Discover some curiosities of this special date
Christmas is something very special for Colombians, for Americans and for most countries around the world. And it is not for less, because this date is magical, since it brings to the world the notion of happiness, of love to the neighbor, of forgiveness, of charity, of peace. And this makes many people find some emotion on these dates. It is also key to think that all countries have different customs, either because of their context, their history, their beliefs, etc.
It is fun to analyze curiosities about Christmas, especially when its celebration is so varied throughout the world. Here we will show you a compilation of the best curious facts about Christmas.
- The turkey on Christmas Eve has its origin in Mexico, and became popular when, in the sixteenth century, the Aztecs tried to prove the conquistador Hernán Cortés, who was fascinated and decided to take it to Spain.
- During the First World War, British soldiers and German soldiers paused during Christmas, in which they literally wished each other a «Merry Christmas», chatted, sang carols and songs and shared cigarettes.
- Christmas is a custom that was born for the first half of the third century. The specific date of the birth of Jesus Christ was established only in the year 350 of the common era by Pope Julius I.
- The five-pointed star that we all put on the Christmas tree has its origin in the Philippines, but in this place the custom was to see the star in torches in front of the houses.
- There is a beautiful custom in Ethiopia which is a river bathing ceremony, in which they bathed in river water that was blessed during the celebration.
- Christmas cards were invented in the mid-nineteenth century by Sir Henry Cole, since he wanted an artist friend to create a Christmas scene to send it to a print shop to sign with wishes and greetings to all friends and family.
- In Australia, Christmas is celebrated as if it were summer, because the temperatures that are recorded are around 25 and 38 degrees Celsius, so this Christmas is not celebrated sheltered by the cold, but enjoying a summer sun.
- For these dates the celebration varies a lot, so much so that in Japan it is tradition to start cleaning houses, get rid of old things (like move, clothes and possessions) to receive the new year, also known as Omisoka.
- The colors of Christmas and their meanings are: green, which represents rebirth and life; the red that symbolizes the blood of Christ and the gold that hints at is light, wealth and royalty.
- If on Christmas Eve Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus (everyone with the name you want) travel all over the earth to deliver gifts to the more than 2,000 million children there, you would have to do it more or less traveling to the speed of light to be able to make more than 800 million paired.
- The Hanukkah is for the Jews what for the Catholics / Christians would be Christmas. And not because it has any relationship, because its origins and meanings are different. The only thing they share are the dates on which they are celebrated, the character with which they enjoy it, the gifts, and other details that make both celebrations beautiful.
- Mistletoe is a form of good luck attraction, and its origin is found in the British, who fought bad energies with mistletoe. The tradition spread throughout the world and nowadays it is very common to see how people keep the tradition of kissing the person they have in front when they are under mistletoe.
Now that you know some curious facts about Christmas in some other regions of the world, dare to know how it is in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. Book your room and accommodation at Hotel Andino Real now and let us help you create the best memories of the most unforgettable experiences.