Here are some interesting things about Christmas you might have not known.

Santa Claus, St. Nicholas – (Historically St. Nicholas.) A real man born in AD280 in Asia Minor, became bishop of Myna, (now Demre, Turkey). It’s not sure that what all we know about him is 100% accurate and true. It’s said he was born in a wealthy family and upon inheriting his father’s fortune he gave it all away to the poor. It’s been claimed that he was present at the 1st Council of Nicaea AD325. Was imprisoned by Emperor Diocletian for being a Christian. And later released by Emperor Constantine and died in AD343, with Dec. 6th being the date observed for his death. He was noted for his begging money for the needy and also disguising himself from being recognized, (since he was a very popular Bishop of the church), then going around villages and giving to the poor children. Many stories and legends have sprung up about him. Since after his death it has always been quite popular to dress like him and give out gifts to children at Christmas time. More European churches are named after him than any other patron saint.
The Dutch pronounces St. Nicholas as Sinter Klaas our Santa Claus. Until the 1800's the most common description of him would have him looking like Pope. In 1809 Washington Irving wrote “A History of New York, by one Diedrich Knickerbocker” in which he made fun of the Dutch traditions. In it he included St. Nicholas and added a revision in 1812 of Nicholas “riding over the tops of the trees, in that selfsame wagon wherein he brings his yearly presents to children.”. In 1821, ”Santeclaus” a poem by William Gilley described him dressed in fur and driving a sleigh pulled by one reindeer. In 1822 or 1823 Clement Moore wrote a poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" having him flying though the air with a sleigh and 8 reindeer. In 1866 Thomas Nast gave him the appearance we know now in a Harper's Weekly.
By the early 1900’s Santa Claus had become a favorite in Christmas cards and advertising and in 1927 the New York Times described him in detail; the pack full of toys, dressed in red, with white whiskers, ruddy cheeks and nose, and of course jolly. In 1931 Haddon Sundblom an illustrator for Coca-Cola created at least one Santa Claus advertisement every year. The widespread popularity of the Coca-Cola advertising firmly planted the image we now have of Santa Claus.
 

Stockings - May originate from an old St. Nicholas legend of the 3 doweryless girls, in which each time St. Nicholas threw the bag of gold down the chimney, it landed in a stocking that happened to be hanging to dry. Note, St. Nicholas is often pictured with 3 gold bags or balls, and the early day pawn shops derived their symbol of 3 gold balls from this. In Holland the tradition arose of St. Kicholas “Sinter Klaas” coming around and putting gifts in children's wooden shoes, this may have developed in the filling of hanging stockings drying in front of the fireplace.
 

Sugar Plums - Still exist, though not called that anymore. They are chocolate candies with fruit preserves, cream or other sweet filling in middle.
 

Stamps - On Christmas day 1898, Canada started its Penny Postal System and issued a stamp to commemorate Christmas, this proved very popular and many other countries have since done also.
 

Christmas Seals - Originated by a Danish postmaster, Einar Holboll, in 1903. Selling them and giving the proceeds to charities. Emily Bissell introduced Christmas seals in the U.S. with the Red Cross as benefactor in 1907. In 1919 the Nat'l Tuberculosis Assoc. (now the American Lung Assoc.) became the sole sponsor.
 

Gift Giving - An early Dec. 17th Roman festival of Saturnalia and Jan. 1st Roman New Year holiday, gifts were given as good luck emblems and houses were decorated with greenery. The early Christians frowned on this pagan ritual, wouldn't have any part of it. For many years, many of the converts wouldn't part with the practice of giving gifts and related it to the Magi's giving of gifts and later to St. Nicholas' gift giving. Gift giving became widely accepted by the middle ages.
 

Holly - Early Christians of Northern Europe decorated their homes & churches with this easily grown evergreen and was called “Holy Tree” later “Holly”, because the pointed green leaves reminded them of the crown of thorns and the red berries of the drops of blood at Jesus' crucifixion.
 

Kris Kringle - German for “Christ's Child” or “Christkindlein”. A name for a early German gift-bringing infant Jesus or angelic being, who was thought of as a Christ's helper and gave gifts to poor and needy children. As cultures merged, visits from the similar St. Nicholas, Pere Noel, Pelznickel and Christkindlein all became overshadowed or mutated into Santa Claus.
 

Lights - The lighting of candles and decorating with candles has always been popular, but also one of biggest sources of danger during the Christmas holidays.
In 1895 a New England Telephone employee, Ralph Morris, while looking at the newly installs strings of lights made for the telephone switchboard decided to take some home to decorate his tree with. And/or it may be attributed to Thomas Edison's partner, Edward Johnson for inventing of the first string of lights around the same time Ralph, for safety reasons.
In 1923 President Calvin Coolridge started the annual tradition of the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the White House lawn.
 

Merry Christmas! - When the phrase was coined, merry meant blessed and peaceful, “or Blessed and Peaceful Christmas”. The phrase "God bless ye merry gentlemen" when written, meant “blessed peaceful” gentlemen.
 

Mistletoe - Ancient Celtic priests calls Druids around the New Year would collect mistletoe from their holy oak tree and offer some as a sacrifice to the gods. Some would be hung up during a ceremony which people would stand under it and kiss showing an end to their old grievances with each other. This later practice never actually died out.
 

Nativity Scene (creche) - St. Francis of Assisi is responsible for popularizing the nativity scene, but most probably existed earlier.
In 1223 or 1224 St. Francis wanted to add hope and joy of God's love to his message by constructing a life-size manger scene with live animals, with the gospel sung around the scene. This became very popular.
 

North Pole - In 1882 Thomas Nast drew a cartoon showing Santa sitting on a box addressed "Christmas Box 1882, St. Nicholas, North Pole". Nast just figured it was a good place for Santa to live.
 

Ornaments - Early Christmas trees had real fruit and flowers and candles as decorations, looked good but was very heavy on the branches. German glass blowers began producing glass balls to replace the heavy decorations. These became known as Blubs.
In the 1800's the women's publication, "Godey's Lady Book" popularize the making of homemade Christmas ornaments & decorations.
 

Poinsettia - Early Mexican Christians called it the “Flower of Holy Night” and legend has it that a small boy was upset on Christmas eve because he had nothing to offer the Christ Child on His birthday. While the boy was praying at his village church altar, a flower sprang up with its brilliant red and green.
The plant was named after the American ambassador to Mexico, J. R. Poinsett, who found out they grew well in the U.S. after sending some to his home in S. Carolina.
Poinsettias have long been considered poisonous to humans, but according to the POISINDEX information service, a 50 lb child would have to eat around 500-600 leaves. The AMA handbook just lists occasional vomiting as side effects of ingestion of leaves.
 

Red and Green - Possibly from the Holly, which was a early Christmas decoration. Or from the AD325 council of Nicaea, which laid down guidelines for symbolism in church art; Red - blood, sacrifice, divine love, courage, & martyrdom, Green - stood for hope, earth growth, spring, safety, rest youth, & victory, Blue - divine mystery, eternity, & heaven, Purple - royalty & riches, Violet - justice, penitence, pain, pity, & sadness, Gold - Spiritual riches, achievement, & good life, White - purity, faith, truth, peace, & eternity, Black - evil & unknown.

Christmas Tree - No one knows for sure when the first use of Christmas tree started, but an early legend has it that an early Christian missionary St. Boniface who attempting to win over the pagan Germans on Christmas Eve, came upon a human sacrifice taking place under a sacred oak tree. Boniface took an ax and with one blow toppled the tree and at foot was a tiny evergreen, pointing at the tiny fir he explained Christ was like this tree, bringer of life and evergreen. This started a revival among the German pagans.
The Medieval church celebrated Adam and Eve day of Dec. 24th and used the evergreen tree with apples hung on it to represent the "paradise tree or tree of good and evil". Dec. 24th celebrated the fall of the first Adam and on Dec. 25th celebrated the birth of the second Adam with candles being added to the tree to represent Christ the "Light of the World".
Another legend gives Martin Luther the credit for the first Christmas tree in 18th century. While he was walking in an evergreen forest, on a Christmas Eve, he looked up at the stars in the sky that were twinkling among the trees, impressed he went home and decorated a tree with candles. He cited Isa. 60:13 as his Biblical authority for it.
Be sure and note Jer. 10:2-6, many believe this is a direct description of heathens putting up “Christmas Trees”.
Of note, hired Hessians were thought to have brought the Christmas tree tradition to the United States in 1776 [see Twelve days of Christmas]. It became popular among the English when Prince Albert, the German husband of Queen Victoria brought the tradition to England in 1841, which then followed the English immigrants to America.
“The National Christmas Tree Association” started the annual presentation of a Christmas tree the First Family, where it is displayed in the White House's Blue room. President Lydon B. Johnson being the first to receive in 1966.
The Douglas fir, Balsam fir and Scotch pine are the most popular of the types of evergreens sold in the U.S. for Christmas trees today. Most fragrant are the two firs, the Scotch pine is popular because it can be neglected and not drop many needles.
 

Twelve Days of Christmas – The Western churches’ date for Jesus’ birth was Dec. 25th, the Eastern churches’ date was Jan. 6th and in the late 4th century they adopted one another’s dates. Christmas now started with Dec. 25th and ended with Epiphany, Jan. 6th, thus giving 12 days of Christmas. Starting in medieval times, Christmas feasting developed into a time of unequaled revelry, mainly in England, where Kings and Bishops tried to out do each other in the splendor of their apparel, entertainment's, pageantry, tournaments, and banquets. Finally in 1647, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed by the Puritan’s Lord Olivar Cromwell. After years of outcry by the people it was restored in England in 1660, but in America it was not restored until the State of Alabama did in 1836 with Oklahoma being the last state to restore it in 1890.
By the way, Gen. Washington and 2,500 continental soldiers crossed the Delaware river on Christmas night in 1776 and caught the German Hessians by surprise, they were still celebrating Christmas. The Americans didn't observe Christmas at this time.
Another note, on Christmas, in 1914 the Germans started singing carols and putting up make-shift Christmas trees in their trenches, the British recognized the tunes and joined in, soon soldiers from both sides were out of the trenches giving presents of anything they had to the 'enemy', even playing football together. The war was back on the next day.
 

The Twelve Days of Christmas Song I have no idea who wrote what seems to be a nonsensical song, but it's recorded as being written during the period of time when Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith without punishment (which would explain why no one credits themselves for penning it), the song was to help children to remember the tenets of their faith.
The true love was God Himself.
The me was any baptized person.
The partridge in a pear tree was Christ and may of referred to Matt. 23:37 and Luke 13:34.
The 2 turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
3 French hens stood for faith, hope and love. (1 Cor. 13) The Theological Virtues
The 4 calling birds were the 4 gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Four Evangelists
The 5 golden rings recalled the Torah or law; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. The Law or Pentateuch.
The 6 geese a laying were the 6 days of creation.
The 7 swans a swimming were the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 7:30) The 7 Sacraments.
The 8 maids a milking were the eight Beatitudes. (Matt. 5-6).
The 9 ladies dancing were the 9 truths of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5).
The 10 Lords a leaping were the 10 Commandments.
The 11 pipers piping were the 11 faithful apostles.
The 12 drummers drumming symbolized the 12 points of belief in the Apostle Creed.
You can see and hear the The 12 days of Christmas here
 

Wreaths - In ancient Rome, people hung decorative wreaths as sign of victory. The hanging of Christmas wreath seems to have derived from this. Denoting the victory of God over Satan with Jesus' birth into the world.
 

Elf, Elves - Small fairytale beings with magical powers and usually invisible to human eyes. Elves are of Germanic Mythology, but known by many names in different cultures. Elfin magic is used when trying to explain the unexplainable. Elves are blamed for moving items you just laid down, but so you can't find them now or finding something somewhere you don't remember putting it. Also being friends of an Elf would explain why someone becomes rich.
Most Elfin creatures are considered mischievous and fun loving, doing things to humans to get a laugh for themselves, mainly working at night while the humans sleep. Of the Elfin creatures that sometimes bring good to humans are; Fairies, Brownies, Pixies, Nisses, Fays, Sprites, Kobolds and Leprechauns, among which are Santa's Elves, with Santa being the head Elf himself. The Elfin creatures that usually bring bad to humans are; Trolls, Pucks, Imps, Hobgoblins, Gremlins, and Gnomes, some of which is said to get their magical power from the Devil himself.

Carols - Came from a Greek word for a dance accompanied by flute music. By the 1600's, carols involved singing mainly of Christmas songs or hymns. Most carols were composed in the 1700's and 1800's.

Candy Canes - A 18th century English candy maker decided to make a candy commemorating Christmas (this was during the time that Christmas celebrating was outlawed in England) , the result was a candy cane representing the Shepherds staff and upside down, a letter for Jesus. Made of white candy to represent purity with 3 red stripes for the Trinity and 1 large red stripe for Jesus' blood later shed.
 

Candles - An early pagan tradition of lighting candles to drive away the forces of cold and darkness. The Romans decorated their temples with greenery and candles. The early Christians started to light candles as symbolic of the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World. In can also be associated with the Jewish feast of Hanukkah.
 

Cards - Began with school children drawing pictures of biblical scenes and a message like Happy Holidays and I promise to be good, etc., and giving to their parents before Christmas. In 1846 after the advent of the British postal system, the first Christmas Card was produced, showing a family celebrating a Christmas dinner in center and on each side were acts of charity picturing feeding and clothing the poor, with the message "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You.", by John Calcott Horsley, 1000 were made.

Bells - An early pagan winter celebration of ringing of bells to drive out evil spirits.
Later the tradition began to ring bells on Christmas Eve to welcome in the spirit of Christmas with joyful noise. In Norway bells are still rang through out the country on Christmas Eve at 5pm. In Yorkshire, England on Christmas Eve, the bell is rung once for each year that has passed since the birth of Christ.

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