Christmas is an exciting time of year, but there is so much
about Christmas which remains unknown to the public. In, if some of these things were known to the
public, the spirit of Christmas might be tainted a little bit. Jesus was not born in December, Santa
originated from pagan mythology, and mistletoe means “dung on a twig”.
Christmas has become commercialized and cultured to the
point where it is completely separated from its real roots. All we see is lights, red and green
decorations, and the same Christmas carols that play over and over. But Christmas actually has an interesting
history which is much more interesting than the holiday of consumerism it has
become. Here are the top 5 things you
didn’t know about Christmas (and probably should).
1) Martin Luther
was the First Person to Decorate a Christmas Tree
There are a several versions of the story regarding the
first Christmas tree in history. For example, there is the story of the first
ever decorated Christmas tree taking place in Riga, the capital city of Latvia.
However, the most credible and story credits the founder of Protestantism,
Martin Luther, as the first person ever to decorate a Christmas tree. As the
story goes, the German theologian and monk was walking in the woods and was
inspired by the beauty of all the shining stars in the sky. He decided that,
from a distance, they looked like tree branches. So he decided to cut down a
small tree and take it back home. He placed many small candles on the branches
of the tree, and from there, the idea of a Christmas tree was born.
2) The Norse God
Odin was The Original Santa Claus
According to Pagan myths, Odin was the leader of the Wild
Hunt every Yule –the equivalent of Christmas for the Germanic Pagan Tribes- and
he would ride his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir around the whole time. Sleipnir
could cover long distances in a very short period of time, just like Santa’s
sleigh and reindeer. According to the same traditions, children would fill
their boots with carrots, straw and sugar, and place them near the chimney for
Odin’s flying horse to eat while resting. Odin would then return the favor and
reward those children for their kindness by leaving gifts, toys, and candies in
the boots. Sound familiar?
3) Jingle Bells
Originally had a Different Title and wasn’t a Christmas Song
There’s no way you haven’t heard this Christmas song at
least once in your lifetime. It plays 24/7 on TV, commercials, Christmas
movies, the mall PA — hell, even in Christmas cards. What you might not know
however, is that Jingle Bells wasn’t written with Christmas in mind. For that
matter, “Jingle Bells” wasn’t even the original title of the song! The original
title was the cheeky “One Horse Open Sleigh,” and it was written for a school
celebration regarding Thanksgiving. Slowly but surely the lyrics changed, as
did the title, and now you can hear it every Christmas season
4) Mistletoe Means
“Dung on a Twig”
Literally meaning “dung twig”, mistletoe is named after the
fact that it tends to spring out of bird droppings on trees after the seeds
have passed through the bird’s digestive tract. Not only this but it can also
be very parasitic, often requiring a host tree in order to sustain itself. So,
next time you kiss your significant other beneath the mistletoe, remember,
you’re standing beneath a parasitic poop twig.
5) Christmas and
Santa were Inspired by Magic Mushrooms and Shamans
According to anthropologist Dr. John Rush, the legend of
Santa derives from shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions who dropped into
locals’ teepee-like homes with a bag full of hallucinogenic mushrooms as
presents in late December. Reindeer were
the spirit animals of the shamans, and the The Amanita muscaria mushroom, which
is deep red with white flecks, grows beneath pine trees. Ceremonies involving these mushrooms resulted
in people hallucinating and seeing elves, which is where the legend of elves
comes from according to Rush.
I’m sure a few of these would make for good dinner
conversation pieces. Enjoy the holidays!
Sources: