A Brief ‘did you know’ of Christmas

Christmas is surrounded by myth, legend and tradition and most of us will consider ourselves familiar with most of the customs surrounding the festive season. However, there is always room for a few more facts and figures so we hope you enjoy our brief ‘did you know?’ yuletide guide!

Did you know...?

1. An old wives’ tale says that bread baked on Christmas Eve will never go mouldy.
2. Christmas pudding was first made as a kind of soup including ingredients such as raisins and wine.
3. December 25th was not celebrated as the birth date of Christ until AD440.
4. In 1649, Oliver Cromwell abolished Christmas and declared it to be an ordinary working day. Anybody caught celebrating Christmas was arrested.
5. The first British Christmas card was sent in 1840.
6. The British Post Office used to deliver Christmas cards on Christmas morning until 1961.
7. Daily newspapers were published on Christmas Day until 1912.
8. The first Christmas stamp was released in Canada in 1898.
9. Christmas crackers were invented by Thomas Smith. Having imported a selection of novelties from France to sell as Christmas gifts and finding they were rather unpopular he wrapped them up into a tube and added a snapper to make them appear more interesting.

The fact that Christmas is surrounded by so many interesting traditions and legends; that there is so much to learn about its history; and that there is a multitude of comparisons to be made across different cultures makes it all the more fun.

Enjoy Christmas and whilst doing so, see how much you can learn!