Written by Glenn Lim & Terence Lim
How time flies. While we’re busy doing our assignments, Christmas has crept up upon us. Orchard Road has been lit up once again with red, white and green lights, and Christmas songs greet you every time you step into a mall. If you’re not into the Christmas spirit yet, here’s 10 fun facts about Christmas for you!
1. Santa didn’t always wear red
Coca-Cola created the current Santa Claus we all know and love today as a marketing campaign back in 1931. Before, Santa Claus had a variety of depictions. These depictions range from his real-life counterpart, Saint Nicholas, to a tall gaunt man and even a spooky elf!
2. Santa is actually a bishop
Did you know Santa Claus was possibly a real person once upon a time? Born in the third century A.D. in the village of Patara, Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra during his life.
He was born into a wealthy family who raised him to become a devout Christian. Following the teachings of Christ, Saint Nicholas reportedly used his entire inheritance to assist the needy, sick and suffering. He was known as the ‘protector of children and sailors’ and was associated with the act of giving. On 6 December 345 AD, he eventually passed away after being persecuted and imprisoned by the then Roman Emperor.
3. Is Christmas not so holy?
Christmas is the day Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, making most people think that the roots of Christmas are in holiness. However, the origins of Christmas stems from pagan traditions.
For context, Christians only believe in one God and generally shy away from the celebration or worship of other gods. In ancient Rome, Saturnalia was a feast to celebrate the winter solstice, but most importantly, it was to honour the agricultural god Saturn, something that was considered a sin to do. However, some traditions of the festival include singing, playing music, feasting, socialising and exchanging gifts. Sound familiar? These are almost the same way we celebrate Christmas in modern times.
4. Australia celebrates two Christmases?
Australia celebrates 2 Christmases, one in December and one in July. Celebrating Christmas in December goes without saying as that is the actual month Christmas falls under.
However, Australians celebrate Christmas in July because Australia has its roots linked back to British and European heritage, where they traditionally celebrate Christmas in cooler weather. Since Australia is in the southern hemisphere, they have summer in December and winter in July.
5. ‘Jingle Bells’ wasn’t originally a Christmas carol
Jingle Bells was originally a Thanksgiving song. Jingle bells, originally known as ‘One horse open sleigh’, composed by James Lord Pierpoint, actually made this song for his Sunday Thanksgiving.
6. The reason we gift presents to celebrate Christmas
The gifts given at Christmas symbolise the three gifts given to Baby Jesus during his birth in the manger. However, the commercialisation of Christmas has also contributed to gift-giving. Many businesses profit significantly during the holiday season. A 2019 Deloitte study found that U.S. consumers spend around $1,496 on gifts for Christmas!
7. Christmas used to be on 6 January
While Christmas is a day meant to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, no one actually knows when it is Jesus’ birthday. In the Bible, it is never mentioned when Mary had given birth to him in Bethlehem.
According to religionfacts.com, calculations were made around 200 A.D. that his birthday was on 6 January. However, in the mid-4th century, Christmas was moved to 25 December instead. Well, no one really knows who or why the date was pushed.
8. Rudolph is a marketing ploy…
It wasn’t until 1939 that our favourite red-nosed reindeer became a part of Christmas folklore. An American department store, Montgomery Ward, asked one of its copywriters to create a Christmas story for kids to promote their store. It had Rudolph on the cover of the book.
9. You can actually send letters to Santa!
Did you know that Santa Claus has a postal code? If you’ve ever wanted to send a letter to Santa Claus, his postal code is H0H 0H0, in Canada. Even some lucky few have gotten replies back from Santa himself!
So if you think you’re not on the naughty list this year, you can try your luck and write a letter to Father Christmas.
10. People in Japan eat KFC to celebrate Christmas
Every year, an estimated 3.6 million Japanese families have fried chicken from KFC to celebrate Christmas. In 1974, KFC Japan had a special marketing plan called “Kentucky for Christmas”. They had a unique Christmas chicken bucket to celebrate the holiday. It likely became popular as there was no tradition of Christmas in Japan.
Those were our picks of 10 fun facts about Christmas. We hope you learnt something new about the holiday and we wish you a Merry Christmas!
