Leaping Kangaroos

Sunday, December 25, 2011 @ 6:30 PM

That's my favourite picture of the Christmas decoration on my banister, haha. Waiting patiently for this glorious day to post it on my blog. Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock! Boy, I sure am saturated with the Christmas spirit now yo. Many thanks to those for your lovely gifts; I feel so embarrassed as I didn't prepare any. Dreadfully sorry. D: Anyway, as I've promised days ago, I'll blog something about Christmas! I've done a little Christmas research lately and found out so many mind-blowing facts. So, here's a short list of unusual and interesting facts/misconceptions about Christmas that you didn't know. Enjoy! :)

1. Xmas

Anything wrong with that statement? NO. Many have started calling Christmas "Xmas" instead and that one small word caused anger among many Christians (like Su Li) as they consider it to be disrespectful to replace Christ’s name with an "X" - even going so far as to think that it's a ploy by anti-Christians to de-Christianify Christmas (LOL). However, Xmas is almost as old as the feast it refers to - the "X" is actually the Greek letter for "chi" which is the first letter of Christ’s name in Greek (Χριστός). Xmas is every bit as religious as Christmas. So, Su Li, it's okay to say "Merry Xmas" instead of "Merry Christmas". :P

2. Twelve Days of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas refers to the twelve days between Christmas Day (December 25) and the Feast of Epiphany (January 6). Tradition has it that this is the time taken by the Three Wise Men (the Magi) to reach Bethlehem to see the baby in the manger, Jesus.

3. Three Wise Men

Well, actually, there weren’t three of them and they didn’t visit Jesus in the manger. The Bible didn't state the number of men but did the number of gifts as three which is probably where this misconception stems from. Additionally, Herod demanded the death of all boys under two, making it probable that Jesus had been born up to two years prior. Also, the wise men visited Jesus when he lived in a house according to the Biblical account in MATTHEW 2:11. ._.

4. The Journey to Bethlehem

Mary is not described in the Bible as having travelled to Bethlehem on a donkey. No mention is made at all in the gospels of the mode of transport used in the journey. The first mention of her riding a donkey comes from the non-Biblical PROTOEVANGELIUM OF JAMES. It was written around 150AD and is also one of the oldest works to describe Mary as a virgin both before and after the birth of Christ. The exact quote from the Protoevangelium is “And he (Joseph, that is) saddled the ass, and set her upon it;”.

5. Santa Claus

Okay, you guys probably know this one. For those who didn't, Santa Claus is actually based on the early Church Bishop named Saint Nicholas. He was born during the third century (around 270 AD) in the village of Patara in Turkey, and was known for secretly giving gifts of money to the poor. The modern image of him as a jolly man in red most likely comes from the 1823 poem "A visit from St. Nicholas" also known as "The Night before Christmas".

6. Peppermint Candy Canes(!!!)

This one is my favourite as there's a history behind this yummy treat. :D In the late 1800s, a candy maker in Indiana wanted to express the meaning of Christmas through a symbol made of candy so that fella came up with the idea of bending one of his white candy sticks into the shape of a candy cane. He incorporated several symbols of Christ’s love and sacrifice through the candy cane. First, he used a plain white peppermint stick. The color white symbolises the purity and sinless nature of Jesus. Next, he added three small stripes to symbolise the pain inflicted upon Jesus before His death on the cross. There are three of them to represent the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He added a bold stripe to represent the blood Jesus shed for us. When looked at with the crook on top, it looks like a shepherd’s staff because Jesus is the shepherd of man. If you turn it upside down, it becomes the letter "J" which represents the first letter in Jesus’ name. So cool! :D That candy maker made these candy canes for Christmas so everyone would remember what Christmas is all about. What a smart guy. :)

7. Christmas Stockings

The tradition of people hanging stockings over the fireplace on Christmas Eve comes from England. The legend of St. Nicholas has it that he was a kind saint who was believed to have left gifts of gold coins in the stockings of three poor maidens, who badly needed the money for their wedding dowries. They hung their stockings to dry over the fireplace, and to their great surprise, they found bags of gold in them the next morning. Thus, following this, children kept hanging Christmas stockings over the fireplace on Christmas Eve in the hope that Santa would drop gifts and toys in them.

8. Mistletoe

Everybody knows that's a plant hung on the doorway of every American household during Christmas. The mistletoe symbolises love, having been closely associated with Frigga, the Scandinavian's goddess of love. That's why people think that if you stand under a mistletoe, you'll be kissed. WTH, hahaha.

9. Christmas Crackers

Did you know Americans don't have Christmas crackers? ._. Just found out recently. In the UK and many commonwealth countries, Christmas crackers (not the food lah) are placed on the table and everyone pairs up to "pull" one. The cracker is a small tube of cardboard with a gift inside and a strip of paper that emits a bang when pulled. This is all covered with decorative paper and shaped to look like a bonbon. Crackers often include a little joke, a toy and sometimes a party hat - all of which is usually kept by the person who ends up with the largest part of the cracker when it is pulled. Super cheap crackers or very expensive ones are available, that's why they are usually found in the homes of everyone, rich or poor, at Christmas. That one above costs USD$1000 from Harrods, OMG. :O Crackers were invented by Tom Smith (a candy seller, surprisingly) in 1847. So many smart candy sellers last time. LOL.

10. Holly Boughs

The boughs of holly are another very important symbol of Christmas. These are red berries with thorny leaves. To us Christians, the holly berries symbolise God's blood and the sharply pointed leaves stand for the thorns in His crown. Hence, the holly became part of the Nativity tradition.

With everything said and done, I hope I've managed to clear up some confusions about Christmas for you. Now, I wanna wish the king of kings a super duper happy birthday! :D Blessed birthday to our Lord, Jesus Christ and because of Him, we are all saved by His grace and power! Thank you, Father Lord for sending your beloved Son down to Earth from heaven. Best gift ever. :')

Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years... Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart. - George Matthew Adams

So true. FYI, that's my favourite Christmas quote of all. :] BTW, happy birthday to LIEW CHAI HUI! :D Thanks for being such a great friend throughout this year! Well, guys, what are you waiting for? Hope along now and go celebrate this joyful season with your family and friends. Once again, Merry Christmas and a blessed new year to all of you! x

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