Christmas History: Facts and myths surrounding the celebration of Christmas and the history of seasonal holiday traditions.
How did the third-century monk St. Nicholas come to be associated with Christmas? Are poinsettias really poisonous? What do the red and white stripes of candy canes symbolize? Take the Christmas Folklore Quiz and test your Yule knowledge.
A popular theory reveals the "secret meaning" of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," claiming it was an "underground catechism song" to help Catholics practice their faith despite religious persecution in Protestant England.
Modern lyrics and older variants of the traditional Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
Is it true that male reindeer lose their antlers by December, therefore all of Santa's reindeer -- including Rudolph -- must be female?
A multi-cultural treasure trove of Christmas history, folklore and trivia carefully researched and compiled by Christmas historian Maria Hubert.
Hypertext edition of Charles Dickens' classic story.
Amazing - and real - online video of a suburban house decorated with animated Christmas lights synchronized to music.
Copious references to historical documents set this history of Christmas above the rest. Laborious to read but highly informative. From
The Catholic Encyclopedia.
According to legend, there is a very old Christmas Eve tradition in Germany consisting of hiding a pickle ornament in the branches of the Christmas tree. Whoever found it would have good luck in the coming year. True? About.com's German Guide Hyde Flippo says "Bah, humbug!"
A brief look into the origins of such holiday customs as tree-trimming, Advent wreaths, and Christmas cards.
Evolution of a tradition, from St. Boniface's 7th century trek to Germany to postmodern Dickensian nostalgia.
Story of the presumed author of "A Visit from St. Nicholas," a source of our modern conception of Santa Claus and his reindeer. See also:
parodies of "A Visit from St. Nicholas."
Article about literary sleuth Don Foster, who argues that Clement Clarke Moore could not have written "The Night Before Christmas" and probably, in fact, plagiarized it. The controversy continues.
Did a soft drink company invent our modern image of Santa Claus? To some extent, yes! Article from the
Boston Phoenix.
Some folks say Santa's seventh flying reindeer is named "Donner," others say it's "Donder." Researchers say the earliest version of the name was "Dunder." Which is correct?
From Maria Huber's delightful Christmas Archives: What makes an English Christmas?
The History Channel traces the origin and history of Christmas from pagan midwinter celebrations through the reinvention of the Christmas holiday in modern popular culture.
"In the old days, the yule lads were vicious trolls – according to some tales they were over 50 in total – who lived in the mountains like outlaws, but came down before Christmas to steal Christmas food rations and torment people with their pranks. Their mother and father also came to town to snatch naughty children and eat them."
Origin of Christmas, King James Version.
Are you ready? The name "mistletoe" comes from the Anglo-Saxon for "dung-on-a-twig." So says Sara Williams, who offers lots of interesting lore about
Phoradendron flavescens.
A dozen or so homages to the most famous Christmas rhyme, compiled by your Guide (with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore).
A crass attempt by secular humanists to "take Christ out of Christmas"? Not so, says author Dennis Bratcher, who observes that the Greek letter
X has stood for
Christ for centuries.
Do the red and white stripes have Christian significance? Does the "J" shape stand for "Jesus," or a shepherd's staff? Who really invented this tasty treat that also serves as a Christmas tree decoration, and why?
"For years poinsettias had the bad reputation of being poisonous," writes About.com Gardening Guide Marieannotti. "However poinsettias have undergone extensive testing and there is no evidence that they are toxic or unsafe to have in the house."
Was Santa's most famous reindeer a promotional gimmick invented by Montgomery Ward? For the answer, I refer you to this fine article by Bob Bankard on Johnny Marks' 1949 Christmas chartbuster.
The story of the real-life Saint Nicholas, whose likeness evolved over the course of centuries into the mythic character we now know as Santa Claus.
From The History Channel, an account of the legend of Santa Claus, traced from the earliest tales of St. Nicholas through the origin of the reindeer.
A colorful page offering a multicultural take on the story of Santa Claus.
The origins of Christmas in solstice celebrations throughout history.
From Space.com: Astronomers use history and the latest computer technology to try to explain the "Star of Bethlehem" reportedly seen by the Magi at the time of the birth of Christ.
Does the suicide rate increase during the Christmas season? Here are the true facts and figures behind the urban legend.
Capsule explanations of some time-honored holiday customs.
The original poem attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, though there is some controversy about its authorship. See also:
parodies of the celebrated Christmas poem.
Not likely. Here's a brief explanation of how this particular winter's day came to be officially designated as the birthday of Jesus Christ, though many theologians suspect he was actually born in the spring.
Forwarded email claims the Obamas will have a 'holiday tree' instead of a Christmas tree in the White House this year, and no ornaments with religious themes will be allowed.
The original editorial written by Francis P. Church and published in the
New York Sun exactly 100 years ago. Also, the story behind the famous piece.
Historical overview of northern European celebrations of "the return of the light" at the winter solstice -- precursors of the Christmas holiday.
