Christmas Trivia – Knowing the Underlying Meaning of the Festival

Christians all around the world celebrate the festival very differently. Do you know the significance of sending Christmas cards? Or the Christmas tree, for that matter? Do you know everything there is to know about Santa Claus?

Here are some interesting and entertaining details about the festival of Christmas:

What Does Christmas Symbolise?

This is one of the most important Christmas Trivia’s one should know about. Do you know what gold symbolises? The gift of gold came from an Arabic king, Melchior. Legend has it the Melchior was one of the three wise men. The gold he gifted to the family of Christ financed their entry into the land of Egypt.

Balthasar, another of the three wise men brought the gift of Frankincense for the messenger of god. By honouring Christ with Frankincense, he fulfilled the old prophesy that the heavenly king will be honoured with the gifts of gold and frankincense.

Christ was honoured by the gift of Myrrh by Caspar, the last of the three wise men.

Some religious Christmas Trivia’s

The first nativity scene occurred in the windswept mountainside cave in Italy. Little Jesus was placed on an altar of stone. Now, a small monastery surrounds this holy cave and has remained relatively undisturbed all through these years.

The carol, 12 days of Christmas, holds a deeper, spiritual meaning where “true love” means God, “partridge” refers to Jesus, “turtle ducks” refer to the two testaments and so on.

The worlds grandest Nativity Scene is located in Einsiedeln, Switzerland.

Do you know the meaning of the word Xmas? Contrary to popular beliefs that Xmas is just an abbreviated form of the word Christmas, X is a modern Roman alphabet that corresponds to the first letters of the word, Christ (which means “Chi” in Greek).

Santa Claus

The real Saint Nicolas, a Turkish bishop lived in Myra in the 4th Century. According to a popular Dutch legend, at Christmastime, Saint Nicolas was known to bring gifts for children through the chimney or through an open window. The Santa Claus we know of today is based on this legend.

The Significance of the Christmas tree

The idea of a Christmas tree is believed to have originated in the middle ages from a play performed during the Advent season. The play, tells the story of Adam and Eve featuring a Paradise Tree that symbolises the temptation of Eve. This tree has become the Christmas tree today and the “forbidden apples” are depicted with the help of round Christmas trinkets.

The History of Wreaths

Wreaths too have a distinct history? Ancient Druids considered holly to be a magical plant. Wreaths are made when holly and many other evergreens were placed in a circularly shaped manner. Wreaths, having no beginning or end, symbolise eternity.