Christmas Myths

Headline ideas:
-Four Christmas Myths Explored
-Behind America’s Most Celebrated Holiday

Christmas: a time where giving is more important than getting. The aroma of hot chocolate breezing through the chilly winter air is matched only with the laughter of children as they receive their long awaited presents. Originally a Christian holiday, it is celebrated by many non-Christians who have helped evolve Christmas into what we know today. The modern interpretation of the holiday has changed dramatically throughout the years, but there is still a cloud of mystery surrounding it. The interest of the holiday has created various myths that people still do not know the truth of:

Myth #1 Santa was always the chubby jolly gift-giver: Santa Claus has been made an iconic symbol as a jolly, rather large, and bearded man through Christmas specials, books, and songs. People believe that he has looked like that since the beginning of the holiday, but this is false. The first origins of Santa were based on a fourth century bishop, Saint Nicholas of Myra. It wasn’t until after the Civil War did the recent Santa begin to form; before that he was described as a thin and breadless man. The Coca-Cola Company took part in modernizing the image of Santa by giving him a large beard and smile, printing him on Christmas cans and bottles.

Myth #2 Companies shattered the meaning of Christmas: When companies started using Christmas as an opportunity to sell their products, there was a major backlash from citizens. The citizens said that the companies were ruining the holiday, but they instead did the opposite. Before the Civil War, Christmas was a time of hostility in Boston. The holiday was hated since it reminded the Boston citizens of the Great Britain and the Church of England which they’ve been trying desperately to escape when they decided to move to America. It was scorned so much that the east coast of the United States banned it for 25 years. It wasn’t until companies helped restore the image with ads in newspaper, that it became a national holiday.

Myth #3 You save a tree by buying a fake one: Christmas trees have always been a tradition, but recently people have been swapping them for plastic trees. Countless of people say that they don’t want to hurt the environment, but what they don’t know is that Christmas trees are grown to be Christmas trees. It is often believed that the trees are cut straight from the forest, but in reality farmers rent off plots of land to plant trees just for the purpose of the holiday.

Myth #4 Christmas Cards are just a marketing ploy: Throughout the many years that Christmas cards have been given away with gifts, people have criticized Christmas cards as just being another marketing strategy to earn money. However, they made writing holiday greetings convenient. The first Christmas cards were created by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 since he was too busy to write to all his friends and family. It wasn’t until 1875 that the concepts of mass-produced cards caught on, and were sold to the public.

Although 1000 years ago people celebrated Christmas differently, it has always been a time for people to relax and reminisce about the year. The current version of the holiday has been transformed by products and television specials. While not many people know about the origin and evolution of one of America’s most celebrated holiday, they still decorate their houses with ornaments, lights, and the iconic Christmas tree. If a person wants to truly celebrate the holiday, they first must learn about its history and origin, as well as what separates the truth from fiction.

EDIT 1

Christmas: a time where [when] giving is more important than getting. The aroma of hot chocolate breezing [word choice] through the chilly winter air is matched only with [by] the laughter of children as they receive their long awaited presents. Originally a Christian holiday, it is celebrated by many non-Christians who have helped evolve Christmas into what we know today. The modern interpretation of the holiday has changed dramatically throughout the years, but there is still a cloud of mystery surrounding it. The interest of the holiday has created various myths that people still do not know the truth of:

Myth #1 Santa was always the chubby jolly gift-giver: Santa Claus has been made an iconic symbol as a jolly, rather large, and bearded man through Christmas specials, books, and songs. People believe that he has looked like that since the beginning of the holiday, but this is false. The first origins of Santa were based on a fourth century bishop, Saint Nicholas of Myra. It wasn’t until after the Civil War did the recent Santa begin to form; before that he was described as a thin and breadless man. The Coca-Cola Company took part in modernizing the image of Santa by giving him a large beard and smile, printing him on Christmas cans and bottles.

Myth #2 Companies shattered the meaning of Christmas: When companies started using Christmas as an opportunity to sell their products, there was a major backlash from citizens. The citizens said that the companies were ruining the holiday, but they instead did the opposite. Before the Civil War, Christmas was a time of hostility in Boston. The holiday was hated since [because] it reminded the Boston citizens of the [delete] Great Britain and the Church of England which they’ve been trying desperately to escape when they decided to move to America [too lengthy]. It was scorned so much that the east coast of the United States banned it for 25 years. It wasn’t until [insert 'when'] companies helped restore the image with ads in newspaper, that it became a national holiday.

Myth #3 You save a tree by buying a fake one: Christmas trees have always been a tradition, but recently people have been swapping them for plastic trees. Countless of [delete] people say that they don’t want to hurt the environment, but what they don’t know is that Christmas trees are grown to be Christmas trees. It is often believed that the trees are cut straight from the forest, but in reality farmers rent off plots of land to plant trees just for the purpose of the holiday.

Myth #4 Christmas Cards [lowercase] are just a marketing ploy: Throughout the many years that Christmas cards have been given away with gifts, people have criticized Christmas cards as just being another marketing strategy to earn money. However, they made writing holiday greetings convenient. The first Christmas cards were created by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 since he was too busy to write to all his friends and family. It wasn’t until 1875 that the concepts [concept] of mass-produced cards caught on, and were sold to the public.

Although 1000 years ago people celebrated Christmas differently, it has always been a time for people to relax and reminisce about the year [word choice, maybe 'memories' would work better] . The current version of the holiday has been transformed by products and television specials. While not many people know about the origin and evolution of one of America’s most celebrated holiday, they still decorate their houses with ornaments, lights, and the iconic Christmas tree. If a person wants to truly celebrate the holiday, they first must learn about its history and origin, as well as what separates the truth from fiction.

Christmas: a time when giving is more important than getting. The aroma of hot chocolate gliding through the chilly winter air is matched only by the laughter of children as they receive their long awaited presents. Originally a Christian holiday, it is celebrated by many non-Christians who have helped evolve Christmas into what we know today. The modern interpretation of the holiday has changed dramatically throughout the years, but there is still a cloud of mystery surrounding it. The interest of the holiday has created various myths that people still do not know the truth of:

Myth #1 Santa was always the chubby jolly gift-giver: Santa Claus has been made an iconic symbol as a jolly, rather large, and bearded man through Christmas specials, books, and songs. People believe that he has looked like that since the beginning of the holiday, but this is false. The first origins of Santa were based on a fourth century bishop, Saint Nicholas of Myra. It wasn’t until after the Civil War did the recent Santa begin to form; before that he was described as a thin and breadless man. The Coca-Cola Company took part in modernizing the image of Santa by giving him a large beard and smile, printing him on Christmas cans and bottles.

Myth #2 Companies shattered the meaning of Christmas: When companies started using Christmas as an opportunity to sell their products, there was a major backlash from citizens. The citizens said that the companies were ruining the holiday, but they instead did the opposite. Before the Civil War, Christmas was a time of hostility in Boston. The holiday was hated because it reminded the Boston citizens of what they were trying desperately to escape when they moved to America, Great Britain and the Church of England. It was scorned so much that the east coast of the United States banned it for 25 years. It wasn’t until when companies helped restore the image with ads in newspaper, that it became a national holiday.

Myth #3 You save a tree by buying a fake one: Christmas trees have always been a tradition, but recently people have been swapping them for plastic trees. Countless people say that they don’t want to hurt the environment, but what they don’t know is that Christmas trees are grown to be Christmas trees. It is often believed that the trees are cut straight from the forest, but in reality farmers rent off plots of land to plant trees just for the purpose of the holiday.

Myth #4 Christmas cards are just a marketing ploy: Throughout the many years that Christmas cards have been given away with gifts, people have criticized Christmas cards as just being another marketing strategy to earn money. However, they made writing holiday greetings convenient. The first Christmas cards were created by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 since he was too busy to write to all his friends and family. It wasn’t until 1875 that the concept of mass-produced cards caught on, and were sold to the public.

Although 1000 years ago people celebrated Christmas differently, it has always been a time for people to relax and reminisce about their daily lives. The current version of the holiday has been transformed by products and television specials. While not many people know about the origin and evolution of one of America’s most celebrated holiday, they still decorate their houses with ornaments, lights, and the iconic Christmas tree. If a person wants to truly celebrate the holiday, they first must learn about its history and origin, as well as what separates the truth from fiction.

Christmas: a time when giving is more important than getting. The aroma of hot chocolate gliding [replace with 'wafting'] through the chilly winter air is matched only by the laughter of children as they receive their long awaited presents. Originally a Christian holiday, it [replace with 'Christmas'] is celebrated by many non-Christians who have helped evolve Christmas into what we know today [what we know it as today]. The modern interpretation of the holiday has changed dramatically throughout the years, but there is still a cloud of mystery surrounding it. The interest of the holiday has created various myths that people still do not know the truth of:

Myth #1 Santa was always the chubby jolly gift-giver: Santa Claus has been made an iconic symbol as a jolly, rather large, and bearded man through Christmas specials, books, and songs. People believe that he has looked like that since the beginning of the holiday, but this is false. The first [delete] origins of Santa were based on a fourth century bishop, Saint Nicholas of Myra. It wasn’t until after the Civil War did the recent Santa begin to form; before that he was described as a thin and breadless man. The Coca-Cola Company took part in modernizing the image of Santa by giving him a large beard and smile, printing him on Christmas cans and bottles.

Myth #2 Companies shattered the meaning of Christmas: When companies started using Christmas as an opportunity to sell their products, there was a major backlash from citizens. The citizens said that the companies were ruining the holiday, but they instead did the opposite. Before the Civil War, Christmas was a time of hostility in Boston. The holiday was hated because it reminded the Boston citizens of what they were trying desperately to escape when they moved to America, [replace with colon] Great Britain and the Church of England. It [replace with 'Christmas'] was scorned so much that the east coast of the United States banned it for 25 years. It wasn’t until when companies helped restore the image with ads in newspaper, [delete] that it became a national holiday.

Myth #3 You save a tree by buying a fake one: Christmas trees have always been a tradition, but recently people have been swapping them for plastic trees. Countless people say that they don’t want to hurt the environment, but what they don’t know is that Christmas trees are grown to be Christmas trees. [ehh..kind of confusing. maybe say 'Christmas trees are grown especially for their use during the holidays.'] It is often believed that the trees are cut straight from the forest, but in reality farmers rent off plots of land to plant trees just for the purpose of the holiday.

Myth #4 Christmas cards are just a marketing ploy: Throughout the many years that Christmas cards have been given away with gifts, people have criticized Christmas cards as just being another marketing strategy to earn money. However, they made writing holiday greetings convenient. The first Christmas cards were created by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 since he was too busy to write to all his friends and family. It wasn’t until 1875 that the concept of mass-produced cards caught on, [delete] and were sold to the public.

Although 1000 years ago people celebrated Christmas differently, it has always been a time for people to relax and reminisce about their daily lives [replace with 'past memories']. The current version of the holiday has been transformed by products and television specials. While not many people know about the origin and evolution of one of America’s most celebrated holiday, they still decorate their houses with ornaments, lights, and the iconic Christmas tree. If a person wants to truly celebrate the holiday, they first must learn about its history and origin, as well as what separates the truth from fiction.

Christmas: a time when giving is more important than getting. Originally a Christian holiday, Christmas is celebrated by many non-Christians who have helped evolve Christmas into what we know it as today. The modern interpretation of the holiday has changed dramatically throughout the years, but there is still a cloud of mystery surrounding it. The interest of the holiday have sparked various myths that people still don’t know the truth of.

Myth #1 Santa was always the chubby jolly gift-giver: Santa Claus has been made an iconic symbol as a jolly, rather large, and bearded man through Christmas specials, books, and songs. The origins of Santa were based on a fourth century bishop, Saint Nicholas of Myra. It wasn’t until after the Civil War did the recent Santa begin to form. Coca-Cola took part in modernizing the image of Santa by giving him a large beard and smile, printing him on Christmas cans and bottles.

Myth #2 Companies shattered the meaning of Christmas: When companies started using Christmas as an opportunity to sell their products, there was a major backlash from citizens. The citizens stated the products were ruining the holiday, but they instead did the opposite. Before the Civil War, Christmas was always a time of hostility in Boston for it reminding them of what they despised so greatly: Great Britain. Christmas was scorned so much that Boston banned it for 25 years. It wasn’t until companies helped restore the image with their products that it became a national holiday.

Myth #3 You save a tree by buying a fake one: Christmas trees have always been a tradition, but recently people have been swapping them for plastic trees. Countless people say that they don’t want to harm the environment, but what they don’t know is that Christmas trees are grown especially for their use during the holidays. It is often believed that the trees are cut straight from the forest, but in reality farmers rent off plots of land to plant trees just for the purpose of the holiday.

Myth #4 Christmas cards are just a marketing ploy: Throughout the many years that Christmas cards have been given away, people have criticized Christmas cards as just being another marketing strategy to earn money. However, they made writing holiday greetings convenient. The first Christmas cards were created by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 since he was too busy to write to all his friends. It wasn’t until 1875 that the concept of mass-produced cards caught on and were sold to the public.

Although 1000 years ago people celebrated Christmas differently, it has always been a time for people to relax and reminisce about past memories. While not many people know about the origin of one of America’s most celebrated holiday, they still decorate their houses with ornaments, lights, and the iconic Christmas tree. If a person wants to truly celebrate the holiday, they first must learn about its history and origin, as well as what separates the truth from fiction.

EDIT 3

Christmas: a time when giving is more important than getting. Originally a Christian holiday, Christmas is celebrated by many non-Christians who have helped evolve Christmas into what we know it as today. The modern interpretation of the holiday has changed dramatically throughout the years, but there is still a cloud of mystery surrounding it. The interest of the holiday have [has] sparked various myths that people still don’t know the truth of.

Myth #1 Santa was always the chubby jolly gift-giver: Santa Claus has been made an iconic symbol as a jolly, rather large, and bearded man through Christmas specials, books, and songs. [insert sentence about how Santa Claus didn't always look this way.] The origins of Santa were based on a fourth century bishop, Saint Nicholas of Myra. It wasn’t until after the Civil War did the recent Santa begin to form. Coca-Cola took part in modernizing the image of Santa by giving him a large beard and smile, printing him on Christmas cans and bottles.

Myth #2 Companies shattered the meaning of Christmas: When companies started using Christmas as an opportunity to sell their products, there was a [delete] major backlash from citizens. The citizens stated the products were ruining the holiday, but they instead did the opposite. Before the Civil War, Christmas was always a time of hostility in Boston [insert comma] for it reminding them [replace with 'for it reminded the citizens'] of what they despised so greatly: Great Britain. Christmas was scorned so much that Boston banned it for 25 years. It wasn’t until companies helped restore the image with their products that it became a national holiday.

Myth #3 You save a tree by buying a fake one: Christmas trees have always been a tradition, but recently people have been swapping them for plastic trees. Countless people say that they don’t want to harm the environment, but what they don’t know is that Christmas trees are grown especially for their use during the holidays. It is often believed that the trees are cut straight from the forest, but in reality [insert comma] farmers rent off plots of land to plant trees just for the purpose of the holiday.

Myth #4 Christmas cards are just a marketing ploy: Throughout the many years that Christmas cards have been given away, people have criticized Christmas cards as just being another marketing strategy to earn money. However, they made writing holiday greetings convenient. The first Christmas cards were created by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 since he was too busy to write to all his friends. It wasn’t until 1875 that the concept of mass-produced cards caught on and were sold to the public.

Although 1000 years ago people celebrated Christmas differently, it has always been a time for people to relax and reminisce about past memories. While not many people know about the origin of one of America’s most celebrated holiday, they still decorate their houses with ornaments, lights, and the iconic Christmas tree. If a person wants to truly celebrate the holiday, they first must learn about its history and origin, as well as what separates the truth from fiction.

Christmas: a time when giving is more important than getting. Originally a Christian holiday, Christmas is celebrated by many non-Christians who have helped evolve Christmas into what we know it as today. The modern interpretation of the holiday has changed dramatically throughout the years, but there is still a cloud of mystery surrounding it. The interest of the holiday has sparked various myths that people still don’t know the truth of.

Myth #1 Santa was always the chubby jolly gift-giver: Santa Claus has been made an iconic symbol as a jolly, rather large, and bearded man through Christmas specials, books, and songs. People believe that he has looked like that since the beginning of the holiday, but this is false. The origins of Santa were based on a fourth century bishop, Saint Nicholas of Myra. It wasn’t until after the Civil War did the recent Santa begin to form. Coca-Cola took part in modernizing the image of Santa by giving him a large beard and smile, printing him on Christmas cans and bottles.

Myth #2 Companies shattered the meaning of Christmas: When companies started using Christmas as an opportunity to sell their products, there was major backlash from citizens. The citizens stated the products were ruining the holiday, but they instead did the opposite. Before the Civil War, Christmas was always a time of hostility in Boston, for it reminded the citizens of what they despised so greatly: Great Britain. Christmas was scorned so much that Boston banned it for 25 years. It wasn’t until companies helped restore the image with their products that it became a national holiday.

Myth #3 You save a tree by buying a fake one: Christmas trees have always been a tradition, but recently people have been swapping them for plastic trees. Countless people say that they don’t want to harm the environment, but what they don’t know is that Christmas trees are grown especially for their use during the holidays. It is often believed that the trees are cut straight from the forest, but in reality, farmers rent off plots of land to plant trees just for the purpose of the holiday.

Myth #4 Christmas cards are just a marketing ploy: Throughout the many years that Christmas cards have been given away, people have criticized Christmas cards as just being another marketing strategy to earn money. However, they made writing holiday greetings convenient. The first Christmas cards were created by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 since he was too busy to write to all his friends. It wasn’t until 1875 that the concept of mass-produced cards caught on and were sold to the public.

Although 1000 years ago people celebrated Christmas differently, it has always been a time for people to relax and reminisce about past memories. While not many people know about the origin of one of America’s most celebrated holiday, they still decorate their houses with ornaments, lights, and the iconic Christmas tree. If a person wants to truly celebrate the holiday, they first must learn about its history and origin, as well as what separates the truth from fiction.