Here Are Some Fun Christmas Facts That Would Surprise Even Santa Himself (2024)

The best Christmas traditions of all are the ones we've been doing for decades or even centuries—like decorating a Christmas tree, kissing under the mistletoe, or sipping your favorite eggnog by a warm, cozy fire. But have you ever stopped to wonder where these customs come from or how they got started? To help you increase your holiday knowledge, we've rounded up some fun Christmas facts that you can use to surprise (and impress!) your friends and family this December. For example, do you know how the tradition of Christmas trees began? (Hint: It started way back in the 16th century!) Or why we really hang stockings by the chimney with care?

Ahead, you'll learn about the history of Christmas and more about these beloved, time-honored traditions, plus why Santa Claus lives in the North Pole, how many kids still believe in the man in the big red suit, and which Christmas song was the first tune ever played in space. You can use your new seasonal smarts to wow your guests, or create a fun Christmas trivia quiz (complete with Christmas riddles) to see who really knows their stuff. The winner gets to pick which Christmas movie you'll watch after you open presents!

Those letters to Santa don't always go unanswered! In Canada, the postal code "H0H 0H0" is designated for Santa at the North Pole. Every year, Canadian children can send their letters to this address to receive a personalized reply from "Santa" through Canada Post's Santa Letter-Writing Program.

"Jingle Bells" was written by James Lord Piermont in 1857 for his church's Thanksgiving concert. However, over the years, it became more closely associated with Christmas and is now one of the most popular holiday songs!

What started as a marketing campaign by KFC in the 1970s has evolved into a widely adopted tradition of eating a bucket of KFC chicken to celebrate Christmas. Many people even place their KFC orders well in advance to secure their Christmas chicken dinner.

The creator, Robert L. May, was considering Rollo and Reginald before he finally settled on Rudolph.

This custom is believed to have originated in the early 19th century in Europe. One popular legend involves St. Nicholas, who, according to folklore, put gold coins in the stockings of three poor sisters. Over time, this evolved into the cherished holiday tradition of hanging stockings by the fireplace and filling them with small Christmas gifts.

Construction workers placed the first small, undecorated tree at Rockefeller Center in 1931. These days, the famous tree features more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights—That's nearly five miles of lights!

The 2018 computer-animated film brought in $512,858,819 worldwide. The runner-up? Home Alone, the Christmas classic from 1990.

In the mid-17th century, the Puritan-led English Parliament banned Christmas celebrations in favor of a day of fasting. Furthermore, the first state to declare Christmas a legal holiday was Alabama in 1836. The last was Oklahoma in 1890.

And the average age when children stop believing is eight, according to the 2018 international Exeter Santa Survey. Bonus fact: During the months of November and December, Santa receives around 32,000 letters daily from these believers!

Move over, Black Friday! According to recent statistics, the top ten busiest shopping days in the U.S. account for nearly half of all holiday retail traffic including the weekend before the big day. As for the entire holiday shopping season, the NRF estimates sales reached $936.3 billion in 2022.

According to History.com, the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany gave the red and white sugar sticks to young singers to keep them quiet during the Living Creche tradition on Christmas Eve.

In addition to voicing the conductor, Hanks also played Hero Boy, Father, Hobo, Scrooge, and Santa Claus.

The famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast established Santa's official residence as the North Pole in several illustrations in the 1800s, according to NPR. At the time, there had recently been a series of expeditions to the Arctic, and the North Pole was thought of as a mythical, magical place.

The word actually dates back to the mid-1500s, and gets its roots from the Greek letter X—which is the first letter in the Greek word for Christ.

The Elf on the Shelf was inspired by the creators' own toy elf, Fisbee, who they grew up with in the 1970s. They told HuffPost that Fisbee "would report to Santa Claus at night and be back in a different position in our house the next day."

This popular kissing tradition may have its roots in Norse mythology. The History Channel reports that Frigg, the goddess of love, promised to kiss anyone who passed under the berry-laden plant after it saved her son's life. It wasn't until the 18th century, however, that the Christmas custom picked up steam in England.

The history of Santa Claus dates all the way back to the third century, to a Turkish monk named St. Nicholas who was famous for helping the poor and sick. Dutch immigrants eventually brought the story of the man they called "Sinter Klaas" to New York, where his legend continued.

Believe it or not, the enduring Christmas classic initially bombed at the box office. It wasn't until 1974, when its copyright expired and television networks could air it for free, that it cemented its place as one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time.

Most historians agree that eggnog is a descendant of the medieval British drink posset, which was made with wine or beer, cream, sugar, and egg, according to Smithsonian.com.

Clement Clarke Moore's iconic 1823 poem is actually called "A Visit from St. Nicholas." It's more commonly known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" because of its famous first line.