{"id":338032,"date":"2015-12-18T09:09:17","date_gmt":"2015-12-18T01:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mariefranceasia.com\/uncategorized-hk\/4-facts-christmas-didnt-know-338032.html"},"modified":"2015-12-18T09:09:17","modified_gmt":"2015-12-18T01:09:17","slug":"4-facts-christmas-didnt-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mariefranceasia.com\/hk\/events-hk\/christmas-special-hk\/lifestyle-travel-hk\/4-facts-christmas-didnt-know-338032.html","title":{"rendered":"4 Facts about Christmas you didn\u2019t know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christmas is a beloved holiday, but how many of us actually know why Christmas is the way it is today?<\/p>

It can seem like rather an ironic celebration. For a Christian holiday, it has huge commercial significance and is celebrated by a diverse population of people regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. Its signature icons \u2013 Santa Claus<\/a>, Christmas trees and Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer - have little to do with its supposedly Christian origins. Even the messages it sends are mixed. It is the time for giving and receiving, humble reflection and roaring decadence<\/a>.<\/p>

Bemused by the stark contrasts? Here are 10 facts about everyone\u2019s favourite holiday that might cause you to question life itself.<\/p>

It\u2019s not the birthday of Jesus Christ<\/span> <\/h2>

Let\u2019s get this straight. Jesus was not born on December 25. In fact, most historians agree that he was born in the summer. Even the bible mentions that he was born during the \u201cfullness of time\u201d (Galatians 4:4-5), which doesn\u2019t really describe winter.<\/p>

Christmas kinda stole another holiday<\/span> <\/h2>

So why do we think Jesus was born in the winter? December 25 was chosen as the day because it coincided with the pagan festival of Saturnalia, which celebrated the agricultural god Saturn. Many of our Christmas traditions today have roots in Saturnalia including partying<\/a>, gift giving and Christmas trees. The latter was a practice done to guard the life of the tree-spirits during the barren winters.<\/p>

Santa Claus is a complete commercial fabrication<\/span> <\/h2>

The Santa we know today was created in 1804, at a meeting of the New York Historical Society, where member John Pintard handed out wooden cutouts of jolly old St. Nick. His trademarked uniform was blue, white and green till Coca Cola changed it to their company colours of red and white in their Christmas ad in the 1930s<\/p>

Sorry, but Rudolph is fake too<\/span> <\/h2>

The red-nosed reindeer was conceived by a department store called Montgomery Ward, as a marketing gimmick to promote holiday colouring books. Rudolph almost didn\u2019t have a red nose either as Montgomery Ward thought it promoted alcoholism.<\/p>

Amanda Lim<\/em><\/p>

Photo: Getty Images<\/em><\/p> ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Warning: These facts might make you question why you\u2019re celebrating the season at all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":506,"featured_media":143724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Nothing is what it seems - not even Christmas. 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