~ The common abbreviation for Christmas to Xmas is derived from the Greek alaphabet. X is letter Chi, which is the first letter of Christ's name in the Greek alphabet.

        ~ Christmas carols were banned by Oliver Cromwell, in
England between 1649 and 1660. Cromwell thought that Christmas should be a very solemn day, so he banned carols and parties. The only celebration was by a sermon and a prayer service.

        ~ In 1643, the British Parliament officially abolishes the celebration of Christmas.  The Puritans in America tried to make Thanksgiving Day the most important annual festival instead of Christmas.

        ~ The first American Christmas carol was written in       1649 by a minister named John de Brebeur and is called       "Jesus is Born".

        ~ Silent Night was written in 1818, by an Austrian priest Joseph Mohr. He was told the day before Christmas that the church organ was broken and would not be prepared in time for Christmas Eve. He was saddened by this and could not think of Christmas without music, so he wanted to write a carol that could be sung by choir to guitar music. He sat down and wrote three stanzas. Later that night the people in the little Austrian Church sang "Stille Nacht" for the first time.

        ~ St Francis of Assisi introduced Christmas Carols to
formal church services.

        ~ Telesphorus, the second Bishop of Rome (125-136 AD) declared that public Church services should be held to celebrate "The Nativity of our Lord and Savior." In 320 AD, Pope Julius I and other religious leaders specified 25 December as the official date of the birth of Jesus Christ.

        ~ 26 December was traditionally known as Saint Stephen's Day, but is more commonly known as Boxing Day. This expression came about because money was collected in alms-boxes placed in churches during the festive season. This money was then distributed during to the poor and needy after Christmas.

        ~ The first printed reference to Christmas trees      appeared in Germany in 1531.

        ~ In 1836, Alabama is the first state in the USA to       declare Christmas a legal holiday.

        ~  In 1834, Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert       brought the first Christmas tree to Windsor Castle for the Royal family.

            ~ In 1843, the first Christmas card was printed in       England for Sir Henry Cole. He was busy man who wanted to save time on his own Christmas letters, but was also inter- ested in encouraging the expansion of the postal system.  1000 copies of the card were sold at one shilling each. It was not until the 1860s that the production of cards accelerated, with cheaper printing methods. Then in 1870, the Post Office introduced a half penny stamp for sending cards.

        ~ In 1856, President Franklin Pierce decorates the first White House Christmas tree.

        ~ In 1907, Oklahoma became the last USA state to       declare Christmas a legal holiday.

        ~ At midnight on Christmas Eve 1914 firing from the    German trenches suddenly stopped. A German brass band   began playing Christmas carols. Early, Christmas morning, the German soldiers came out of their trenches, approaching the Allied lines, calling "Merry Christmas". At first the Allied soldiers thought it was a trick, but they soon climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the German soldiers.  The truce lasted a few days, and the men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings, sang carols and songs. They even played a game of soccer.

        ~ In 1937, the first postage stamp to commemorate     Christmas was issued in Austria.

        ~ Every year since 1947 the people in Oslo have given a
Christmas tree to the city of Westminster.  The gift is an       expression of goodwill and gratitude for Britain's help to Norway in the 1939-1945 war.

        ~ In 1974, the Australian city of Darwin is devestated
late on Christmas Eve and in the early hours of the morning by Cyclone Tracy.
 

        ~ 6 December is St Nicholas's Day - the first of the      gift giving days, especially in Holland and Belgium.  Some      priests in Australia advise you to say "Happy Christmas", not "Merry Christmas", because merry has connotations of getting drunk - which brings its own problems. One should say "Happy" instead.

        ~ The actual gift givers are different in various countries:

- Spain and South America: The Three Kings
- Italy: La Befana (a kindly old witch)
- England: Father Christmas
- France: Pere Noel (Father Christmas)
- Russia: In some parts - Babouschka (a grandmotherly figure) Other parts it is Grandfather Frost.
- Germany: Christkind (angelic messenger from Jesus).  She is a beautiful fair haired girl with a shining crown of candles.
- Scandinavia: a variety of Christmas gnomes. One is called Julenisse
- Holland: St Nicholas.
 
 

 

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