On December 4th, Santa’s List Day celebrates the day that Santa puts together his list of naughty and nice children. It’s also a day for kids to start working on their holiday wish lists.
- 280 AD – The compassionate St Nicholas becomes a household name in Europe. This is when the real St. Nicholas was born in modern-day Turkey.
- 13th Century – Eggnog the signature holiday beverage was called ‘posset’ in the Medieval ages.
- 16th Century – Before stockings, parents in Holland placed their children’s clogs near the fireplace. Good children would find candy or cookies on their clogs. Naughty children, however, would find a lump of coal.
- 16th Century – The origin or the use of Christmas trees goes way back to ancient Egyptians and Romans. They used evergreen trees like fir or pine trees, wreaths, and garlands.
- The use of modern Christmas trees started in Germany in the 16th century. Instead of the glitzy decorations that we see on them today, they were decorated with fruits and nuts.
- 1774 – Dutch families gather in New York City to honor St Nicholas’ death anniversary.
- 1823 – The idea for Santa bringing gifts may have developed partially from the 1823 poem by Clement Mark Moore, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.
- 1840s – People visited malls in droves to see life-size Santa Claus models.
- 1889 – Mrs. Claus made her first significant appearance in a short story titled “Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride,” written by Katherine Lee Bates in 1889.
- 1924 – Fans of all ages line up to meet the first Macy Santa and tell him what they want for Christmas.
- 1931 – Santa’s classic red suit with white fur trim was popularized by Coca-Cola in its 1930s advertising campaigns. Before that, Santa was often depicted in different colored outfits.
- 1934 – The first mention of Santa’s naughty and nice list occurs in the song, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie wrote the fun Christmas song.
- Santa Claus is the Americanized and more popular name for Father Christmas. The original name comes from the Dutch ‘Sinterklaas,’ short for St Nicholas.
- Santa Claus is known by different names worldwide. In the United States, he’s Santa Claus, but in the United Kingdom, he’s Father Christmas. You might hear him called Saint Nicholas or Pere Noel in other places.
- Santa’s sleigh is said to be pulled by reindeer, and they have individual names. The most famous ones are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner (or sometimes called Dunder), and Blitzen.
- Santa’s beard is said to have magical properties. According to folklore, it can be used to disappear and reappear at will, allowing him to traverse chimneys easily.
- In modern times, Santa is said to use the latest technology, including GPS and satellite tracking, to ensure he doesn’t miss any houses on Christmas Eve.
- Santa has a Canadian zip code: Anyone keen on exchanging letters with Santa can send him a letter to Santa Claus, North Pole, HOH OHO, Canada.
- There are 630 kinds of Christmas trees besides Douglas fir, balsam fir, and Fraser fir, there are hundreds of other conifer varieties.
- Santa loves all types of cookies. He has tried more than most people on Christmas Eve, but his favorite is a sugar cookie.
- Just like Santa eats many different cookies, Santa drinks hot chocolate in various ways, but his all-time favorite recipe is a cup of extra chocolatey cocoa with a heaping mound of marshmallows and a peppermint-flavored straw.
- Most often, you see Santa wearing his famous red-and-white suit and hat. However, when he’s not dressed in this familiar attire, Santa puts on his other favorite color: green!
- The story behind the ’12 days of Christmas’ Legend has it that the three kings took twelve days to travel to the birthplace of baby Jesus, hence the holidays of Christmas are known as the 12 days of Christmas.
- Jingle Bells was a Thanksgiving song. James Lord Pierpont, a Unitarian church organist from Georgia, first performed ‘Jingle Bells’ at a Thanksgiving concert in his church.
- ‘Silent Night’ has close to 750 versions. It’s the most recorded Christmas carol in history, with different versions popping up every year.
- Christmas Songs:
- Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town by Bruce Springsteen (1975). This classic live version of the song is a fun and delightful, albeit gritty, version of the song featuring some amazing instrumentals.
- Santa’s List by Cliff Richard (2003). By the classic English pop singer, this song is featured on Cliff Richard’s album, Cliff at Christmas.
- Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt (1953). The singer of this song is convinced that she’s been a good girl this year and expects Santa to bring her a whole list of gifts.
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