Surprising Christmas facts

The origin of ‘’Xmas’’

Many people wonder why ‘’Xmas’’ is used instead of ‘’Christmas’’.

The ‘’X’’ comes from the Greek letter ‘’Chi’’, which is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ (Χριστός).

So, ‘’Xmas’’ is actually an abbreviation, not an abbreviation of ‘’Christ’’ or anything disrespectful.

Christmas trees

The tradition of decorating Christmas trees originated in Germany in the 16th century.

The first tree decorated with candles is often credited to Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer, who added candles to a tree to replicate the stars shining through the trees on a winter night.

Tinsel was once made of real silver

Tinsel, the shiny decoration that drapes over Christmas trees, was originally made from real silver in the 1600s in Germany.

Silver was used to create the glittering effect, but it was later replaced by aluminium to make it more affordable and practical.

The Christmas pickle

In Germany, there’s a tradition of hiding a glass pickle ornament on the Christmas tree.

The first person to find it gets an extra present or a year of good luck.

Although, this tradition is often more popular in the US than in Germany itself.

Christmas was once banned in England

Christmas was actually banned in England for a time during the 17th century.

In 1647, the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell took over and prohibited Christmas celebrations, citing them as ‘’Pagan’’.

The ban was lifted in 1660, and Christmas returned to being widely celebrated.

The world's largest Christmas stocking

The largest Christmas stocking ever made was over 106 feet long!

It was made in Italy in 2011, and it could fit an entire family’s worth of presents.

Mistletoe has a mysterious past

Mistletoe has a long history as a symbol of fertility and good fortune.

The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe was popularised in 18th century England.

Originally, anyone standing under the mistletoe had to kiss, but the practice eventually evolved into the more romantic custom we know today.