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.

Think you know Santa?

* Saint Nicholas of Myra, the original Santa Claus, was the patron saint of children, thieves and pawnbrokers.

* Santa’s famed reindeer “Donner”, is actually “Donder”.

* In order to give out all the gifts, Santa Claus would have to visit 42,466,666 homes in a 12-hour period — that’s 983 homes per second.

* Santa Claus’s image that we know and use today is based on a very famous political cartoon, sketched by Sam Nast. He created the well known “Uncle Sam” icon, and Democrats’ cartoon donkey, and the Republicans’ cartoon elephant.

* Coca-Cola inspired Santa’s famous red suit, to match the ads of the Coke labels.

* Stockings were stuffed originally for Santa because St. Nicholas threw items for young children down chimney’s as he passed by. Those gifts filling the stockings that were placed at the bottom of the chimney on the outside of the fireplaces.

Tradition Facts:

* Exchanging kisses beneath the mistletoe tree was originated in ancient Scandinavia, where mistletoe was associated with peace and friendship.

* Mistletoe and Holly plants are both poisonous when ingested.

* Mistletoe was used by druids as a symbol of love.

* Christmas lights were made famous by Martin Luther, as he placed candles on a tree to represent the light the Christ shined upon all men.

* The Poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace), the poinsettia is known as the “Flower of the Holy Night”.

* The Pointsettia is poisonous when ingested.

* Candy canes are traditionally shaped like canes to be able to hang from the tree, but cookies were originally hung in Germany.

* The Christmas Tree, which originated in Germany was originally a Fir tree that was decorated to represent the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden, certainly predating the birth of Christ.

Christmas was first celebrated on December 25 when the Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in 336.

The Christmas Season starts at sundown on December 24 and ends at Sundown on January 5. This is where the 12 days of Christmas come from.

In the U.S., Santa Claus delivers our presents, but there are other gift givers. Children in Holland wait for St. Nicholas. In Russia, you might get presents from Grandmother Babouschka or Grandfather Frost. Christmas gnomes are a Scandinavian tradition, while the Three Kings are popular in Spanish-speaking countries. England has Father Christmas, France welcomes Pere Noel, and La Befana, the kind old witch, visits Italian homes.

We hang stockings to remember St. Nicholas, a Turkish bishop who once dropped gold coins down the chimney for a poor father and his daughters. Of course, they landed in the stockings that were drying by the fire.

Dutch children prefer to set out shoes for St. Nicholas on his birthday, December 5.

The custom of putting coal into the stockings of bad little children started in Italy.

Banana trees are decorated for Christmas in India. Tree decorations in the Ukraine include spiders and gold webs. Hanging presents on the tree dates back to the Druids.

In Australia, Christmas comes in summer, so a lot of people celebrate at the beach and have a picnic.

Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean.

Christmas places in the United States include Santa Claus, Indiana; Santa Claus, Georgia; Noel, Missouri; and North Pole, Alaska.

Coca Cola is credited with inventing the jolly, red-suited image of Santa that we have today.

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was a character in a book Montgomery Ward gave away as a Christmas promotion in 1939.

Santa’s seventh reindeer, Donner, was actually Donder, the German word for thunder. His partner, of course, is Blitzen or lightening.

There are many interesting Christmas superstitions: Eat an apple on Christmas to be healthy in the New Year. If it snows Christmas Day, Easter will be green. You will have bad luck if you wear new shoes Christmas Day. Burn your old shoes at Christmas and you will have good luck in the New Year. Put your shoes side by side on Christmas Eve when you take them off and your family will not fight on Christmas Day.

Here are a few trivia tidbits to share with your family and friends when you gather around the fireplace or Christmas tree this Holiday Season.

The concept of a gift-giving Santa, or Saint Nick, possibly comes from the fact that the real Saint Nick (Saint Nicholas) was known for being extremely friendly and cheerful towards children.

Certain priests in Australia denounce the statement “Merry Christmas.” They prefer “Happy Christmas” instead; the word “merry” often refers to being drunk and therefore, is frowned upon during Christmas celebrations.

Holly wreathes are for more than just decoration. They are traditionally been hung on doors and entryways as a representation of long life to those that enter.

In England, it is believed that placing holly sprigs around a girl’s head on Christmas Eve will keep her out of mischief the following year.

The string on boxes of Barnum’s Animal Crackers was originally placed there so that the boxes could be hung on Christmas trees.

Nowhere in biblical accounts of the birth of Christ is there a mention on only three wise men. As the story was passed down to children through countless generations, the number three was given to give more scope to the story.

The term “Xmas” is more than just a shorter way to say Christmas. Some believe that it is a reference to the Greek work “Xristos”, which translates to Christ.

Before electricity was invented, many people decorated their Christmas trees with candles. Due to the many fires this caused, families kept a bucket of water near the tree at all times.

Three years after Thomas Edison successfully invented the light bulb, employees of his company had Christmas tree bulbs made for him. It is strongly believed this is where the tradition of Christmas tree lights was born.