Children everywhere awake Christmas morning to a roomful of presents, conveniently delivered by jolly, plump Santa Claus. Christmas trees are a festive reminder of the winter season, but are now posing as environmentally unfriendly due to the mass amounts needed during the Christmas season. Mistletoe and boughs of holly draped above fireplace heaths are romantic aspects to the holiday. We hold these “facts” to be true because society and popular opinion deem them to be so. But, are we lying to ourselves about Christmas? Here are a few myths that we found it necessary to bust before we begin our delightful winter break.
Myth #1: Santa Claus has always been jolly and slightly on the tubby side. We have always accepted the gift-giver’s physique to be inherent, that our plates of cookies and warm cups of milk attributed to his jolly self. Contrary to popular belief, Santa Claus was once thin and beardless. It was only after a series of alterations – Santa gained some weight in 1809, adopted flying reindeer in 1821, and slipped down chimneys in 1837—did Santa turn out to be the jolly fat man with a flowing white beard and dressed in a red suit we picture today.
Myth #2: We harm the environment by using real Christmas trees and instead, should buy environmentally-friendly fake ones. Environmentalists around the world protest the use of real Christmas trees, convinced that entire forests are being destroyed because of this festive practice. What the public fails to know, however, is that there are entire farms dedicated to growing Christmas trees. None of them actually come from natural forests. When the holiday season rolls around, Christmas trees are chopped down from the farms and sold. For every tree sold, the farm plants 1-3 seedlings for the coming year. Fake trees actually harm the environment more than real ones. While real trees are 100% biodegradable and recyclable, plastic fake trees are not and ironically, come in sturdy cardboard boxes made of what else other than trees.
Myth #3: The abbreviation Xmas that is commonly used to stand for Christmas is offensive to religious people. This myth is completely unfounded. The abbreviation is derived from the Greek alphabet, which notes that X is the letter Chi. Chi is the first letter of Christ’s name. While some believe that Xmas the nonreligious way of saying Christmas, it has been proven historically that both refer back to Jesus Christ.
Myth #4: Mistletoe is the romantic symbol of Christmas that allows couples to justify display public displays of affection. Dating back to the Middle Ages, kissing under the mistletoe was regarded as having magical healing powers. The Scandinavians thought of the mistletoe as a ‘peace’ plant, a way to mend broken relationships and help husbands and wives make up. Instead of being the symbol of love and affection it is today, mistletoe used to the plant of apology to make saying “I’m sorry” just a little bit easier.
Now that you’re well informed about the Christmas you thought you knew, feel free to share with the world your newfound knowledge. Now you can relax, put up an eco-friendly real tree, send a mistletoe over to your enemy (no guarantees it’ll be a peaceful reunion), and last but certainly not least, have a Merry Xmas!
Myth #1: Santa Claus has always been jolly and slightly on the tubby side. We have always accepted the gift-giver’s physique to be inherent, that our plates of cookies and warm cups of milk attributed to his jolly self. Contrary to popular belief, Santa Claus was once thin and beardless. It was only after a series of alterations – Santa gained some weight in 1809, adopted flying reindeer in 1821, and slipped down chimneys in 1837—did Santa turn out to be the jolly fat man with a flowing white beard and dressed in a red suit we picture today.
Myth #2: We harm the environment by using real Christmas trees and instead, should buy environmentally-friendly fake ones. Environmentalists around the world protest the use of real Christmas trees, convinced that entire forests are being destroyed because of this festive practice. What the public fails to know, however, is that there are entire farms dedicated to growing Christmas trees. None of them actually come from natural forests. When the holiday season rolls around, Christmas trees are chopped down from the farms and sold. For every tree sold, the farm plants 1-3 seedlings for the coming year. Fake trees actually harm the environment more than real ones. While real trees are 100% biodegradable and recyclable, plastic fake trees are not and ironically, come in sturdy cardboard boxes made of what else other than trees.
Myth #3: The abbreviation Xmas that is commonly used to stand for Christmas is offensive to religious people. This myth is completely unfounded. The abbreviation is derived from the Greek alphabet, which notes that X is the letter Chi. Chi is the first letter of Christ’s name. While some believe that Xmas the nonreligious way of saying Christmas, it has been proven historically that both refer back to Jesus Christ.
Myth #4: Mistletoe is the romantic symbol of Christmas that allows couples to justify display public displays of affection. Dating back to the Middle Ages, kissing under the mistletoe was regarded as having magical healing powers. The Scandinavians thought of the mistletoe as a ‘peace’ plant, a way to mend broken relationships and help husbands and wives make up. Instead of being the symbol of love and affection it is today, mistletoe used to the plant of apology to make saying “I’m sorry” just a little bit easier.
Now that you’re well informed about the Christmas you thought you knew, feel free to share with the world your newfound knowledge. Now you can relax, put up an eco-friendly real tree, send a mistletoe over to your enemy (no guarantees it’ll be a peaceful reunion), and last but certainly not least, have a Merry Xmas!