Things you have always wanted to know about Christmas but always forget to ask

[thirdistheonewiththehairychest]

Who even was King Wenceslas?

It's his uncle

Are there really figs in "figgy pudding"? Isn't a fig a Mediterranean fruit so would it have been available in the UK (Dicken's times)?

The tree and decorations are meant to be down by a certain time....Twelfth Night ( is it 12 days after Christmas?) might have this mixed up.

Is there a date to put them up?

When did the old fashioned slinky type shiny decorations in garish colours go out of favour? Loved them

Santa is a secularised version of St Nicholas who was a bishop and later saint in what is now Turkey in the 4th century. Part of his legend was that he frequently gave secret gifts to the poor, hence the association with presents. He was a very popular saint in the medieval period, and his feast day on 6 December developed into one where gifts were exchanged, and that is still the day for gift giving in some parts of Europe. As it was so close to Christmas, the tradition moved to Christmas over here. He is also a patron saint of children.

He was developed into Santa Claus in 19th century America.

He has been combined with Father Christmas, who is a vaguer character from English folklore.

Figs grow well in British walled Gardens. They can also be dried.

@Ellmau
Ah, that St Nicholas (Early Greece, Byzantine empire?).
I know people practicing Eastern Orthodox eat fish on 6th December, on St Nicholas day.

Is the turkey tradition related to the American thanksgiving?

That's the one.

I think the stocking thing is from an old story where a father didn’t have enough money to pay dowries for his daughters. One night they had done a laundry of stockings and hung them by the fire to dry. St Nicholas threw gold into the man’s window and it landed in the stockings.

Not sure about the orange thing though but I always had a clementine in my stocking growing up (I’m 31) don’t think my Mum ever knew why she did it 😅

Yes they were available in medieval times: there’s been international trading since prehistory

We do that too, but trees were cut down to provide heat in the past. They were being killed anyway.

We always had a live tree that would be planted out in the garden till the next year, until it got too big after 3 or 4 years. But you do need a big garden for this.

Weren’t satsumas/clementines/oranges etc a really special treat at one point? (In Northern Europe where they have to be imported, I mean - presumably not in Spain or Florida or anywhere else where they are abundant!) so getting them in a stocking was something to look forward to?

Yes, and seasonal,not year round availability.

I think there is a link with stockings and the polish tradition of putting their boots or shoes outside. Then Santa/Saint Nicholas would leave fruit or small gifts in them if they were good.

Isn’t Good King Wenceslas related to Christmas because he want out and about in the feast of Stephen? Which is Boxing Day/

Where are the corners on a sphere?

Do those Christmas songs by Uk artists (the ones we hear on repeat every December) get played in other countries? Do other countries have their own versions of East 17, Shakin Stevens, wizard, Slade etc etc etc or are these songs ubiquitous throughout the world like they are here?

Because it looks nice and it's a tradition! Why have bunches of flowers in a house?

There was a magazine on readly last year all about Christmas which was really interesting if anyone subscribes.

Queen Victoria popularised the Christmas tree as we know it with baubles/candles.

Was she inspired by pagans? There must be some kind of missing link 🤔

There is no evidence that Queen Victoria was inspired by pagans when she decorated her Christmas tree. However, some historians believe that the tradition of decorating evergreen trees may have pagan origins. In ancient times, evergreens were often used in winter solstice celebrations as symbols of eternal life. Some scholars believe that the Christmas tree may have evolved from these pagan traditions.

There's no direct link between Queen Victoria and paganism though. The Christmas tree is a complex tradition with roots in both Christian and pagan cultures. Queen Victoria simply helped to popularize a tradition that already existed (especially in Germany where her husband Albert was from).