presents and love under the blessed hand of the holy Jesus.
Here we present you with the top 10 Interesting Christmas Facts.
10. Christmas Cards
Christmas cards originated in London in 1840,when Sir Henry Cole asked a well known British artist John Horsley to design a hand-colored card lithographed on stiff, dark cardboard with message for Christmas.Later,the original 1843 Christmas cards found their way to auction block. Christmas cards are a multibillion dollar industry in US.
Even today, when electronic greeting cards have taken over the entire sphere through e-cards, emails and phone calls, still for the people we are closer to; most of us turn to more traditional ways of sharing holidays greetings.
9. ‘Merry Christmas ‘ and ‘Twelve days of Christmas’
The ever popular song ‘Merry Christmas’ was originally sung, loudly and repeatedly by crowds of lower class servants demanding hard drinks from their masters.
The song “Twelve days of Christmas” was song by children to profess their forbidden faith, when being Catholic was a crime in Protestant England some 16th to 19th century. Listen the song, all the Christmas gifts in the twelve days of Christmas would equal 364 gifts for which the gifts are exchanged every day of the year.
8. Candy cane
The origin story of Candy cane incorporates several symbols of Christ’s love and sacrifice. The candy maker made the candy in the form of “J” to represent the Savior’s name (Jesus). These Candy Cane would be hand out to children to keep them occupied during Christmas mass.
The candy was initially somewhat plain, later was stained with red stripes and represents Holy Trinity (Red is meant to represent the blood of Christ). Unfortunately, the candy cane is confectionery today but the meaning is still there for those who “have eyes to see and ears to hear”.