Christmas is one of the, if not the, most popular holiday celebrated. Both a religious and commercial holiday, Christmas can mean different things to different people. Christmas may be your favorite holiday because of all the awesome presents you may get or you may love Christmas because it is a time to celebrate an important part of your religion. Either way Christmas is not only popular but a favorite holiday for many. But how much do you really know about Christmas?

When I think of Christmas, I think of snow, ice skating, and roasting chestnuts. But did you know that in Australia they celebrate Christmas in the summer? It can get up to 100 degrees on Christmas day for Australians and they celebrate by having picnics and decorating with Christmas Bushes which have red flowers. This leaves me wondering how Santa Claus stands the heat with him heavy jacket and beard!

Do you know that the name for Santa Claus was initially Sinter Klass but as many children could not pronounce it the name morphed into Santa Klass which eventually became the well known Santa Claus?

I know I love a candy cane during Christmas time. But what I didn’t realize was that they were first created to keep children quiet during ceremonies like the Nativity scene in Germany. More and more people started to pass candy canes along and the trend spread throughout Europe.

Many items have become well know symbols of a great Christmas. One that is particularly fun is the mistletoe. Mistletoe, though known for its magical powers, is actually half parasite!

When I think of all the presents that will be under my tree Christmas morning I think of all the elves having to work and work to make the magic happen. But did you know that in folklore elves were seen as pranksters more than helpers?

Many people cut down fir trees and drag them in their homes during Christmas time. Though for centuries the fir tree has been a symbol of Christianity, it wasn’t until the 16th century that people actually started to bring the trees inside to decorate. Can you even imagine a Christmas with out a tree?

Often we forget to think about the many traditions that have become common staples for Christmas time; we assume they have been around forever and will stay that way. But each tradition has a story of its origin. Christmas is a world wide holiday that has been influenced throughout history by the world as well.