And just like that, the holidays are upon us! While we’re sad to see Halloween go, who can deny the classic Yuletide charm that the holiday season brings? Just when you thought you knew everything about the (second) most wonderful time of the year, Spirit comes through with some Christmas fun facts that are sensational, strange, and downright spooky. Read on and let us know which one is your favorite!
1. Germany’s first artificial Christmas trees were made of goose feathers!
Everyone knows that the Christmas tree is an iconic, irreplaceable symbol of the season. But when concerns over deforestation arose in Germany in the nineteenth century, people soon set their sights on creating artificial trees. Given that many German laborers either farmed or owned geese in some capacity, their feathers were in ample supply! Some people even painted or dyed their goose feathers green, giving them a more tree-like look.
2. Many Nordic cultures celebrate the holiday season by constructing a Yule Goat… which has a surprisingly prank-laden history.
So, you’ve heard of people making fake plants out of animal feathers, but what about a fake animal made of plants? Crafting Yule Goats out of wood, straw, or the sheaf of corn is a widespread tradition in many Scandinavian and Northern European cultures, dating back to the days of Germanic paganism. They typically vary in size, though they are commonly smaller and used to decorate Christmas trees.
The Yule Goat is also a figure drenched in mischief; one traditional Scandinavian prank involves hiding a Yule Goat in your neighbor’s yard without them noticing, leaving them to pass on the goat to another household. More infamously, vandals in Sweden have made a tradition out of burning or abducting Gävle’s 42-foot-high Yule Goat, which has been consistently torched, shot at, and nearly abducted by a helicopter since 1966.
3. South Wales leaves caroling in the dust with visits from the Mari Lwyd each Christmas.
It’s Christmastime. You hear a knock at the door, expecting to see a cluster of festively-clad singers there to bid you good tidings. Instead, you’re greeted by a horse’s skull suspended on a pole, asking to be let inside of your house. Confused? Well, if you were from Southern Wales, you wouldn’t be! What you’re experiencing is the unique, centuries-old Welsh tradition of the Mari Lwyd.
Dating back to at least 1800, this practice involves a costumed party of four to seven people going from door to door, imploring homeowners to be let in through song. The homeowner, in turn, would sing a rebuttal, and the two go back and forth until one relents. If the homeowner runs out of ideas and the Mari Lwyd is triumphant, then the latter is let in for some food and refreshments.
4. Bolivia throws roosters into the mix of its Christmas celebrations with La Misa Del Gallo.
Otherwise known as the Mass of the Rooster, La Misa Del Gallo got its name for a couple different reasons. For starters, it’s a Catholic midnight mass, meaning that it’s very late (or very early, for any night owls out there): bordering on the early hours of the morning, even. With that being said, its timing led to its association with roosters, notoriously early rising creatures. Ever heard the phrase “up with the chickens?”
The rooster’s early-bird reputation leads to the second reason behind La Misa Del Gallos’ name. Some believe that the rooster was the first animal to announce the birth of Jesus on Christmas morning! If you keep your eyes peeled at La Misa Del Gallo, you may even spot a real rooster or two brought along to share in the celebrations.
5. Some Eastern European cultures use spiders and spider webs as Christmas décor!
Finally, some Christmas decorations we can get behind! While folks out west may associate spiders and their webs with the macabre, in nations like Poland and Ukraine, they call to mind a beloved holiday tale known as the Legend of the Christmas Spider.
According to the story, an impoverished widow and her children rejoice at having a Christmas tree after a pinecone takes root and grows a tree inside of their hut; however, they cannot afford to decorate it. Having come to terms with their plight, the family goes to sleep on Christmas Eve weighed down by disappointment…only to wake up to find the tree dripping in cobwebs. As they open their windows to let the morning light in, the sunshine strikes the cobwebs and turns them into silver and gold! Legend has it that the family never lived in poverty again. Talk about a Christmas miracle!
6. The idea of a jolly Santa Claus is relatively new.
We may know good old Father Christmas for his hearty laugh, rosy cheeks, and kind, generous spirit, but this wasn’t always the case. Earlier depictions of Santa Claus framed him as a more stern, disciplinarian figure who punished naughty children just as much as he rewarded the nice ones. Mythical disciplinary figures are actually more common in global Christmas lore than you’d think. Other vengeful Christmas spirits include Krampus, the Icelandic troll Gryla and her Yule Cat, and Austria’s Frau Perchta. Read all about them in our Creepy Christmas Urban Legends blog!
7. In fact, one such not-so-jolly Chris Kringle can be found in Japanese folklore.
Santa Kurosu, otherwise known as or “Santa-san,” is Japan’s twist on the classic Santa archetype. While he’s certainly not as overtly malevolent as figures like Krampus or Grylla, Santa Kurosu has got one trick up his sleeve: a pair of eyes behind his head! Legend has it that the extra set of peepers are for keeping an eye on naughty children’s behavior as the holidays approach.
Santa Kurosu and the traditionally western Santa Claus are also heavily associated with Hoteiosho, the Mahayana Buddhist “lucky god” of fortune and protector of children, given their similar physiques and jubilant personalities.
8. The first-ever commercial Christmas card was created in 1843!
Believe it or not, many of our present-day Christmas traditions actually stem from the Victorian Era… including Christmas cards! Commissioned by Sir Henry Cole and illustrated by John Callcott Horsley in 1843, this Christmas card featured images of a family dining together, framed by scenes of almsgiving.
This card is uniquely Victorian in a handful of ways. For starters, Victorian-era industries centered around the mass production of goods; the more stuff (like cards, for example) a company could produce, the better. The illustrations, too, highlight the domestic, familial sphere and organized charity: two social institutions that boomed during the reign of Queen Victoria!
9. Spherical Christmas tree ornaments have a spookier history than you’d think.
Here at Spirit Halloween, it’s a rule of thumb that just about everything is spookier than you’d think. Take, for instance, Christmas tree ornaments: ever see a Christmas tree decked out in a dazzling array of ball-shaped ornaments? While we may look at them and get those warm and fuzzy holiday feelings, they actually originate from witch balls! Witch balls, dating as far back as seventeenth-century England, are glass spheres that people would hang in their windows to ward off evil spirits, negative energy, or practitioners of the dark arts. Some still display witch balls in their homes to this day! Next time you’re out and about, see if you can spot any in your neighborhood.
So, was there anything on our list that you didn’t know? Did you spot your new favorite Christmas fact? For more fun content, gift-giving guides, and everything Christmas and Halloween, check out the Spirit Halloween Blog!
