Wherever you happen to live in the world, Christmas is celebrated in some form or another and if you’re into trivia, you’ve come to the right place, as we delved into Christmas to dig up some pretty amazing facts about the festive season at the end of December that we call Christmas.
- Christmas cards first appeared in England in the mid-19th century – Sir Henry Cole was a senior manager of the original postal service and to boost business, he came up with the idea of sending Christmas cards to friends and relatives, the rest is history. I
- The largest Christmas gift ever was presented to the US from France – What could this be? you are wondering, well you can’t get much bigger than the Statue of Liberty, which was formally presented in 1865. This beautiful statue symbolises freedom and liberty and it was built to honour Abraham Lincoln, a former US President.
- Christmas trees and Prince Albert – It is possible that we have Prince Albert to thank for the tradition of decorating Christmas trees in our living rooms. It is said that when Prince Albert presented his new wife Queen Victoria a Christmas tree, it started a trend that swept around the world. Most Australian families prefer artificial trees, which you can find online from a leading Christmas decorations supplier.
- Jingle Bells was originally a Thanksgiving song – Believe it or not, Jingle Bells was originally called ‘One horse open sleigh’ and was written by James Lord Pierpont in the mid-19th A few years later in 1857, the song was re-released as Jingle Bells and the rest is, as they say, history!
- Eggnog was invented in Medieval Times – Eggnog was a favourite drink of the Medieval aristocracy and when you look at the ingredients, it is no surprise that only the rich could afford it. Eggs, milk and sherry were required to make the original eggnog recipe, which is whipped up to make a delicious winter drink that warms you up. You can order ready-made eggnog online if you fancy trying this amazing winter drink.
- Dry Christmas trees start fires – Fire departments worldwide says that at the end of December, hundreds of home fires are started by dry trees that easily catch fire. More than 200 fires a year are started by short-circuits with Christmas lighting, so do make sure that yours are safe.
- Mistletoe is an aphrodisiac – Yes, you heard it here first, the reason why it is traditional for a man to kiss a woman under the mistletoe is due to the fact that the Druids used mistletoe as a fertility aphrodisiac.
If you are going to invite friends around for a Christmas party, you now have a few trivia points you can use to generate some interest in the festive season. Don’t forget your Christmas gift list, which should be created as soon as possible, as there are only 6 weeks until Christmas.
