As the year draws to a close, it's a great time to brush up on your holiday trivia knowledge. There's something fascinating to learn about every tradition, from where the customs originated to how they've evolved over time. In this article, we'll be exploring some interesting holiday trivia from around the world.
(Image: https://drscdn.500px.org/photo/1091736752/m3D1/v2?sig=ce2d62e231b2712174f7856f0bd15fe0672ef6d1f10ced7294c05b55800c76be)The origin of Christmas trees can be traced back to Germany in the 16th century, but it wasn't until Queen Victoria popularized them in England in the 19th century that they became a staple in many households around the world. The tradition of exchanging gifts on Christmas is believed to have originated in the Roman Empire, where gift-giving was a common practice during the winter solstice celebration.
New Year's Eve, meanwhile, has roots in the ancient Roman festival of “Saturnalia,” which was celebrated in mid-December. Today, the celebration is marked with parties and ring-shaped cakes, symbolizing the passing of the old year and the arrival of the new.
Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Temple Mount) in Jerusalem. The eight-day festival begins with the lighting of the menorah, a lamp stand with nine candles. Each night, one additional candle is lit, until finally, on the last day, the “shamash” (a helper candle) is used to light the others.
Kwanzaa, the African-American holiday, is a seven-day celebration that begins on December 26, and it's based on seven principles called the “Nguzo Saba” which teaches about self-determination, self-respect, family, community, cooperative economics, creativity and faith.
Gift-giving at Christmas is believed to have been inspired by three wise men who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus. It's said that good King Wenceslas was the first person to go out on Christmas Eve to seek for poor people and give them food in the 14th century, This tradition continued in Bohemia, Germany, and Austria, and later spread to other countries in Europe and North America.
In many countries, people celebrate Three Kings Day and children receive toys on this occasion, the date in the new year is January 6th. Santa Claus's origin can be traced back to the pre-Christian Hellenic and Roman cultures. Lapland was traditionally believed to be the home of Santa Claus, who was reinvented as the “Christmas spirit” or “Father Christmas” in Victorian England, where storybooks and illustrations popularised the name Santa Claus as the name for the Christmas figure. If you want to learn more about Thanksgiving in America, you could be interested in the fact that Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in Canada, which is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to gather together, enjoy each other's company and express gratitude.
Winter Solstice is an important time of the year as the sun seems to stand still, it marks the shortest day of the year and pagan festival called Yule celebrates the return of the Sun and the beginning of longer days. In ancient Rome, the festival of Sol Invictus, “the unconquered sun” was held at the winter solstice, to welcome the lengthening of the days and brighter nights. In many cultures, it was believed that on New Year's Eve one could scare evil spirits by lighting white round objects called “kolaches” or “pivning” that can still be seen in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Lithuania. So what else do you not know about Christmas and New Year Cards? How many Christmas cards did Queen Victoria start the tradition, and how many nights are people supposed to give each other As we wind down to the end of the year, people across the world will celebrate the holiday season with gift-giving, feasting, and general merriment. Here's something you may not have know: Kwanzaa, as a harvest festival, and Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, celebrate the rededication and thanksgiving at the time of year the shortest day and the longest night. Did you know you see that New years eve is the last night of the old year and first night of the New Year?
These and many other fascinating fact sand quirky customs can be found by watching your favorite American sitcom, show or even some holiday sing-a-long on TV. The TV show “The Sing-Off” has a line-up of holiday-themed episodes that run through the New Year. From the other side of the world there's a Japanese TV show “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” which was directed by David Lean, who used a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, based on the Japanese movie “Tokyo's Emperor Hirohito's wife Empress Nagako had a ceremony to meet the children of Japan to catch up with them and their children.
In conclusion, the end of the year calls for a break from the daily rush, a moment to appreciate the true meaning of the celebrations, and making the most of it to the next year, and perhaps a chance to spread some cheer, Happy Holidays to you and yours, and I wish you a happy holiday and a happy new year to you and your families. Happy Holidays.
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