Christmas Facts you Did Not Know
By kop230, 09:33The Twelve Days of Christmas: The Twelve Days of Christmas refers to the twelve days between the Christmas Day (December 25) and the Feast of Epiphany (January 6). Tradition has it that this is the time taken by the 3 Wise Men (the Magi) to reach Bethlehem to see the babe in the manger, Jesus.
Mistletoe: Mistletoe is a plant hung on the doorway of each American household in the course of Christmas. The mistletoe symbolizes love, having been closely associated with Frigga, the Scandinavian's goddess of love. It's from this that the convention of kissing under the mistletoe originated.
Hanging Stockings: The practice of hanging stockings more than the fireplace on Christmas Eve comes from England. The legend of St. Nicholas has it that the latter was a type saint who was believed to have left gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor maidens, who badly needed the funds for their wedding dowries. They hung their stockings to dry more than the fireplace, and to their great surprise, they identified bags of gold in them the next morning. Following this, children kept hanging Christmas stockings over the fireplace on Christmas Eve in the hope that Santa would drop gifts and toys in them !
Christmas Carols: The first carols are said to have been sung by angelic choirs at Christ's birth. St.Francis of Assissi is also accredited as the 'Father of Caroling'. The word 'carol' comes from the Greek 'charaulein', a Greek dance, later replaced by song. By the 17th century, caroling was restricted to Christmas time, and now, it is customary for kids to go caroling in groups from door to door, singing favorites such as "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing", "O Come All Ye Faithful", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and quite a few more !
Holly Boughs: The boughs of holly are a different very vital symbol of Christmas. These are red berries with thorny leaves. To the Christians, the holly berries symbolize Christ's blood and the sharply pointed leaves stand for the thorns in His crown. Henceforth, the holly became portion of the Nativity tradition.
The Nativity Scene: The Nativity Scene consists of the scene at Bethlehem, when Jesus was born. The manger, the swaddling clothes, the bright star in the sky, the shepherds surrounding baby Jesus and the 3 Wise Men (the Magi) form component of the scene.
The Poinsettia: Poinsettias are wonderful winter blooms, native to Mexico. They've been named after the initial US ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who brought the plant from its land of origin to America. christmas song lyrics Due to the fact the beginning of the 19th century, poinsettias have come to be related with Christmas.
Eggnog: Eggnog, a quite well-known Christmas drink, is prepared by mixing cream, milk, sugar and beaten eggs with some type of liquor. This has a close connection to the Christmas holiday, and on Christmas Eve, it is fairly typical to spot groups of individuals eggnogging at their neighbors' and friends' locations. Men and women also gather round the Christmas tree, drinking eggnog and then move from residence to home caroling.
The Yule Log: The yule log is a enormous log employed to light up huge fires throughout festive celebrations. It originated in Europe, where it applied to be placed in the hearth and continued to burn throughout the year, till it turned into ashes. Bringing in the yule log was as significantly a custom throughout the Christmas holidays as was decorating the Christmas tree. The yule log is generally placed in the fireplace. It is from this yule log that Christmas also came to be recognized as 'Yuletide'.
Boxing Day: The day immediately after Christmas is recognized as the Feast of St. Stephens. The alms box of the Church was opened on Boxing Day, and the contents, identified as the "dole of the Christmas box" were distributed by the parish priest among the needy. Henceforth, the day following Christmas came to be known as the Boxing Day


