- Time to see how much you really know about Christmas.
People tend to take a lot of the things about Christmas for granted. That’s just how they are, and we’ve always done them this way.
Expect that’s not really true. The modern Christmas is a relatively recent invention, and there’s been a lot of weirdness about the holiday over the years.
Here are eight odd things about Christmas. You won’t find Santa on this list, though. That comes later.
1) The Name “Xmas” is Hundreds of Years Old
Some people claim that shortening “Christmas” to “Xmas” is a modern conspiracy to take Christ out of Christmas. If that’s true, though, then, it’s been a long time coming.
The first written reference to “Xmas” — at the time rendered as “Xtemmas” — dates all the way back to 1551. Over the coming centuries, the abbreviation got shortened even further to Xmas.
The abbreviation has even longer roots. Christianity was shortened to Xianity already in 1100.
That’s way before any modern smartphone slang.
2) Mistletoe’s Name Has a Disgusting Origin
Kissing under the mistletoe is such a romantic tradition. At least until you find out what mistletoe’s name actually means.
Ancient Anglo-Saxons, from whose vernacular we get the earliest form of “mistletoe,” called the plant mistel-tan. Translated literally, that means “crap on a stick.”
The Anglo-Saxons noticed, quite correctly, that mistletoe spreads through bid droppings. It grows particularly well wherever birds poop a lot.
Pucker up, but bring an umbrella.
3) “Jingle Bells” is Not a Christmas Song
As traditional as you might think it is, “Jingle Bells” doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas. Well, originally at least.
James Lord Pierpont wrote the song, originally called “One Horse Open Sleigh,” in mid-19th century as a holiday song. But it was for Thanksgiving.
It didn’t take long for it to get repurposed, though. Already in 1857, the song’s name was changed to “Jingle Bells” and it was released as a Christmas song.
Maybe Christmas is just a more appropriate time for riding in a one horse open sleigh. Or something.
4) Christmas Used to Be a Booze Cruise
Christmas wasn’t always a quiet evening to be shared with the family. In fact, it was so rowdy that you probably didn’t want your family anywhere near it.
The “original” (there was probably something else before this, too) was really more like Halloween. But instead of kids going around asking for candy, it was adults begging for booze.
Take, for example, the carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The original song — sung by servants to their masters — threatened those better off to hand out some liquor.
“We won’t go until we get some,” the lyrics go. Christmas didn’t become a family holiday until the Victorian times.
5) Most Christmas Traditions Have Pagan Origins
For a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, Christmas sure has a lot of traditions with pagan roots. You’ve probably heard of some of them, but the actual number might shock you.
The Christmas tree, mistletoe, gift giving, mulled wine, the green-and-red color combo, caroling… And these are just a few examples of repurposed pagan traditions.
But hey, if it’s a fun tradition, why not carry it over?
6) Christmas Trees Are a Fire Hazard
It’s all in good fun to decorate a Christmas tree. But once the holiday is over, you should think twice about what you do with that tree.
Discarded, dry Christmas are a real fire hazard in the months following Christmas. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Christmas trees are responsible for around 100 fires annually.
In total, those fires cause $15.7 million worth of damages every year. Not only that, they land 20 people at the ER and another 10 at the morgue.
The numbers get much, much grimmer if you count all the fires caused by candles around Christmas. So please, have a safe holiday this year and dispose of your tree properly.
7) A Toilet Brush Company Made the First Artificial Christmas Tree
Maybe you don’t want to risk burning down the neighborhood and decided to opt for an artificial tree. Here’s a fun fact — some of them are still made using sophisticated toilet brush technology.
The first artificial Christmas trees were created by the Addis Brush Company. In 1950, they received a patent for manufacturing the fake trees using the same equipment they used to make toilet brushes.
Now you know how to repurpose your fake Christmas tree once if gets too beat up.
8) Christmas Used to Be Illegal
Believe it or not, there was a time when celebrating Christmas could’ve landed you in jail. You can thank America’s founding Puritans for that.
Like we mentioned, a lot of Christmas traditions have pagan roots, and the Puritans were keenly aware of that. That’s why they saw Christmas celebrations as un-Christian and something to be avoided.
When the Puritans sailed over from England, they brought their anti-Christmas views over to some colonies. In Massachusetts, for example, Christmas was illegal between 1659 and 1681 and celebrating it would net you a five-shilling fine.