There are traditional sweets , the nativity scene, garlands, lights and decorations , but Christmas is not just this. It 'a Christian feast born several centuries ago and still celebrated around the world by large and old alike . Yet, there are many curiosities related to Christmas that not everyone knows ...
1- It is a holiday in which the birth of Jesus is celebrated, but, in reality, the son of God would not be born on December 25 or even January 6 (as believed by the Eastern Orthodox Churches). On the date - more symbolic, therefore, than historical - there is no certain information, in some writings it is even claimed that he was born between the end of August and September or in May .
2- Country you go, custom you find. Also for this holiday there are different traditions all over the world. In some countries, in fact, the " Misa del Gallo " (the Rooster Mass, considered by some to be the first animal to announce the birth of Jesus) is held on Christmas Eve . For example, in Bolivia there is a mass followed by a traditional meal of chicken stew with carrots, peas and potatoes.
3- And if in the United States 'only' since June 26, 1870, Christmas has been declared a federal holiday, in some countries it is forbidden. So be careful if you intend to celebrate it in Brunei or Somalia .
4- The record for lights on a Christmas tree at the same time was achieved in Belgium in 2010. As stated on the ' Guinness World Records ' website, there were 194,672. As for the most expensive decorations in history, however, we must move to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates , where - again in 2010 - a tree about 13 meters high was covered with decorations worth a total of 11 million dollars.
At this point you may be wondering who first thought of decorating a ' modern ' Christmas tree ? Several American sites report that Martin Luther was, in 1500 , the father of the Protestant reform! Luther would have added candles inspired by the twinkling of the stars in the trees.
5- Speaking of records , did you know that the tallest snowman (anthropomorphic figure typical of the Christmas period) ever was built in Bethel, Maine , and measured more than 37 meters? It took a month to build it in 2008.
6- American scientists have calculated that, on the night between 24 and 25 December, to deliver all the gifts on time, Santa Claus would have to visit 822 houses per second ... And think how fast (poor reindeer!).
7- Since 1947 , the Norwegian capital Oslo has been giving London a Christmas tree every year as a token of thanks for British support during World War II .
8- And even at Christmas our passion for the Beatles re-emerges ... We think in particular of Paul McCartney , for him Christmas is a fantastic period, especially financial. For the famous British singer, in fact, every year his song " Wonderful Christmastime ", released in '79 - which he wrote, produced and played - would earn him almost half a million dollars. Not bad when you think it wasn't even his best piece!
9- Unlike what one might imagine, at least according to the research of the British journalist and graphic designer David McCandless , the approach of Christmas is not really good for couples. From a graph, created by McCandless together with his colleague Lee Bryon, it emerges that two weeks before December 25th there is a surge in couples who separate . From the 10th, therefore, a 'black' period begins for lovers, which is repeated between the end of February and the beginning of March. The 'study' is the result of the analysis of over 10 thousand status updates on Facebook.
10- The next, and last, curiosity could leave you breathless ... Do you know the reindeer that on Christmas Eve run around Santa Claus around the world on board his sleigh? Well, most likely they are all female .
Yes, because in the wild , older males lose their horns (which are actually called 'antlers') in December, after the mating season. Don't worry, then they grow back! But this leaves us to imagine that many female reindeer are therefore dragging Santa Claus.
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