Credits to http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/facts.htm
1.In the Ukraine, if you find a spider web in the house on Christmas morning, it is believed to be a harbinger of good luck! There once lived a woman so poor, says a Ukrainian folk tale, that she could not afford Christmas decorations for her family. One Christmas morning, she awoke to find that spiders had trimmed her children’s tree with their webs. When the morning sun shone on them, the webs turned to silver and gold. An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees
2.At Christmas, it is traditional to exchange kisses beneath the mistletoe tree. In ancient Scandinavia, mistletoe was associated with peace and friendship. That may account for the custom of "kissing beneath the mistletoe
".
3.'Klaxon' is a name that does not belong to one of Santa’s reindeer. A klaxon is actually a powerful electric horn. Its name comes from a German word meaning "shriek".
4.In many households, part of the fun of eating Christmas pudding is finding a trinket that predicts your fortune for the coming year. For instance, finding a coin means you will become wealthy. A ring means you will get married; while a button predicts bachelorhood. The idea of hiding something in the pudding comes from the tradition in the Middle Ages of hiding a bean in a cake that was served on Twelfth Night. Whoever found the bean became "king" for the rest of the night.
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5 Frumenty was a spiced porridge, enjoyed by both rich and poor. It was a forerunner of modern Christmas puddings. It is linked in legend to the Celtic god Dagda, who stirred a porridge made up of all the good things of the earth.
6 In Greek legend, malicious creatures called Kallikantzaroi sometimes play troublesome pranks at Christmas time. In order to get rid of them, salt or an old shoe is burnt. The pungent burning stench drives off, or at least helps discourage, the Kallikantzaroi. Other techniques include hanging a pig’s jawbone by the door and keeping a large fire so they can’t sneak down the chimney.
7 The poinsettia is a traditional Christmas flower. In Mexico (its original birthplace), the poinsettia is known as the "Flower of the Holy Night".
8 Louis Prang, a Bavarian-born lithographer who came to the USA from Germany in the 19th century, popularized the sending of printed Christmas cards. He invented a way of reproducing color oil paintings, the "chromolithograph technique", and created a card with the message "Merry Christmas" as a way of showing it off.
9 The "Urn of Fate" is part of the Christmas celebrations in many Italian households. The Urn of Fate is brought out on Christmas Eve. It holds a wrapped present for everyone. The mother tries her luck first, then the others in turn. If you get a present with your name on it, you keep it; otherwise, you put it back and try again.
10 In Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is the Julbukk, a small figurine of a goat. It is usually made of straw. Scandinavian Christmas festivities feature a variety of straw decorations in the form of stars, angels, hearts and other shapes, as well as the Julbukk
Credits to http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/facts.htm
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Quote
Worst excuse for not turning in homework: I couldn't find anyone to copy it from.
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
"Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the world together."
He who laughs last didn't get it.
After twelve years of therapy my psychiatrist said something that brought tears to my eyes. He said, "No hablo ingles."
Everyone has photographic memory; some just don't have the film.
There are three sides of an argument -- your side, my side and the right side.
Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else
If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the Up button.
I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give the wrong answers.
The road to success is always under construction.
Ideas don't stay in some minds very long because they don't like solitary confinement.
Whatever it is -- I didn't do it!
Why is it called 'after dark' when it really is 'after light'?
No,please don't eat me. I have a wife and kids,eat them. - Homer
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
"Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the world together."
He who laughs last didn't get it.
After twelve years of therapy my psychiatrist said something that brought tears to my eyes. He said, "No hablo ingles."
Everyone has photographic memory; some just don't have the film.
There are three sides of an argument -- your side, my side and the right side.
Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else
If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the Up button.
I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give the wrong answers.
The road to success is always under construction.
Ideas don't stay in some minds very long because they don't like solitary confinement.
Whatever it is -- I didn't do it!
Why is it called 'after dark' when it really is 'after light'?
What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.
You know the speed of light;so what is the speed of dark ?No,please don't eat me. I have a wife and kids,eat them. - Homer
"Press any key to continue, where's the any key?" - Homer
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